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would be circumspect, i.e. if they would look round, they would soon learn the habits of gentlemen. They would not indulge in habits or language offensive to ladies, through lack of thoughtfulness. They would finish their toilet in their sleeping apartments, and never be found putting the last touches in company. The due use of the lookingglass would save much social uneasiness. The Pharisees might be imitated with advantage in one particular; for they washed their hands oft. A gentleman appears clean to the finger-tips at the first meal of the day. A lady, be she ever so menial in her duties, performs her ablutions on her own person before undertaking to dust the rooms. The dirty house might well object to be cleansed by a dirty person. In short, cleanliness is the very first duty laid on those who would abstain from offending the feelings of others. This is especially necessary at meal-times. To eat with unwashen hands and untidy person is to sink to the level of the brutes. Eating and drinking need to be redeemed from grossness by refinements of cleanness and neatness, and, if possible, of flowers and cheerful conversation. To gobble up one's food reminds one of an animal which I need not mention. To put a knife to the mouth, to make unpleasant noises with the lips and teeth, to sprawl over the table

with arms and elbows, to be regardless of the wants of others, and not to pass the salt in the nick of time-these certainly are misdemeanours of which some good men have been known to be guilty. Their usefulness and influence were not increased by such conduct.

The glory of a woman is in her hair. But she ought to take prompt and proper pains, so that the glory may be recognized early. Why should dressing the hair be postponed till the afternoon, under the plea that housework must be done with the head unkempt? You would forgive a housemaid her dirty hands if she had her hair neatly done early in the morning. The head and hands will often reveal the true gentleman or lady. Let us take care that they do not offend others.

Oddities and peculiarities of behaviour should be avoided. These things are remembered against us by society. Who does not call to mind the young lady who could not leave off biting her finger-nails, or another who put out her tongue in threading her needle; or the young man who could not speak a sentence without twitching his shirt collar, or another who was continually diving into his pockets for thoughts, but in reality for pence to jingle; or of the lady who twirled her thumbs, or of

the other who washed her hands with invisible soap while talking? A little care would soon cure such persons of these disagreeable peculiarities.

Some seem to suffer from a constitutional shyness, which leads to much awkwardness of manner. We do not say that awkwardness is the sign of ungentlemanly behaviour. Some of the finest characters have been very awkward and reserved, especially in mixed society. It is sometimes a peculiarity of studious men that they are very • absent-minded. The stories told of the late Dr. Duncan, of Edinburgh, are very amusing. When, on one occasion, in dressing for dinner he made a mistake and went to bed, he provoked much laughter. Yet such mistakes involve much inconvenience, and they had therefore better be avoided. Self-watchfulness is not, perhaps, the best cure in such cases. Self-forgetfulness, absorption in the convenience of other people, and a consequent unconsciousness of one's own defects, would very often lead on to agreeable ways in society.

Good manners are the small coin of social life. We may get well through the world with the gold and notes of sterling moral and spiritual qualities, but we should do better if we carried some small change always about with us. Children are taught

to say "please" when they ask for favours. This is the key-note of good behaviour. To have learned this simple lesson well is to have made a good and never-to-be-forgotten start in the art of good social behaviour.

A SLAVE OF HABIT.

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