FAMILY MANNER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 6 September 1909, Page 3

FAMILY MANNER.

';'lt is only 'on the 'ground of their pure:selfishness of view'(says a writer in Pic-; torial")/that any-bblief can ho.placed in'those, who'deplore the disappearance, of family manners. "By family .niannersi,is not implied that inherited facility' for doing.the right thing at tho : right moment,■'-. which',belongs" to the -manners of'private-functions, and public conveyances,' but -"the.disciplinary, state .of rule which was'once.'supposed 'to exist in. every, family— if only; for tho sake of. proving the.'lact, i<f\its evidence. -There can' be no doubt,'however, , , that at; one. time of'domestic history.-:family.■ manners were a-very .real,:stern} terrible, 'and ridiculous factor,in home life. . The manners of a father.;.parent-embraced the. manners,- of a d'espot,.tlie manners of a mother parent those, of': an i ; ambassadress, the manners':; of;, elder ;daughters: those .of . Mministrators . of -tho younger: sister .department' of. state, and ~thb manners of elder sons, those of .'.lord high executionor- of-.younger brothers. But these' only marked the more important offices,'which "were sub-divided , and sub-administered with a.'da-.grec'-'oE- tyranny .which was made endurable solely owing to the fact that those.'who suffered were .able to retaliate - upoiii members ;qf tho family onedegree lower iri rank.. ,yPhcn:there was no.;-more family, upon' whose heads. venge-. • anpa could be recked,' the' domestic' regions were harassed for such: opportunities for inflicting .'suffering as they might; offer. ', ■ 'People' who belonged to the old school of family rule regarded this, system of housshold division as an excellent; training for soils and daughters.' , know- that they must have ■found-an:immense amount of personal satisfac- , tion in occupying tho : posts of supreme command :themselves. But the presentgeneration has only a'Vshaclowy idea of 'what■ .'.the.' true parontal manner was like, and. they, hayo scarcely ■ tusted the power which ■ouco-'wohl with the rank of elder son or daughter. -Child-, ren, abovo/aU,'look, upon such Tccordsas 1» longing to the fabulous past, like the story of .Cinderella and tho. ugly sisters,. which car-' rtes.no moral with.it to-day, when.tho ugly sister is always, helped "by.,' a .nnitad family effort to'.marry the man.-'with tho comforting 'fortilno.:. ; " :■ ! ■'■•■■' .• ,:• : '. .--';':. ■- :

: It- his'(taken .us very ■■, many years to : place every,,member of a family uppn>. an 'equal •footing, and bting about.a kind .of republicanism or family manners. . Yet it may be said at.the present.day. that the father parent is not greater or.' more .important than;.tho mother parent,, that both.aro not.above accepting the worldly advice-of. elder sons and daughters, -whilo younger brothres and sisters • are responsible' fpr ! tho delightful".'freemasonry which goes to ensurethoreal happy family of the twentieth centruy. The fow peoplo who ■endeavour to keep up-fiction"of. family manners are 'those who still take ■an unaccouutablo pride in family vanities, tempers; . superstitions and oven cherish,the uncovetablo tendencies of family features. :