Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-10
Be Polite to Your Children
---Lsurs spencer Rsrs0r in Nothsr,s AAra.ins--

he held to account for this Certainly the
sponsibility must rest with American parents.
You will hardy find anywhere people who
more ambitious for their children than Americans
for ours more DESTROYS Of having them get
in the world say. Yet any who thinks
Of the matter at all seriously must realize that 20 be
rude, -mannered. il Of the serious obstacles to
success. That IL not welcome among people Of
good breeding attainment who blunders against and
goes counter to, those common social rules which
human society has for its safety'and betterment
agreed.
What pleased 20 call good manners is not
mere accomplishment TO be scoffed at by the down.
right and the independent. but deep rooted in
human needs, in human kindness and justice
We may counter the rules OF good manners IL
we like. but In doing counter TO of the
strong bonds and instincts OF humanity. and shut
ourselves out from much that il beautiful and broad
ening. So, also, children who are rude thoughtless
inoonsderate, shut out automatically almost from
hundred helpful pleasures and benefits
The child whose mother is gentle and polite has
place already awaiting for him in the world and there
are hands already extended future to help him
For no one who is really we'll hammered herself will
allow her children TO up anything but polite
ana the child who goes into the world with gracious
and gentle manners. has already won in part az
least the worlds approval time and patience
OF course to train child to be well behaved and con-
siderate. but the child who early surrounded by
gentle and kindly manners forms the habits Of
gentleness and kindness
II Is true, also that a child brought up in very good
surroundings ana trained TO gentle behavior,
frequently picks up at school elsewhere manners Of
speech and action which are contrary to all his train
ing But this is serious If the training has
been sound
With all this in mind let US come back TO the
fact that the American child is VIGOROUSLY bad man
nered We may as we'll face the issue squarey our
children bad hammered mainly because we In su.
thorty over them set them such striking examples OF
bad manners. Yet, are not az a people nj man.
nered Strangers visiting our have borne witness
repeatedly to courtesy received KINDNESS observed
IL cannot then be said-speakng very generally Of
course-that we are wont to behave ourselves with
olscourtesy toward others. So IL not usually from
his observation OF treatment of others that the
enid has his lessons In bad manners; he has then
rather from source likely to impress him; ne
mas them from the bad manners we practice toward
MN 10 others he sees us kind and very courteous
Win special courtesy. He notices that we are mark
ediy polite to visitors noceaby considerable OF guests
or casual strangers His mind making its logical de-
auctions reasons that ana courtesies are
Things to put and off; to be assumed at need or
neglected at Will and since II is others who reap the
benefit OF thtm and not himself he acquires Ioeical
enough distaste for them, looks upon then, ns
articulation more or less and insincerlty To disca I'd
OF scorn them himself is. then a kind of virtue in
ms eyes; and TO have nothing to do with them Is
warrant or his own downrightness This more often
man not Is the real basis of bad in our chill
oren III the child were spoken to with the same
gentenoss and courtesy with which he finds us
ing to strangers and visitors would like good man.
ners without doubt. and would initiate them
Few or us, think. realize sufficiently the sharn
ana striking contrast between the manners we offer
to the outside world and we infIict on our own
10 realize this contrast fully It might well to imag-
children and guests