CULTURE AND SOCIAL POSITION. 51 



friction. They are the " minor morals," as Miss Sedgwick calls 

 them, not as essential as integrity and purity, but tliey add 

 vastly to the comfort of all social intercourse. There is a heresy 

 somewhat prevalent in the community that supposes integrity 

 and politeness to be incompatible. We have all met with men 

 who prided themselves on being above deceit, and speaking out 

 bluntly just what they felt, no matter how ungracious and 

 "uncharitable their feelings must be. To all such we desire to 

 commend the Scripture injunction, " Speak the truth in love." 

 If we study to act out the precept of loving our neighbor as 

 ourselves, we shall become truly polite ; for Witherspoon defines 

 politeness as " real kindness, kindly expressed." We have no 

 admiration for the Lord Ciiesterfield school of manners, which 

 studied effect and outward show. The Christian school is infi- 

 nitely superior, which commands us to " be kindly affectioned 

 one towards another, in honor preferring one another." This 

 lays the foundation upon which the superstructure of good man- 

 ners should ever be built. There is no question but that there 

 is as much genuine kindness of heart in the country as in the 

 city ; still rusticity, which, by its etymology, signifies life in the 

 country, is now the term for coarse, awkward manners ; and 

 urbanity, which originally signified life in the city, is now defined 

 by Webster as " that courtesy which is acquired by intercourse 

 with well-bred people." Benevolence, therefore, though lying 

 at the foundation of good manners, is not a guarantee for the 

 superstructure. We need, as the unabridged indicates, " inter- 

 course with well-bred people." We need to put a just estimate 

 upon the value of polished manners, and make them a subject 

 of thought, not giving all our mind to them as the fop does to 

 the tying of his cravat, but that attention which their importance 

 demands. We need to observe how others conduct who are 

 more favored with natural grace, and are placed in circumstances 

 to acquire polish of manner, and imitate their example. For- 

 tunately, the country is not so rustic that we are totally deprived 

 of examples of the greatest urbanity. All the older portion of 

 those present will bear me witness, that no brigliter example of 

 courteous manners need be sought for either in city or country 

 than was furnished by the late Sheriff Brown of this place. 

 Whether conducting the judge to his seat on the bench, or 

 assisting an old lady into her carriage at the church door, the 



