ever failed to open a door for them; Arthur placed Maggie in her chair
at table before he took his own; Nelly and Ruth came to my party just
as sweet and bright as if they did not know that the young gentlemen
whom they had expected to meet were prevented from attending; while
Lucy will run herself out of breath for you, and Mary sits and listens
with flattering intentness, and Anne and Alice and--well, looking over
_my_ constituency, I find the young people charming.

It is true that all manners are less formal, that etiquette is less
elaborate, now than a hundred years ago. Our grandfathers and
grandmothers--some, indeed, of our fathers and mothers--did not sit at
breakfast with their fathers and mothers, but stood through the meal,
and never spoke except when spoken to. I cannot say I think we have
deteriorated in changing this. The pleasant, familiar, affectionate
intercourse between parent and child seems to me one of the most
delightful features of domestic life. The real, fond intimacy which
exists between parents and children seems a far better and safer thing
than the old fashion of keeping children at arm's length.

But in casting aside forms we are, perhaps, somewhat in danger of
losing with them some of that inner kindness of which form is only the
outward expression. Without admitting that we are an uncivil people,
insisting even that we compare favorably with other nations, I wish our
boys and girls would resolve that the courtesy of the Republic shall
never suffer in their hands!

Does this seem a trivial aim for those who are bending their energies
to attain a high standing in classics and mathematics? There is perhaps
no single quality that does as much to make life smooth and
comfortable--yes, and successful--as courtesy. Logarithms are valuable
in their way, but there are many useful and happy people who are not
very well versed even in the rule of three. A man may not know a word
of Latin, or what is meant by "the moon's terminator," or how much
sodium is in Arcturus, and yet be constantly diffusing pleasure. But no
man can be agreeable without courtesy, and every separate act of
incivility creates its little, or large, and ever enlarging circle of
displeasure and unhappiness.

One does not wish to go through life trying to be agreeable; but life
is a great failure if one goes through it disagreeable.

Yes, little friends, believe me, you may be very learned, very
skillful, very accomplished. I