Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1935, Page 90

Magazine Section L4 Children must learn early to show consideration tor the Floorbelows THIS WEEK seprember 22, 1935 Hllustration by Corinne Boyd Dillon in the games they play overhead ; Good laste Today 125 unfair not to teach a child to be courteous and gentle. Strangers can not see : his real character but will soon detest any external boorishness by EMILY POST ““Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage,” *“The Personality of a House,” Elc. q 14 / Author of ToPthat noise, Johnny !Play quietly, Ma- ry! Don't run, don't jump, don't shout! Don't drag your toys over the floor! Don’t strum on the piano! Don't keep the radio turned on loud! At first thought it does not seem quite fair, does it, to take away the joyous freedom of children to play what games they like and to make a normal amount of noise? And yet, realizing where and when they may be noisy. and where and when they may not, is one of the most im- portant early lessons in etiquette that every well-bred child must learn. How to be fair to the tens of thousands of children who live in city apartments and, at the same time, teach them that the first rule of decent behavior is to show consideration for the rights and feelings of others, is a question that requires rather painstaking adjustment. With neighbors overhead, neighbors across a court, and most unhappy of all, neighbors on the floor below, a normal child, who has neither outdoors nor rumpus room in which to exercise his lungs and legs, has no choice whatever but to adapt himself to toys and games and occupations that are reasonably noiseless. For the children who live in an apartment. the first rule of consideration for the Floor- balows is written for the parents who do the furnishing. To begin with, the room of the children — or the one in which they play should either be completely carpeted and well wadded under the carpet, or else no heavy solid shoes nor noise-making toys may be allowed indoors — ever. Even over carpets certain favorite games are banned. As for letting the children pull aside the rugs and play tenpins, or roller skate over the Floorbelow's heads — this is something that it would not seem necessary to write about, had I not received a score of com- nlaints of this very thing. Even the incessant tock-tock of heels upon bare floors sounds to the Floorbelows like a light hammering, and the heavy soles on the shoes of runnin children like trotting horses. This sounds incredible, but I can write feel- ingly because. as a member of the house committee of an apartment building, I have been called to the apartments of several floor- below families. First manners, then, it would seem, are those which show consideration for neighbors. That these are really essential is perhaps proved by the number of apartment buildings F YOU haven't already found ‘he special nicknack that suits vour temperament and your ensemble, vou'd better give the matter atten- tion right away. Ornaments in every con- ceivable form, for day and evening wear, gaily embellish the early Autumn scene. Kay Johnson, of the cinema, has a uniquely decorative necklace-effect which she dons with daytime clothes. It consists of two gold clips, fastened securely at each side of the neckline, with an old- fashioned, braided gold chain joining the clips. This happy little gimcrack couldn’t help drawing attention to her lovely neck. Helen Mack, also of the screen, is blessed with slender wrists. Therefore, without the least hesitation she snaps on a two-inch wide, dull, old-gold bracelet. But don't for a minute imagineit’s just another nice round blob of gold. This one is oc- tagonal in shape — another reason you can be pretty sure her wrists are excep- tionally slim. There's been talk of belts and buckles. Be sure, however, not to try anything fantastic unless you have that svelt waistline. Young Anne Shirley, who won well-deServed praise in “Anne of Green Gables,”” needs have no fear. With her Beauty Brevities by MARTHA LEAVITT with signs reading: ‘‘Apartment to let, chil- dren not allowed."” No matter where children live, there are certain precepts of proper behavior that should be exacted of well-bred children as well as of all well-bred grown people. They must never be allowed to slam doors, stand downstairs and vell at the top of their lungs instead of running upstairs within talking distance of the person they want to speak to. On occasion this may be modified, if they can call without screaming, and if calling does not require their mother (or whomever simply tailored dresses she adds a jaunty note — a white bakelite buckle in the design of two rabbits with large, tloppy ears. They clasp by joining forepaws in a friendly handshake. Stefti Duna, of ‘‘La Cucuracha,’’ swings with the rhythm of the season. She wears earrings of gold and enamel Autumn leaves flat to her ears. The enamel suggests the veins of rust leaves and the tiny dia- monds, scattered about the gold surface, sparkle like dew-drops. Ornaments are getting in the hair too! Clips, ribbons and artificial flowers are decidedly the vogue. Mrs. Harold E. Talbott Jr., of fashionable society, started the ribbon fad. The latest Paris coiffure- note says that white grosgrain ribbons are thething — worn in little bow-like clusters over each ear. If you really go in for the exotic there are exciting metal curls in gold, silver, platinum - or what you will. They are worn bunched over the ears. Mrs. Henry Field of Chicago chooses bright copper for her glorious Titian hair, and Mrs. Palen Snow adds to the loveliness of her white hair with a cluster of silver curls. Get nicknack minded - if you want to be a part of the festive Autumn tableau! they call) to leave whatever she may be doing to go to them. They should be taught that it is their place to go to her. But one error in the training of Junior is that too often he stands where he happens to be, and yells, “Mothurr!" and mother goes’ {And says nothing about the rasping “‘urr” either.) I don't know why I chose this particular example excepting that it is typical and that it is one of a thousand other small things which together, produce a young person who has no consideration tor others, all because his mother has let him consider himself first in* stead of her. No matter how much SHE wants to let him play the star part — for his own sake, she mustn't. The rudeness of a child who answers back, who contradicts, is solely the result of a mother, or father, or nurse who has let a child get into the habit of being rude when he is too little to know what rudeness means. There is a great difference, however, be- tween being trained to be considerate of others to the extent of not behaving like g barbarian, and being a suppressed and mute little ghost not daring to speak above a whisper or to move except at a sedate walk. As a matter of fact, if Johnny is allowed to be a noisy voung savage at home alone, he is going to be just as noisy when there is company, or when he is out in public or in the houses of others. A child who is beauti- fully behaved when out in company is just as beautifully behaved when he is at home, Of course the real point to make is that ignorance of courtesy and gentility and’ ordinary decency is unfair to a child, since few people go further than their first impres- sion of a “‘detestable brat.” Ard vet the poten- tial qualities of that child might be utterly enchanting, were it not for the ‘‘detestable” impression made by its boorish behavior, which may be utterly superficial. ¢ In fact, the more clever, the more talented, the more capable a particular child, the more irritating his misguided behavior can become, because of the very force of the qualities that should have been developed into charming attributes of personality. Copyright, 1935, by Emily Post I —