The Washington times., 1909-05-02
TREAT CHILDREN
Hike HUMAN Beings
To Learn Youngsters Polite
ness You Must Be Po-
lite Yourself.

.ob dear" cried a distracted mother
To one who. as the saying is, seemed as
cool as a cucumber. how on earth do
,ou manage to have your children so
well-behaved? Mine are simply savages,
They shame me at every turn
perhaps you are savage with them'
repIied the visitor, with a smile that
barely escaped sarcasm Il treat my
children as persons who own their own
souls ] know that 20 receive courtesy
I must give it. and by daily attention
to the little breaks 1 keep them well
drilled i'm the greater decencies-
Ab me. # all mothers were as wise
as this what good manners the world
would seel There would be no such
thing as savage" child, no such
thing as a mother ''shamed at every
turn" Instruction in the polite forms
OF behavior bears little weight II tne
instructor is rude and violent. II IS no
use TO say, Jack. do so and so tooay,
If you forget to chide gently Wheh @ tnS
same thing. is done tomorrow .+ bo~e e
manners, like dirty faces, must naNe
constant attention, but II must an pe
done serenely. AS this astuts notHsI
says, Jack must hrst be aiioWeo -, 20
feel that his soul is his own, tIal dli
the reward the world has TO give ue-
pends upon himself. But a KIND heaft
being at the loot OF all gracious De
nATt0T
frosting II the child's character is
neglected
Reserve Golden Rule.
So let tn, worried mother begin by
calculating the homeiy precept OF the
Golden Rule. To do unto others as you
would have them do unto you is 70 be
kind. mercfful, considerate. Drill this
into the chiId's heart with little ten
der stories Of rewards that came TO the
kind-hearted and punishments that
came TO the harsh and coarse
A courteous genteness TO social IN
feriors. such as servants, Is the sign
from She child a gentle Difference for
their feelings. He must be told 10
say please" when asking for 9. thing
at table. told TO say thank you" when
it is given him. The men and women
OF the South are noted especially for
marks of poiiteness, and l am glad to be
able 20 tell you that deal of the train
ing comes through the need OF being po-
lite to ones black nurse The detection
is not treated with spankings- for the
black nurse has no right TO spank She
only says, perhaps with the sorrow ful
dignity that is more biting than dozen
switches, 1T seems terrible All got to
be 'shamed of de chile Al done bring
upi'
As to the Nurse
It was the old black nurse of the
South who taught imperative obedience
to the fathers and the mothers will,
who inculcated love for them, who in
sisted upon every little shade OF the
ordinary behavior which stands for
breeding. A good deal depends upon
the character and bringing up Of the
nursemaid into whose hands young
child has been intrusted-
The primer for the general behavior
of children contains rules so obvious
that the average mother can only re-
sent their repetition. Nevertheless. for
the few who might care TO freshen up
their book let us touch upon them.
To talk in a child's presence of its
gifts or looks is TO pave the way for
vanity and arrogance. The slightest inn
pertinence TO superiOrs should be
promptly and firmly checked.
Never pass over the correction of a
lie, as II Is the worst form Of bad be-
havior. Look at the treatment chron-
&c liar gets when he goes from his blind
hope TO a boys school. Being a danger
Gus person, he IS thought generally un-
AZ foI. the society OF his fellow-pupils.
In the end he gets the worst of things
every time.