Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-09-27
Miss Florence Minis Enlarges
on Eastern Courtesy.

on Eastern Courtesy.
fDear Advertiser:
! "a have had a subject on my lnind
for some time, and the only way
.ean rid myself Of it, is to transfer
lit from my mind to paper, and make
lroom for another idea. Yet, I neve,
really want to get away from this
Thought of courtesy and all the long
train Of recollections it calls up. This
lword has probably been in the Eng.
Hish language for long time, since
EChaucer uses it to describe the char.
lacter Of one of the Canterbury Pill.
lgrins, who loved "truth and honor
freedom and courtesie."
That gracious quality or attribute
or characteristic has dwelt long in
the human heart and uplifted it.
Courtesy is certainly a part, at
fleast, Of the technique of life.
By that mean it is the law, which
if followed, will soften the rough
edges Of contact with our fellow man,
will lessen our selfshness and in
crease our consideration. 1t is not
how long or how swiftly or how vic
toriously we have travelled down the
road of life, but how careful we were
not to push somebody else aside in
our haste and not to bar the path of
other weary wanderers.
If an actor walks across the stage
and knocks over a chair, and catches
his foot in the arpet his movement
has availed him nothing. He has miss
ed his mark. He is not an artist. He
must learn to move with grace and
smoothness, to obey the laws of ac-
ton, and until he does, he has failed
in his purpose. Is it not so with life?
Until we have learned to give up
uor own preferences with grace and
smoothness and to obey the law Of
the golden rule, can we be said to be
artists in living, or even to have real
ly lived?
And after the actor learns perfec-
ton, il must become second nature
wi: : :, and ss.anust find himself
doing the right thing, from right
knowledge, now become right hab-
it.
And so must it be with all those
who would be courteous. 1t must be-
come natural and the next thing the
actor does is actually to begin to love
the right way of acting better than
the wrong way. And if mankind loves
it better than rudeness he will en-
deavor to practice it.
I am not trying to make a preach
ment, or to tell you anything that
you didn't know and practice long
before 1 was born, some of you. But
lately I have been the recipient OF
New England courtesy to an extent
that makes me marvel, and be thank
full that some of the South's grace OF
spirit exists here.
I merely let you in upon my train
of thought that precedes the remarks
I wish to make.
To the cosmopolitan masses of Bos-
ton / am debtor. They must al
ways leave home a few minutes
earlier than necessary to meet an ap-
pointment, so that several minutes
going and coming may be spared to
show their delightful consideration.
Many smaller things happen that
could hardly be put in a book OF etl-
quette, for they may never happen
twice, yet to catch the opportunity
requires thoughtfulness on some
body's part and mirrors a great soul
within a man or woman. Courtesy
takes time and the Fastener takes
this time, and is kind.
On the street cars or on the street
or wherever one is, the Bostonian
looks out for the other fellow, and in
turn, the other person looks out for
him and the common feeling of being
ones brother of interdependence one
on another, seems to be as keenly
alive here now as it was when forests
on this site rang with the hymns of
the Pilgrim Fathers.
The status of civilization in state
or nation, can be we'll measured by
mans consideration for his fellow