A Memorial of Mrs. Margaret BreckinridgeBreckinridge, John
Philosophy
A Memorial of Mrs. Margaret Breckinridge
Breckinridge, John
Breckinridge, Margaret (Miller), Mrs., 1802-1838
You will, perhaps, ask me, what I mean by those "good manners" which I
would recommend? I answer, by such manners I mean that mode of personal
address and deportment toward all with whom we converse which is
dictated by the meekness, benevolence, and purity of the Gospel. In a
word, "true politeness"--the most genuine politeness--that which I would
earnestly desire those whom I love to cherish and cultivate--is _the
religion of Christ acted out in the whole temper, conversation, and
deportment_. The simple, unembarrassed, gentle expression of mingled
respect and kindness toward all with whom we converse, from the hovel to
the palace, is the perfection of manners. These are manners which become
all times, places, companies, and circumstances, and which will carry
their possessor through the world with acceptance and comfort.
Perhaps, in your inexperience, you may be disposed to ask, what is the
great value of such manners as are here recommended? If you have any
doubt on this subject _now_, I am persuaded a little more knowledge of
the world will satisfy you that their value is unspeakably great. Few
people are adequate judges of those solid intellectual and moral
qualities which form a character of high excellence. But of personal
manners, all are judges; at any rate, all are capable of perceiving, and
in some degree estimating, their value. Only a small portion of those
with whom you converse are able to discern whether you are wise and
well informed; but every child can see whether you have a sweet voice, a
pleasant countenance, an amiable, kind and respectful mode of address,
or the contrary. Can there be, then, a more obvious dictate, both of
policy and duty, than to cultivate that which, to multitudes, is more
attractive than real merit; which secures to merit a hearing, and an
influence which it would not otherwise obtain; and which will be likely,
in many cases, to open a door to usefulness which, without it, would, in
all probability, have continued impenetrably closed? In repeated
instances have I known persons of weak minds, and of small information,
but of remarkably fascinating manners, carry all before them in circles
of society into which persons of far higher qualifications, both
intellectual and moral, but defective in the attractions of manner, were
scarcely able to obtain admittance, and very inadequately esteemed when
admitted. A soft, insinuating address has, a thousand times, rendered
its possessor every where acceptable and popular, when, on the score of
real merit, he ought by no means to have enjoyed so much public favour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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