Chapter III.

_LESSONS ON MANNERS._

SECOND TWO YEARS.

LESSON IV.

=Purpose.=--To suggest kindness and unselfishness as two underlying principles of good manners.

=Method.=--A familiar conversation.

_The Lesson._

Suppose a boy seated in the easiest chair in the room, reading and enjoying himself, should rise on seeing his mother enter, and offer her the chair. What would you say of that boy?

“That he was kind.”

Then what kind of a heart would you suppose he had?

“A kind heart.”

And of whom did this kind heart lead him to think?

“Of his mother.”

Do you suppose he disliked to give up the chair?

“I think he did.”

“I think he was glad to give it up.”

How could that be?

“Why, he wanted the chair, but he loved his mother so much he was glad to give it up.”

Mary has told it very well. What can you say of him beside that he was kind?

“He was unselfish.”

What is it to be unselfish?

“To think of others before ourselves.”

And to what do kindness and unselfishness lead?

“To politeness.”

There is a rule that may help you in being unselfish and polite, and I wish you to learn it. It is this:

“Do to others as you wish others to do to you.”

LESSON V.

=Purpose.=--To suggest as a reason for cultivating good manners that we thus make our manners like those of the best people.

=Method.=--Questions and answers.

_The Lesson._

Of what did we talk in our last lesson?

“Of kindness.”

“And trying to make others happy.”

What is it to think of the happiness of others before our own?

“Unselfishness.”

And if we practice unselfishness, what can be said of us?

“That we have good manners.”

But do all kind and unselfish people have good manners?

(Some are in doubt.) Let us see. I do not think a truly kind heart will allow any one to be rude, but how is it in this case? It is not thought polite to eat with the knife. Have you ever known kind people to do it?

“Yes, Miss B.”

Why do you think they do it?

“Because they know no better.”

Can they learn better?

“Yes, Miss B.”

How?

“From other people.”

How from other people?

“They can watch, and do what they see nice people do.”

And how do these nice people know?

“Perhaps they have watched some other nice people.”

If one who has used his knife in eating learns better, what ought he to do?

“To stop using it.”

And if he continues to use it, what will be thought of him?

“That he is odd or queer.”

Should you like to be thought odd or queer?

“No ma’am.”

Then what must you do?

“We must watch people who know what good manners are, and try to make our manners like theirs.”

What kind of people are polite?

“The best people.”

If we learn to do as the best people do, how shall we be considered?

“To be _best_ people.”

Now tell me one reason why our manners should be good.

“Because the best people have good manners.”

And another?

“Because we wish to be considered _best_.”

LESSON 6.

=Purpose.=--To suggest gaining the esteem of others as a reason why good manners should be cultivated.

=Method.=--A story.

_The Lesson._

A boy once wished to find a place to work. He went to a shop in town where he had heard help was needed. Many were there before him, and he thought he stood no chance at all of getting the work, but much to his surprise he was employed. He said, “Why, sir, I did not expect it when so many were ahead of me.” “Do you wish to know why I hired you?” said the gentleman. “You came in quietly, you took off your hat, you gave your chair to an old man, you stood patiently until your turn came, and then you spoke pleasantly and in a manly tone of voice; in fact, I saw you were a well-bred boy, and that is the reason I hired you.”

If this boy had been rude, what would have happened?

“He would not have been employed.”

How did the gentleman feel toward him?

“He liked him.”

What was his one reason for liking him? He had never seen him before.

“His manners were good.”

If your manners are good, how will people feel toward you?

“They will like us.”

Tell me, then, a reason why you should be polite.

“We should be polite because people like us better for it.”