COURTESY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18419, 27 June 1925, Page 18

COURTESY.

ITS DECLINE IN THE RUSH OF LIFE. It seems true enough that certain virtues are, in any wide application of the word, the prerogative of certain eras, declares John Blunt in the "Daily Mail." True courtesy, for instance, is, I am afraid, dying out, as tho oldest generation now living gradually passes from tho stage. I don't mean that there are not still a great many courteous people, but only that courtesy as a universal virtue seems to havo required a- quieter and more spacious age tor its development. We always thin* of courtesy as one of the traits of the "fine old English gentleman," and I was reminded very strongly of this when I read of Mr Baldwin's tribute to the venerable Lord Coventry, when presenting; hiir. with a <?.-fimanu vending gift. He spoko of Lord Coventry's "exquisite courtesy," and it made me wonder of how many people, now in tho height of their powers, whether famous or obscure, this same expression could justly be used. _ It semis to me an infinite pity that this charming quality, which does so much to oil the wheels of life and helps to make existence more pleasant for us all should be allowed to become blunted in the rush and hurry of to-day. Courtesy adds to the amenities of existence and tends, in its very nature, to create a better atmosphere all round. And after all, it costs nothing. The only things necessary are an innate desiro not to hurt other people's feelings, and a certain sense of human solidarity. Courtesy has nothing to do with hyprocisy. ' The hypocrite pretends to be polite because he wants to get something out of you; the courteous man is polite because he wants to put you at your ease. He may entirelv disagree with.you and let you know it, but he never willingly wounds your feelings, for he always remembers that you are' a human being like himself. There is a kind of idea abroad in the ivorl d that efficiency is often, jallied to rudeness. For all I know""TS may lie true that many efficient people are rude,; but it is certainly equally true that many efficient people are polite. The rude'efficient man is, I should suppose, less efficient than the polite efficient man, for the one puts people's backs up and tho other wins them over to his side. But real courtesy goes farther than mere politeness. Politeness may be impersonal and cold, but courtesy" gives you a feelingof personal warmth. The truly courteous man is not content with fulfilling the letter of politeness; he endeavours to go farther and make you feel that he is really interested and would like to be of some help. And that, perhaps, is why courtesy, in the good" old-fashioned sense, i i dying out in a generation which seems to have lost the art of doing things graciously.