The First Sense of Dignity 211 



the way to salvation through the courteous treat- 

 ment he receives from some older and much respected 

 person. Simply to treat him as if he were a dignified 

 young gentleman amounts to inciting him to put 

 forth his greatest effort to make a show of manli- 

 ness. A close student of young nature will often 

 observe that merely to address such a youth as 

 "Mister" So-and-So causes him to straighten up 

 and try to look the part. 



The hostess and guide at the rural party of young 

 people will err not a little if she feels under the 

 necessity of preparing a banquet or even a heavy 

 luncheon for the occasion. Something as simple as a 

 light drink and a wafer or two will be quite enough. 

 The object of the refreshments is not merely to feed 

 the young people to the point of stupefaction, but 

 rather to give physical tone to support the vivacity 



of all. 



WHAT ABOUT THE COUNTRY DANCE 



Unless the country dance can be radically reformed, 

 it must be very strongly advised against. There is 

 something about this occasion as usually conducted 

 which seems to invite coarse characters and disrep- 

 utable conduct. The country dance has so often 

 been the scene of vice, drunkenness, and other such 

 evils as to have received a permanent stigma of 

 cheapness. The only seeming possibility of making a 

 success of it is by the method of inviting a very 

 exclusive set to attend, and this thing is so suggestive 



