The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-07-10
The True Gentlewoman.

All the things which the term lady
has come TO mean are neither worthy nor
lovabe But no unfortunate corrota-
ton has so far risen to destroy the pri-
NAL meaning of the word ''gentlewoman.
The external signs of the aentlewoman
are good manners, polse of bearing and
charm of voice. The chief internal quail
titles from which the good manners should
rise are unselfshness, tolerance, and con
sideration for others, which is only an
other name for unselfishness. Chance has
decreed that some girls are so circum-
stanced that il is easy for them to be
gentlewomen; for others great Difficult
ties stand in the way. But no girl need
fear OF reaching such an ideal if she cares
10 exercise the patience and self-suppres-
sion necessary to attain the inner and
outer graces which belong to the true
gentlewoman.
So far as the inner grsces are con
cerned. no one is born with the quality
of unselfshness. although some fortunate
people have such bent for it that it
can be early disciplined into them. The
baby is born an egoist, and everyone
around him must. perforce, minister 10 his
egoism. His little horizon is filled with
just himself, and when he begins to talk
the most OF his speeches begin baby
wants" or "baby doesn't want" 1t is
only careful training that will give the
child proper conception of the rights OF
others Human nature IS. at the best, so
defective that only constant self -disci
pline will keep one from putting ones
own rights ALWAYS first
The true gentlewoman knows that the
Christian theories which look upon un
seishness as a duty are something more
than pleasant principles set up on some
high shelf of the soul where they are
kept for show only. The gold of the
rule, "Do unto others as you would that I
they should do TO you ought to be kept !
FURNISHED by constant use. The gentle |
woman does not say
"Why should | do this kindness for
her? She would not do it for mel"
Nor does she say;
IF you consider other people before
yourself, they'll let you do it, and will
impose on you
The true gentlewoman knows that hard
people can often be won and changed by
unselish treatment. She also knows that
the sense OF Justice is sufficiently alive in
the world so that an unselfsh persons
friends will not permit selfish people to
impose too much upon her. Above all,
she realizes that her duty is not to con
slider the possible failure of her efforts
in pretty imperfect world nor the re-
actions upon herself; she tries to be un-
selfish, not to get return in kind for it,
put because unselfshness is right.
The complement of unselfshness and
for others is tolerance.
When other people are grasping or I'M
air, the gentlewoman tries to excuse
hem, on the grounds that they are
doing the best they can. She
S not Snug about it, does not thank God
hat she is not as other people; she sim
'ly believes that people probably think
hey are justified in whatever line of l
onduct they take. This breadth of view. T
his generosity, is grace quite as ad-
nirable as unselfshness in its way it is b
kind of unselfishness. t
1t does not follow that the outward :
ualities of personality correspond with
he inner qualities, but they should. A {
harming manner will not atone for ut
er unselfshness, nor will an abrupt ner- "
Gus manner, however unattractive con- b
cal beautiful spirit. Yet, ideally, I
here should be correspondence between a
lner and outer qualities -Maude Rad
ord Warren in Woman's Void for July. Y