Story Lessons on Character-Building (Morals) and Manners Part 23

Think =first= of others, =last= of self, Be friendly, kindly all around; Shake hands with strangers, be polite, Unselfish, sweet be always found.

LXVI. KNOCKING BEFORE ENTERING A ROOM.

118. The Boy who Forgot.

A lady was sitting in a cottage one morning talking to the person who lived there, when suddenly, and without any warning knock, or even a little tap, some one lifted the latch noisily, and pus.h.i.+ng the door wide open, burst into the room, asking, "What time is it?"

The lady looked up to see who the rude intruder could be, and beheld a little, rosy-faced boy. She called him to her, and placing her hand on his shoulder said kindly: "My little fellow, do you not know that you should =knock= at a door before entering, and should say, '=Please=, will you tell me the time?'" The boy hung his head and looked ashamed, but we hope he remembered what the lady said to him, and I hope also that none of you ever forget to

(Blackboard)

Knock at the Door before Entering a Room.

LXVII. HANGING HATS UP, ETC.

119. Careless Percy.

You did not admire the boy (Story Lesson No. 98) who threw his bag here, his cap there, and his coat somewhere else, did you? neither will you be likely to admire the little boy in this story.

But come with me--I will take you into the bedroom of a boy named Percy, who has gone to a party. I am afraid you can scarcely get inside though, for everything he has taken off is lying on the floor. His coat is flung behind the door, his collar lies inside the fender, and his trousers are beside the bed. He has been playing on the bed, you see, for it is all tossed, and one of the pillows has tumbled on the floor.

Let as take a peep into the nursery, where Percy's play-things are.

There is a railway train on the floor, just as he has been playing with it; and beyond the train, where he had made a huge castle with all the bricks he could find, the floor is all strewn over with bricks from the castle, which has tumbled down.

Who will pick up all these things, and tidy the two rooms that Percy has left in such a dreadful state? His mother, maybe, who has so many other things to do. Would =you= leave all your clothes scattered on the floor for some one else to pick up, instead of folding them neatly yourself?

or would you like another to have the trouble of putting away all your toys? No, I am sure you would not. None of us want to be selfish, but if Percy does not mind, =he= will grow up selfish, because he is not taking thought for others.

Hang up your cap and coat, And put away your toys, Save mother all the work you can, Dear little girls and boys.

The recitation, "Two Little Maids" (_New Recitations for Infants_) would follow this Story Lesson appropriately.

LXVIII. HOW TO OFFER SWEETS, ETC.

120. How Baby Did it.

Some one had brought baby a parcel of sweets. They were rather sticky, but baby did not mind that when the colours were so pretty! There were pink, blue, red and yellow sweets, and she was greatly pleased with them. Baby was very kind and unselfish, so she wanted us all to share her sweets, and picking one out with her little chubby fingers, (which were not any too clean), she offered it to mamma. You see baby was very tiny, and had not yet learnt that sweets should always be offered in the paper or box, and not be touched by the fingers at all. But mamma explained this to her, and then baby lifted up the paper, and trotted round to everybody, holding it out, and saying, "Please, take one".

Fruit and nuts should be offered in a plate or dish. It is not nice to touch with our fingers anything that we are offering to others.

(Blackboard.)

Always offer Sweets in the Paper or Box.

LXIX. YAWNING, COUGHING, AND SNEEZING.

121.

I daresay you have sometime been in a room where a person was sleepy, and kept yawning continually. You know that by-and-by you begin to do the same yourself, and it is very disagreeable. A good plan is to run out of the room and bathe your face in cold water: that will soon make you feel bright again. It is not nice to yawn, because it makes other people feel sleepy, and we should never forget to cover the mouth with the hand: it is very rude to open the mouth wide, and not to put the hand in front of it.

In coughing and sneezing, people should make as little noise as they possibly can. Sometimes we hear coughing in church, and the minister can scarcely speak for the noise. A pocket-handkerchief will soften the sound a good deal, both in coughing and sneezing.

These are only little things, but they can make others feel uncomfortable, and you remember we said that it was rude to do =anything= that caused people to be uncomfortable (p. 110), so do not forget to

(Blackboard)

Cover the Mouth when Yawning; Make as Little Noise as Possible when Coughing or Sneezing.

LXX. HOW A SLATE SHOULD NOT BE CLEANED.

122.

You will have noticed that there is always moisture in your mouth. Where do you think it comes from? Perhaps you did not know that there were six tiny fountains in your mouth, two on each side the tongue, and one in each cheek. When you are well these little fountains pour out the fluid which keeps your mouth so nice and moist. Sometimes when people are ill the little fountains do not flow, and the mouth is all dry and parched, and they are longing to drink all the time.

The fluid that comes from the tiny wells is called saliva, and, when we eat, it mixes with the food in the mouth, and goes down with it into the stomach. But this is what I want you to learn, the saliva is never to be sent out of the mouth in the way that is called "spitting" (an ugly word, is it not?), and you must remember never to do this, not even when you are cleaning your slate. You may breathe on your slate, and rub it dry with your slate rag, though that is not a very nice way. The best plan of all is to have a damp sponge, as well as a slate rag, and a well-mannered child would have both.

If there is anything in your mouth that needs to come away, take it out with your pocket-handkerchief, and remember that the proper way is to

(Blackboard)

Clean your Slate with a Damp Sponge, and Dry with a Slate Rag, not with a Pocket-handkerchief.

LXXI. THE POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF.

123. Guessing Rhyme.[21]