Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-10-17
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Courtesy at Homo and Abroad.
There are many persons who have
reputation for mannerliness and charm
who would shock even their closest
friends at 7 In the morning. They reg
ularly get up on the wrong side OF
the bed" and until breakfast and ex-
ercise have put them right they are
too unmannerly and disagreeable to
deserve anybodys friendship. This
sort Of unmannerliness is the result OF
habit, of laziness 1t is simply too
much trouble to be agreeable early IN
the morning, think these early morn.
Ing crosspatches. And they sulk and
fume to their hearts content, 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
be sure some of us awaken so hungry
for breakfast that we have little
thought for anything else. Little chill
dren are sometimes uncomfortable un-
til they have something to eat, and
therefore they are cross. But as soon
as we graduate from the little children
class we should remember-or learn
that the effort to be courteous should
take precedence Of the effort to satisfy
our appetites for toast and coffee.
The girl who thought she was In
love until she thought of sitting oppo-
site the object of her affections at
three meals Il day was the sort Of girl
who forgets about everyday courtesy.
To her the idea that man should be
as agreeable to his wife during each
meal Of the days 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 it.
If she wanted more clothes than her
allowance would buy she said so. If
the food did not come up to her stand
ards or the service struck her as in
adequate she complained about these
things. She neglected to say THANK
you to servants and family. When
there We're guests at her home or when
she was a guest in some one else's
home she was the model of mannerly
department. Her honeyed smiles and
soft words We're famous. But she
simply ignored the demands of every
day, homely courtesy.
Children should be taught to be just
as thoughtful for their brothers and
sisters. their mothers and fathers and
uncles and aunts and grandparents
and their family's servants as they
are for strangers. Sometimes, when
much prodding and reminding fail to
elicit "Thank you" from small
child, the inference is strong that the
small child is not in the habit Of say
ing '"Thank you" at home for the small.
everyday courtesies which it's elders
shower upon it. More than that. it
seems likely that 1t seldom hears its
elders use these two simple but mean
ing words.
For children are initiative to sur
prising extent. SO far as manners are
concerned. The small son Of u father
who treats his wife with unfailing
consideration is almost always cOur-
teous to his mother, and 50 the small
daughter Of a woman who Is courteous
to her husband is not the small daugh-
ter who says carelessly. "Oh. that's just
father" when she hears her name
called.
Women have big opportunity for
being 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 sometimes forgets this when she
dons ragged or soiled finery at home
because 1t Is lust home" and saves
her neat and orderly clothes to wear
In the street and in the houses Of her
friends.