SECRET OF GOOD MANNERS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1082, 3 June 1882, Page 4

SECRET OF GOOD MANNERS.

The secret of good manners is to forget one's own self altogether. The people of really fine breeding are the ones who never think of themselves, but only of the pleasure they can give to others. No adornment of beauty, or learning, or accomplishments, goes so far in its power to attract as the one gift of sympathy. In all French history no woman had a stronger fascination for whoever came within her reach than Madame Recamier. She was called beautiful, but her portraits prove that her beauty was not to be compared with that of many less charming women. And even when every attraction of person had long passed away, and she was an eld woman, her sway over the hearts of others was as powerful as ever. AV hat was her secret ? It was this one thing solely-her genuine unaffected interest in the good and ill fortunes of her friends. A.uthors came to her and read ner their books, painters came to he* with their pictures, statesmen with their projects JShe was sweet and simple, uncon■sciously, as arose is sweet. She really cared for the happiness and success of •others and they felt the genuineness of her sympathy. It surrounded her with an immortal charm. Let any girl try Madame Recamier’s experiment. Let her go into society thinking nothing of the admiration she may win, but everything of the happiness she can confer. It matters little whether her face is beautiful, or her toilet costly. Before the end of three months she will be a happy girl herself, for the w’orld likes sunshine and sympathy, and turns to them as the flowers bask in the sun of June.