12 THE ACORN shed a luster over his actions in their utter separation from those of the common herd by whom he is surrounded; because we see in that man a depth of feeling and right principles, which we look for in vain in the ordinary run of man we meet. A man may have the character of a gentleman, in a more abstracted point of view, without the manners. His feelings in this higher sense, only denote a more refined humanity, a spirit delicate in itself, and unwilling to offend, either in the greatest or the smallest things. A person of this stamp blushes at an impropriety he was guilty of twenty years before. But he is always learning, and each failure, detected and deeply laid to heart, becomes indeed the rung of of the ladder by which he ascends. A mean thing done and brought to his notice is burnt into his soul, and the lesson never forgotten. Let us regard a gentleman's feelings now for Others Self-respect and respect for others are so closely connected that it is impossible to separate them entirely. If in doubt wheth- er a man be a gentleman or not hear him speak to one he might have the priviledge of regarding as his inferior. You are not to think of, but sacrifice self. Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices. Our Saviour was courteous, even to his persecutors. A gentleman never dodges; his eyes look straight forward and he assures the other party first of all that he has been met. It is far higher testimony in a man's favor for him to secure the esteem and love of a few within the privacy of his own home, outside of paternal regard, than the good opinion of one thousand of his neighbors. The true gentleman at home does not drop any of those attentions and courtesies to wife, sisters, father, mother, which he is the habit of paying to other ladies and gentlemen when in society. It is perhaps necessary especially to notice that he is not brusque or neglectful to any lady merely because she is his wife or sister. Ought a gentleman to be honest, gentle, generous, brave, wise, and possessing all these qualities, to exercise them in the most grace- THE ACORN 13 ful outward manner? Ought he to be a loyal son, a true husband, and an honest father? Ought his tastes to be high and elegant, his aims in life lofty and noble? In a word ought not the biography of a perfect gentleman be of such a nature that it might be read in young ladies' schools with an advantage, and studied with profit in the seminaries of young men? I have no faith in any kind of gentility which is to be applied externally, like goldleaf or varnish; it may be better than none, is not the real thing and without something more ingrain than that, depend upon it, a man will never be more than a half and half sort of gentlemen after all. A little scrubbing in a rough world, a little rubbing the wrong way, and the polish soon comes off, so that sometimes we have sorrow and disgust at seeing our elegant acquaintance turn out to be a very shabby fellow indeed. "For manners are not idle, but the fruit of a loyal nature, and of a noble mind." Then any true definition of a gentlemen must be wide enough to include some kings and some laborers. There are millions of actions which a gentleman cannot find it in his heart to perform, although the law of the laud would permit them. St. Paul says, "I show a more excellent way to be really great: a way by which the poorest may be as great as the richest, and that is charity which comes from the Spirit of God. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not at iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things endureth all things." Only for a moment substitute fine manners for the word charity. Fine manners are kind; they envy not, they vaunt not, those who have them are not puffed up. Fine manners behave in no unseemly way; the man is not easily provoked who is happy enough to possess them. He does not seek his own. He is not capable of thinking evil. He rejoiceth not in iniquity; no, not even in hearing of it. His greatest joy is to hear