Good manners are neither more nor less than
beautiful behaviour. It has been well said that "a beautiful form is
better than a beautiful face, and a beautiful behaviour is better than a
beautiful form; it gives a higher pleasure than statues or pictures; it
is the finest of the fine arts."
Manner is the ornament of action; indeed a good action, without a good
manner of doing it, is stripped of half its value. A poor fellow gets
into difficulties, and solicits help of a friend. He obtains it, but it
is with a "_There_-take that; but I don't like lending." The help is
given with a kind of kick, and is scarcely accepted as a favour. The
manner of the giving long rankles in the mind of the acceptor. Thus good
manners mean kind manners,--benevolence being the preponderating element
in all kinds of pleasant intercourse between human beings.
A story is told of a poor soldier having one day called at the shop of a
hairdresser, who was busy with his customers, and asked relief,--stating
that he had stayed beyond his leave of absence, and unless he could get
a lift on the coach, fatigue and severe punishment awaited him. The
hairdresser listened to his story respectfully, and gave him a guinea.
"God bless you, sir!" exclaimed the soldier, astonished at the amount.
"How can I repay you? I have nothing in the world but this"--pulling out
a dirty piece of paper from his pocket; "it is a receipt for making
blacking; it is the best that was ever seen; many a half-guinea I have
had for it from the officers, and many bottles I have sold; may you be
able to get something for it to repay you for your kindness to the poor
soldier.
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