Story Lessons on Character-Building (Morals) and Manners Part 24

You have me in your pocket, I'm square and white, 'tis true, And many things I'm used for By children such as you.

(Let children guess answer.--Pocket-handkerchief.)

There is moisture in the nose as well as in the mouth, and we keep a handkerchief in our pocket to take the moisture away, when it makes us uncomfortable. A nice, clean child will never be without a pocket-handkerchief, and he will use it =without having to be told=.

In using a pocket-handkerchief, as in coughing and sneezing, we should make as little noise as possible, and we should try not to have to use it at table. If it is necessary to do so, we must turn our head away, as we should do if we were obliged to cough or sneeze.

(Blackboard.)

Use Pocket-handkerchief Without Being Told, Making as Little Noise as Possible.

FOOTNOTE:

[21] _Games Without Music_, No. 55.

LXXII. HOW TO BEHAVE AT TABLE.

(ON SITTING STILL AT TABLE.)

124. Phil's Disaster.

Phil was a little boy, and sat on a high chair at the table. He was very fond of tilting his chair backwards and forwards, which was not well-mannered, you will say. One dinner time, just as all the dishes had been placed on the table, and Phil was tilting back as far as ever he could, it happened that the chair lost its balance, and fell over backwards, taking Phil with it; and as he grasped the tablecloth in falling, he drew it with all the dishes on the top of him. Many of the dishes were broken, and the dinner was all scattered and spoilt. Surely Phil would never tilt his chair again.

125. Fidgety Katie.

Have you ever sat at table with a child who was never still? Such a child was Katie! Instead of waiting quietly until every one was served, she would fidget about on her chair, put her little fat arms on the table (which you know is a very rude thing to do), and move from side to side all the time. When at last she was served, her dinner would be quickly eaten, and then she was impatient to be gone, and kept asking mother if she might not leave the table, and go to her book or her play.

Now if Katie had thought a little of others, she would not have made everybody uncomfortable by being so restless. When she was waiting to be served, and when she had finished, she should have sat quietly with her hands in her lap. These two stories teach us that

(Blackboard)

We must Sit Still at Table.

(THINKING OF OTHERS AT TABLE.)

126. The Helpful Little Girl.

A very different child from restless Katie (Story Lesson 125) was Hilda, whose mother had died, and left her little ones to the care of auntie.

When the dinner-bell rang, Hilda would run into the room, and see that all the chairs were in their places round the table, especially baby's, for he was much too little to bring his own chair. It was Hilda who lifted baby into his place, and tied on his "feeder"; and when his plate was pa.s.sed, she prepared his food, and took care that it was not too hot for him.

Hilda's bright eyes were always ready to see anything that was needed: "Shall I pa.s.s you the salt, grandpapa?" "May I give you a little water, auntie?" No wonder auntie said that Hilda was just like suns.h.i.+ne in the house, and the reason was that she thought so little of herself, and so much of those around her. Let us try to be like Hilda; she was much happier, I am sure, than restless Katie, for there is nothing nicer than to bring suns.h.i.+ne into the lives of others, and this we do by being helpful.

(Blackboard.)

Think of Others when you are at Table; Pa.s.s Things and Help all you can.

(UPSETTING THINGS AT TABLE.)

127. Leslie and the Christmas Dinner

We heard of people who were clumsy in another Story Lesson (No. 102), and I am afraid Leslie was a little like them.

It was Christmas Day, and there was a large family party at grandmamma's, to which Leslie and his mother were invited. The dinner-table looked beautiful with its snow-white cloth and s.h.i.+ning silver, and its decorations of Christmas roses and red-berried holly.

The dinner-bell rang, and the guests took their places at the table.

Leslie bounced into the room, and was sitting down on the last chair, all in a hurry, when he somehow caught the tablecloth, and by dragging it upset the gravy, and sent it streaming all over the nice, clean cloth. Leslie was very sorry, and his mother was so uncomfortable at the thought of his clumsiness, that I am afraid the dinner was spoilt for =her=. From Leslie we learn to

(Blackboard)

Sit Down Carefully, so as not to Upset Anything.

128. Cherry Stones.

If you were eating plum tart or cherry pudding, how should you manage with the stones? (Let children try to answer.) When a little bird eats a cherry, he drops the stone on the ground; the bird has no spoon and fork to eat with, so that is the best thing he can do.

One day a boy, named Kenneth, was invited out to dinner, and one of the dishes was cherry tart. There was a custard pudding as well, but Kenneth thought he would like cherry tart better, and he did not remember that the stones might be a difficulty until he began to eat it. He felt sure that it was not right to drop them out of his mouth on to the plate, and he could not think what else to do. He looked round the table, but no one else was taking cherry tart, or he might have noticed what another person did. At last he determined that he would keep all the cherry stones in his cheek until dinner was over, and put them out afterwards, when no one was looking. But presently some one told a funny little story, and, as Kenneth could not help laughing with the rest, out came the cherry stones, to his great dismay.

The best way is to separate the stone from the cherry on your plate with the spoon and fork, but if you cannot manage this, take the stone from your mouth with the spoon, and put it gently on the edge of the plate.

Everybody has to learn these things, and as no one had happened to tell Kenneth, of course he did not know.

LXXIII. ON EATING AND DRINKING.

129.

Key E.

{:s |d :m |m :m |l :r |r } 1. I must not fill my mouth too full,

{:r |f :r |s :r |m :-- |-- } Nor ver - y quick - ly eat,

{:m |r :f |m :s |f :l |s } But take a small piece, chew it well,

{:l |s :m |s :r |d :-- |-- } And fin - ish all my meat.

2. Food should be carried to my mouth Upon the fork, I see; The knife is used to cut, and ought Not near the lips to be.