services which we can perform for them: we can bring grandfather
his hat and cane, find a place in the paper for him with our bright
eyes, thread grandmother's needle, pick up dropped stitches in her
knitting, hunt for her glasses when she loses them, and run on errands
for them both.

They ought to have the most comfortable chairs, in winter the warmest
seats by the fire, and in the evening the place where their failing eyes
shall have the best light.

If we are sitting in the only rocking-chair in the room, or in the
easiest one, and an old person enters, we should immediately _rise_ and
offer it to him, not simply ask if he would not like it.

At the table we should see that old people are helped first and their
wants carefully attended to.

In cars or public places, a boy or girl should never allow an old man or
woman to stand, but should hasten to give up a seat and insist on its
being taken, especially if the person is poorly dressed.

The following story of what happened long ago in the famous old city of
Athens well illustrates this point:--

A play was to be performed at the principal theatre of Athens, and the
seats were soon taken. When the theatre was full, an old man came in and
looked around for a seat. He was quite infirm and could not stand long.
He looked first one way and then another. At length he saw a party of
young Athenians beckoning to him. He tried to get to them, which he had
to do by climbing over seats and pushing through the crowd; and, when
at last he reached them, they sat down, and, instead of giving him the
seat he had expected, took up all the room, leaving the old man
standing.

In this theatre were some seats fitted up for strangers. These were
filled by young Spartans, who, when they saw the behavior of the
Athenians, were much displeased, and beckoned to the old man to come to
them. When he was near them they all rose and received him with the
greatest respect. The whole assembly, seeing this, could not help
bursting into a shout of applause.

The old man then said, "The Athenians know what is right, but the
Spartans practise it."

Above all things, we should never let the old feel that they are in the
way, or that it is a relief when they leave the room. They are usually
sensitive to anything like a slight, and their feelings are quickly hurt
by real or seeming neglect.

LESSON VI.

OUTLINE FOR BLACKBOARD.

MANNERS AT THE TABLE.

_Promptne