Good Form and Christian EtiquetteHenry, S. M. I. (Sarepta Myrenda Irish)
Religion
Good Form and Christian Etiquette
Henry, S. M. I. (Sarepta Myrenda Irish)
Etiquette
The man who can _lead_ other men, except by some appeal to selfish or
brutal passion, is very hard to find. A “_man’s way_” has passed into
proverb, and stands for heedlessness as regards his treatment of his
equals. His natural sense of pity will make him kind to the helpless,
provided he can afford it; he will be respectful to the respectable
because his own respectability requires it; and his general interest
will lead him to _court_ those who are in a position to bestow favors;
but to be all that a consecrated Christian companion might be to those
who are on the same plane with himself, or who are so outlawed by public
sentiment that no accuser but conscience would arise against him for any
wrong done to them, is the point of failure in the association of men
with men and women, and is the result of an almost universal idea that
“boys don’t need to be so very polite to each other,” nor “so very
particular” as to just how they talk when alone among themselves, and
that the silly girl or “fallen” among women is legitimate prey for any
man.
It is by “_behavior_” that men and women are protected from, or exposed
to, especial and peculiar temptations, as well as made more or less
effective in truth-teaching and soul-winning.
It may seem ridiculous to make the use of a handkerchief the subject of
grave consideration, but it is a terrible fact that this little scrap of
linen has become more dangerous than dynamite to the thoughtless girl in
her teens who, for lack of proper teaching, picks up the little tricks
of street flirtation, which have so defiled it that it has become almost
indecent to handle it outside the seclusion of one’s own room.
Let a bright-faced girl take her handkerchief in hand on the street of
even a small country village, and she will immediately become the center
of attraction to every lewd fellow who haunts public places, until he
has found out what she intends to do with it; and the code of signals
for which it is employed is of such a character that the most innocent
may be charged with a lewd invitation by what might seem to be its
necessary use.
The same is true concerning the sound made by clearing the throat and
nasal passages, and coughing. These are all used as signals of vice; and
many a giddy, but innocent girl has found herself in situations of great
humiliation and danger, simply because she had not been forearmed with a
little knowledge as to proper conduct in these matters.
Good form requires that the handkerchief be carried in the pocket out of
sight; _never_ brought out in public excepting in a case of necessity,
and then used as unobtrusively as possible. The importance of this
matter is sufficient to warrant repetition even to line upon line and
precept upon precept.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account