The Washington herald., 1914-07-26
4 CORNER IN ETIQUETTE

father, and the young man who did not
don his evening suit for the family din
ner would be considered even more care
less.
Superficial and unnecessary as these
regulations seem to US Americans. they
at leasts have the virtue OF showing as
great consideration for the family as for
guests. Although very few Americana
men do dress for their family dinners
very few even Of the richest have time or
thought to spend on what seems so un-
necessary-stil almost all women can
make a few appreciated efforts in dresA
ing for dinner and in making OF the or
dinary act of eating something of a
feast as well as necessity.
a young New York lawyer carried his
efforts at everyday courtesy to his wife
10 an extreme that rather defeated its
own ends. Some day, he figured to him
self, he would be a lawyer of wealth and
distinction. and some day he would nat
urally be in a position where an even
ing suit would be a matter of course
for every dinner. Meantime he was liy-
ing in a four-room fat three flights up.
and his good little wife was doing all
the homework and thinking very little
Of the prosperous times in the future.
II some time ne would dress for other4
reasoned this lawyer. why should he not
dress for his good little wife, why
should he not show her the respect that
he would be required by his position tn
show TO others? To be sure il was due
her: and every night after he nau come
home weary and sometimes shabby from
his daily toll down town. he would spend
half an hour in the wee beadroom gettinI 3
into his black broadcloth evening SUIT
Meanwhile, that patient little wife was
toiling in the kitchen, preparing as feS-
tive meal as she could manage on her
small allowance. and sometimes in her
hurry to begin the dinner she would sit
down at the table with her gingham
apron still on. her sleeves rolled up and
her cheeks red from the kitchen fire.
But never a night passed in this little
fat that the little wife did not look
proudly over at her lawyer and feel glad
in her heart that she had married a man
with such excellent manners.
OF course. this was an exaggeration of
the spirit of everyday courtesy.
When you were youngster did yoA
ever welcome the idea OF having cona-
pany, not so much because company was
anything OF a pleasure in itself, but be-
cause the family always acted so Jolly
and agreeable when there was company?
Mother would always come TO breakfast
in the best of moods with never a sign
Of the curl papers that you somehow
couldn't endure. She was never cross to
the servants. and things went with won
derful smoothness. Father never said
word about the cooking and actually
seemed to enjoy the toast when it wfs
burned. though you knew>for a fact that
when there wasn't company he couldn't
eat it. and father and mother talked and
laughed together-though usually there
wasn't anything to talk about so early
in the morning. And big sister. who was
usually late to breakfast-which made
rather cross and the maid sulky-didn't
have any trouble in getting down as soon
as any one, and as cheerful as anything
Remember that your children are Just
as sensitive as you are, that they notice
sulkiness, unloveliness, and unmannerli-
ness as quickly as you do. Perhaps You
owe them training In everyday courtesy
as much as you owe them shoes and
bread and butter.