his proper name.

Impress upon children that they must answer politely when spoken to,
but strictly repress any tendency on their part toward questioning
visitors at the house. Here let it be added, for the benefit of their
elders, that nothing can be a surer evidence of ill-breeding than for
a grown person to question a child in regard to his family affairs.

Interrupting Conversation.

Never permit children to interrupt the conversation of their elders,
and see, as a preparation for this, that among the little ones
themselves, one who has a story to tell is permitted to finish without
an impatient brother or sister breaking in with his, or her, version
of the same tale. See that each has his turn and many of the noisy
disagreements of the playroom will thus be done away with.

Insist, too, upon the lowering of each eager little voice, and a long
step will have been taken toward doing away with the high-keyed voices
and the all-talking-together habits that afflict so many of their
elders.

See, too, that the children, while not allowed to interrupt the
conversation of grown persons, receive in some degree the same
consideration from them. In other words, let the children talk
sometimes, and listen to them sincerely and respectfully. There is no
better way to train a child in courtesy than to observe toward it the
most scrupulous politeness, and a child whose own conversation is
respected can be easily taught to respect the conversation of others,
and to know when to talk and when to be silent.

This habit of listening, inculcated in childhood, will do much toward
forming agreeable members of society in after years. If a guest should
converse with a child for a moment, watch that it does not make itself
tiresome by engaging his or her entire attention.

"Showing Off."

Never "show off" children to visitors. It fosters in them a feeling of
vanity, and is often very tedious to the persons upon whom it is
inflicted, it being barely possible that your own estimate of their
brilliancy is not shared by outsiders.

Neither should strangers be allowed, under any circumstances, at home
or abroad, to tease a child "just for fun." Its angry answers may be
amusing, but the practice is one that works irreparable injury to the
child. As soon as this tendency is discovered in a visitor, send the
child quietly, but firmly, from the room, remarking casually, when it
is gone, "that children are apt to be troublesome when t