MANNERS' FOR CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 149, 18 March 1908, Page 3

MANNERS' FOR CHILDREN.

Courtesy is 'one : of thosei.things'..': never' learnt ,by study, but by .application. For mariners to:be,second nature,'as.'they'.ought. to';be/,. they..-'-.should;begin:>.:with -.ai' .child's-eai-liest"years.'', Tho'mother-whd.puts' off'her. education' l "the: child is old enough ~to; understand social etiquette is ; mistake that maiiy mother's make. This is shovvn , by., the uncomfortable! number '. of half-bred; and badly-bred, children at Homo' and abroad. ' ■ '' '

A; boyi:\ cannot-''learn -too;.early -to'/defer to"eve'ry, ;':woman from, his';mother. 'to -''the housemaid and . thelittle'- girl next door.: In a; kindergarten lately .the' amazement of a small boy .when instructed to cross behind- ; the little girls instead'of in front of thom was a melancholy;- .comment .on ', his : home , training.' Yet he came of what would bo considered.-a iwellrbred fainilyj; a home, where' father 'arid' - 'are. : supposed .' 'to bo 1 people'of refinoment-V arid ; yet no'real courtesy can ever ;'come.'out 1 of'such "a- 'homocircle. There mil be surface,' politeness, i but no .real It : iV the .part ofevery' mother'.' to 'see thatiheivboys and/girls . from'vlnfancy-ylearn' courtesy , inl- its every' detail• of life so that they ! !may -take their places";, by.-' right -among-' the-.-'well-bred'.: ■ In-' ■ stead of that,' the mother; too ofte'n\has 'thepoliteness of the;wholo'-family.:; She 'lets tho - children's 1 .'manners' Adrift.' into'. 1 chaos ' until ffifly ; -get?olden' 1 taught: day' after, day' to wait:.upon' the aged, tp>. sljow, consideration. -to''V.deperidents 'and : servants, and. to.-do courteous. actions ' involving a; little " denial .'And: self-sacrifice' of 'their own' convenience. No child learns these 'things' by natuhj, and no'orifei learns them- easily 'after' the' -years 'iof. ; ;youth; ■ y .',Th'e; 'seeds of courtesy must' be sown by-parents and sown early-.if it's lovely/fiowersare to bloom later on in their "fulnoss. —"Harpers Bazaar." .