The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-08-06

IneTe is a very SOOu saw eioe
be made the first rule of etiquette for
the proud mother of a promising chlld:
Re sure YOU are right, then keep it
to Yourself" In other words. be sure
YOUR child is worth talking about, and
then keep still.
There is no greater bore in the world
than the mother who is constantly tell
ing every one she meets what = Won
derful boy her Johnny is and what
bright little thing Susie is getting to
be. OF course, the average mother
quite acknowledgement often not wise
ly-thinks her own child is the healthi-
est. happiest, brightest and most at
tractiye child that ever lived. Never
theless, it is very bad form for her to
tell people that she thinks so, illustrat-
ing her reasons, of course, with stories
of this. that or the other cute" or
cunning" thing said or done by her
paragon of an offspring.
In a certain club of young married
women there was one fond mothac who
made herself so unpopular with the
other members by not observing the
rules of etiquette for proud parents
that they almost dreaded her coming.
AS soon as she arrived at a club meet
ing she would make a bee line for 4
group of other fond mothers-Who.
however. one day in fourteen, were
glad enough to talk about fashions
and frills instead of babies and theil
food. their teething and their cute
ness.
"Oh, | must tell you about Freddy;
he's so cunning-and he's got another
tooth" Thus she would probably be-
gin. And then would follow a detailed
account of weight, teeth digestion,
food sleep and the hundred and one
things that go to make up the first tW%
well-cared- for baby. OF course, her
listeners, being we'll bred, struggled
to look pleasant through the deluge
of the fond-mother- baby talk, butt
were you ever really enjoyably enter
tanned while listening to a parent tell
about his or her child? Really, now?
Not only is the mother of this sort
gaining an unenviable reputation her
self: she is also making life harder,
instead of pleasanter, for the child she
continually or systematically boasts of.
The little boy whose mother comes to
school with him to tell his teacher
what a good boy he is, and how we'll
he has always stood in his classes,
and how he this, that and the other
thing, runs a pretty fair chance of
being heartily disliked by his school
fellows and pitied at least, by his
teacher.
But there is another, and more di-
rect way in which the etiquette-or
lack Of it-observed by the proud
mother reflects on the child. Children
are the greatest mimics in the world.
and there is no one whom they are
more anxious to be like than their
mother. They watch her in everything
and try to do as she does. 1t is not
a perfectly logical conclusion, there
fore, that if her manners are bad,
theirs will be, and if her manners are
those of good breeding and courtesy,
theirs will be too. beyond peradventure
of doubt?
A little girl who was at the house
of friend for luncheon asked for
third serving of a rich preserve at
dessert. The hostess gave the child a
very small bit of the fruit, fearing the
consequences of too much sweet At
ter luncheon the little guest confided
in the small daughter OF the house.
DO you know, Kitty" she said, IF
l had been at home. and anyone had
given me such a little bit of preserve
as that. I'd have screamed and left the
room That's the way mother and
always get what we want" Poor
husband and father,