Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-23
When We Are
At Breakfast
Our Early morning Manners Indi.
cate a Lot About Our Breeding.

1rHEY saw thas a cnain is only
as strong as its weakest link:
and IL this truth applies to the
chain of manners. then we are no
better bred than we would indicate
by the way we behave at breakfast
in the bosom of our own family. For
every ones breakfast manners are
MS worst and a good many people
forget that manners. like charity.
begins at home. There are some
otherwise very well hammered per-
sons who simply can't show much
courtesy or consideration at break
fast. They are so constituted phys
ically that they come TO breakfast
in a sort OF a daze and don't really
entirely awake from their nights
siumbers till after the morning
meal From such persons an extra
effort is required IL they would
strengthen this weakest link.
The Morning Greeting.
In homes where attention Is paid
to the cultivation of good manners
children are taught to greet their
parents at the breakfast table with
a Good morning. father" or Good
morning. mother" Needless TO say
the parent so addressed should an
swer as courteously TO the child.
There is nothing more discourage
ing to the cultivation of good man
ners than the appearance at break
fast Of members of the family in
sloppy attire and morning disarray.
TO be sure, among women of wealth
and leisure-whose negligee attire
is as fastidiously attended to as is
their dress for the opera, albeit more
easily donned-the practice prevails
of appearing at the breakfast table
IN matinee attire. and they even
wear dainty lace caps If they choose.
But for the woman of many
servants to do this is one thing. and
for the woman who needs must be
downstairs in the kitchen betimes 20
prepare the breakfast IL is quite an
other thing. If there is one thing
more than another that tends to
discourage the cultivation of courte-
Gus family breakfast manners ii is
the appearance at that time Of a
carelessly donned eiderdown break
fast jacket. or other negligee. that
has been doing service in the
kitchen, and cap that indicates
all too plainly that IL is donned to
conceal unkempt locks. For the
woman who must do her own break
fast-getting the only correct dress
for breakfast is neat house dress.
As Guest.
Even the woman of leisure enough
70 do justice TO a negligee breakfast
attire would not think of appearing
thus dressed were she the guest a..
another persons house where break
fast was served with the entire
family. A possible exception might
be made in favor of woman Of
very mature years who appeared
well in this kind of apparel. But
for an older woman to appear with
out her equipment of coiffure is GER
tainly mistake. Her hair should
be as neatly, II not as elaborately,
arranged for dinner.
Save with very intimate friends
the hostess does not appear in
breakfast negligee when there are
EASSAS IN Iti DtuSt- ne NouFiE ElTi
never is allowed the privilege even
in the intimacy of her own family
circle.
Say You Slept Well.
One thing that you should remem-
ber when a guest at a friends
breakfast board. You will probably
be asked how you passed the night.
Now, don't imagine for an instant
that this is to be taken as an invi-
tation for you TO tell just how much
or how little you slept. If you had
odd dreams occasioned by sleeping
in a strange bed you had better keep
them 10 yourself A simply Very
well. thank you" is quite enough
answer to this courteous inquiry.
and it may be given without guilt
of having told an actual falsehood
even when YOU have not slept as
well as you might have done at
home.
PEACH MARMAI ADE