Floyd's Flowers Or Duty and Beauty For Colored Children Being One Hundred Short Stories Gleaned from the Storehouse of Human Knowledge and Experience Simple Amusing Elevating — Directions for the Little Gentlemen

LIV. DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN.

1. The essential part of good breeding is the practical desire to afford pleasure and to avoid giving pain.

Any boy possessing this desire requires only opportunity and observation to become a little gentleman.

2. Never be guilty of what are called practical jokes; that is to say, never place a pin in a chair so that somebody may come along and sit on the pin’s point; never pull back a chair when a person is about to sit down, and in that way cause such a person to fall on the floor.

No little gentleman will play such tricks.

3. Whenever a lady enters a room, it is proper for boys to rise, if they are seated, but you must never offer a lady a chair from which you have just risen, if there is another chair in the room.

4. Never engage in conversation while a person is singing.

It is an insult not only to the singer but to the company.

5. Always take off your hat when assisting a lady to or from a carriage.

6. If in a public place, you pass and re-pass persons of your acquaintance, it is only necessary to salute them on the first occasion.

[Illustration: DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN.

] 7. Do not wear anything that is so conspicuous as to attract attention;

and, particularly, avoid the ruffian style.

8. Do not lose your temper.

Particularly if you are playing innocent games for amusement and happen to lose; avoid the exhibition of anxiety or vexation at lack of success.

9. In all your associations, keep constantly in view the old adage, “too much familiarity breeds contempt.

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