p. 15 | Be Polite to the Children by Mrs. I. H. E.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 22, 1916

Be Polite to the Children

By Mrs. I. H. E.

IN cultivating courtesy of manner, dear girls, do not forget the children,—all who are younger than yourself. Of course, you will remember grandmother’s likes and dislikes; you will see that she is carefully attended,—that the easiest chair and the warmest corner are always hers; you will be as attentive and thoughtful of your parents as a daughter should; you will gain your brother’s heart and your sister’s confidence by your gentle influence; but with all this kindly thought, do not overlook the children. Their sense of injustice is very keen, and with them the memory of unkindness lasts long. Their depth of feeling is by no means to be measured by their ability to express it.

Not long ago, in speaking of this subject, an accomplished and beautiful woman said that when she was a very little girl, shy and shrinking of manner, plain of face, and poorly dressed, a popular young woman spoke with uncalled-for rudeness when told that the child resembled her. The sensitive heart of the little girl bore the hurt for many years; “But,” she added, “that experience taught me one thing that I have never forgotten,—always to be considerate of the feelings of children, and to treat them with the same courtesy I should wish to receive myself.” MRS. I. H. E.