Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-04
HomeIy Courtesy.

There are many persons who have a
reputation for mannerliness and charm
who would shock even their closest
friends at in the morning. They regu-
larly ''get up on the wrong side of the
bed" and until breakfast and exercise
have put them right. they are too unman-
nerly and disagreeable to deserve any
body's friendship. This sort OF unnan-
nerliness is the result OF habit OF iaZi-
ness 1t is simply too much trouble to
be agreeable early in the morning, think
J these early-morning crosspatches. AND
they sulk and fume to their hearts con-
tent, blaming their bad spirits on the
morning air.
The morning, of course, ought TO be
the time of day when we all feel fresh
est and in the best possible humor. To
he sure. some of us awaken SO hungry for
anything else: little children are some
times uGccmfort able until they have
something to eat. and, therefore. they are
cross. But as soon rs we graduate from
the little-chidren class we should re-
member-or learn-that the effort to be
courteous should take precedence of the
effort to satisfy our appetites for toast
and coffee and eggs.
The girl who thought she was in love
until she thought of sitting opposite the
object Of her affections at three meals a
day was the sort of girl who forgets
about everyday courtesy. To her the
idea that wife should be agreeable to
her husband during each meal Of the day S
three or the years thousand odd was
absurd. She knew that at home, in the
privacy Of her own family, she put the
cloak of courtesy aside and acted just
AS she felt If she did not like the
weather. she grumbled about ID. IL She
wanted more clothes than her allowance
would buy, she said SO. II the foot did
not come up TO her stanit.as. or the
service struck her as inalcIuat&., she
complained about these things. She neg
lected to say thank YOU to servants
and family. When there were guests at
her home, or when she Was a guest IN
some one clsc's home, she WAS the model
of manneriy department. Her honeyed
smiles and soft words were famous. But
she simply ignored the demands of every
day, hoinely courtesy.
Children should be taught to be just as
thoughtful for their brothers and sisters,
their mothers and fathers and unclcS and
aunts and grandparents and their fam
1ly's servants as they are TO STRANGERS.
Sometimes, when much prodding and re-
minding fail to elicit a thank you from
a small child the inference is strong that
the small child Is not In the habit or
saying thank you" ut home for the
small, everyday courtesies which Its cid
ers shower upon it. More than mat, IL
seems likely that il seldom hears It's ED
eTS use these two simple Dit meaning
words. For children are initiative to a
surprising extent, SO far as manners are
concerned. The small son of II father
who treats his wife with unfailing con-
sideration is almost always courteous TO
his mother: and so the small daughter OF
a woman who il courteous to her husband
is not the small daughter who says, care
lessly, "Oh, that's just father when she
hears her name called.
Women have a 4lig Opportunity for be-
ing courteous in their dress. A wom-
ans family is really just as deserving of
neatness and careful dressing on her part
as is the public or her friends. She some
times forgets this when she dons ragged
or soiled finery at home, because 1t is
"just home" and saves her neat and or
derby clothes to wear in the street and
in the houses Of her friends.
Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndlcate.)