Evening star., 1938-09-07
Even Young
Boys Like
Courtesy
These Formalities
Effect Manners
OF Youngsters.
By EMILY POST.

DEAR MRS. POST: Should letter
sent to a young boy be addressed
to Master David Smith or just David
Smith? Isn't Master" silly?
Answer-A personal letter or a note
Of invitation should be addressed Mas
ter. Eyen though it does perhaps seem
silly, it Is really quite important be-
cause formalities such as this have a
surprisingly beneficial effect upon the
manners Of young children. II you
call out to q boy, Hi, Johnny!"
Johnny's responding attitude of mind
is Hi, yourself!" Say Good morn
ing, Johnny" and Johnny answers,
Good morning." or say Good morn
ing. John'-with a manner that is
courteously formal-and he answers
Good morning, sir" As an example of
the beneficial effect of formality on
children, you need only consider those
who are to sing or play at an enter
tainment in primary school. If the
teacher says, Come now, Johnny, and
play your little piece! You will play
it nicely now, won't you?" Johnny
Feeling suddenly that his 8 years has
shrunk to about 4, gives q miserably
babyish performance. But If she had
said, Master John Brown will now
play for U.s." Johnny would immediate
~ feel that his contribution was some.
thing to which the audience was going
to listen INTERPRETATION and atten-
ton. and play his very best.
nEAR MRS. POST: Is dentist In
troduced socially as DR.. Blank
And is it considered good form foz
him to call himself doctor2
Answer-Yes, to both.
Il Il X
DEAR MRS. POST: Will you write
something about the social usage
Of words. Such words. for example, as
swell, boy friend. dandy, gentleman
friend. and. lady friend, and any 9TH
ers that might be questionable And
will you also please tell me Just he's
one can be sure about words.
Answer-Two Of these words, swell
and hoy friend" have crashed the
gates OF best society. Very incest people
nowadays consider swell" applied to
character or achievement is highest
praise, and the hoy friend" is well
coined everywhere, but dandy" is an
outsider. The words gentleman
friend" and LADY friend" are Just as
impossible as "drapes" when YOU mean
"draperies" or stylish dresser" when
you mean she wears smart clothes
BY the way, one word avoided by many
Is "rich." They are afraid it is vul.
gar and 80 they say wealthy" in.
stead. Actually "rich" Is the right
word-so don't say wealthy" As tc
how one can be sure of words: The
most important thing to do is to listen
to notable people on the radio, and t,
read well-written books, such as the
novels OF Galsworthy, or Walpole, O,
Mrs. Wharton, etc.
X X X X
DEAR MRS. POST: A year ago q
man who had been very near tc
me all through college was married
and at the time I was financially un.
able to send them q wedding present
made a note of the date and now
would like to send a gift on thei,
anniversary. Since the first anniver.
sary Is paper, wondered If one il
expected to confine such q present tt
paper. II 20, will you please sugges,
q present (of paper) that would be
important enough to send As a we'd
ding present and anniversary presen,
both.
Answer: II I were you, I would
choose the incest present I could find
and send it on that day with note
about being sorry that it is a year late
but pay no attention to the fact tha
this Is their paper anniversary.
Copyright. 193s0