Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19
WASHINGTON GUIDE.
TO MANNERSF
Rare Volume Describes EIe-
gances in Eating and Other
Social Activities.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


PHILADELPHIA, Pa. December
1S.--George Washington is renowned
for his good manners.
2, How did he get Them?
Answer to that query. says the his
torian, James Harvey Robinson, is ia
cilitated by examining a rare and pre-
.cious little volume now in the posses
sion of DR.. James Hosmer Pennimar
in Philadelphia.
Washingtons self disciplining into
perfect courtesy of manner was aided
by diligent study of the maXims sci
forth in this volume. which is en-
titled
Youths Behavior, or Decencie ir
Conversation Amongst Men"
Only two copies of the work are
known to exist in America. One
printed in 1861, is in the Library OF
Gong ress. and the other, an edition II
yta4O earlier In date, is in DR.. PENN.
man O collection of source material
for history and pedagogics.
jealousy Studied NIaxims.
f7ro=f of how zealously Washington
studied these maXims is afforded by
one among the hundreds of Washing
ton manuscripts boarded in the Libra
S-" of Congress. This volume begins
with legal forms such as a Virginia
planter needed to know. Next appears
Christmas poem-a bit of sunshine
among these withered leaves. Then
come 10 pages in which Washington
copied out 10 maxims of decent be.
havior."
The maxims copied by Washington
came from an English translation of
a much earlier TREATISE. Few men are
so angelic in conduct that they will
have no occasion to suffer twinges of
conscience in reading some of these
maXiums. such as, for instance:
Let thy conversation be without
malice or envy.
Thou oughtest not too suddenly to
believe a flying rumour of friend or
any other. but let charity guide thy
Judgment until more certainty.
I'm coughing or sneeZing make not
great noise, If it be possible.
Advice on Tone of Voice.
Here are some more of these max
inns that melted Washington toward
eelf-improvement:
Speak not very loud.
by no means detract from any
other.
\ BE not forward, but friendly and
courteous and the first to salute
others.
HI ydNIlIuSs lOWl nOl.
s'Strike not UP a drum with thy
fingers or thy feet.
Hearing the preacher, wriggle not
thyself.
when thou sittest. put not indie
Gently one legge upon the other.
Take heed thou be not flatterer. :"
Put another maxim says:
Although superfluous compliments
are to be eschewed, yet thou ought.st
not to leave them which are due
otherwise thou displeasest the persons
with whom thou dost converse.
above all things, If thou esteemest
With men of good quality.
Eat not in the streets.
Advised Not to Use Knife.
Put not thy meat in thy mouth
holding thy knife in thy hands, as do
the country clownes.
Wipe not. thy hands on the table
cloth
Drink not as chawing the wine.
nor too often.
Cleanse not thy teeth with thy
tablecloth or forke or knife, but use
thy pick-tooth.
table or on the ground bones, parings,
wine or such like things; notwith-
standing, If one be constrained to
spet something which was too hard
t. chew, or which causeth irksome-
ness, then one may throw 1t forth
dextr'rously upon the ground, taking
1t decently with two fingers or with
the left hand shut"
In the edition owned by DR.. Penni-
man. of 1861, some interesting dis
courses" have been appended. One of
these. "A discourse upon some inno-
vations Of habits and dressings"
sounds strangely akin to some pres
eEt-day laments on the state of the
youthful generation.
Acknowledging that curiosity in
apparel" is dear to the hearts of WON
en-, the discourse declares this "a priv
t.ege which men ought not to envy
them, because whatever imbellishment
a woman bestowes on her own beauty
IS to.be adjudged but her duty and an
effect of the subordinate complacency
which she oweth to the male, whose
servant she is by creation"