Page 75 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

'
74
THIRD1 BOOK O]'
·URBANITY, n., agreeable or cheerful civility. F. urbanite. L. urbanus, of or belonging to a city ;-itrbs, a city.
PoLITE1NEss, n., gentility, elegance of manners, good breeding. F. politesse, om polio, L., I polish, I smooth, I adorn.
1. RESPECT FOR TH AGED.-It happened at Athens,, dm·ing a public representation of some pl , exhib­ ited in" honour of the state, that an old gentleman · came too late r a place suitable to his age nd · quality. A number of young men, who observed the di culty and con sion the poor old gentleman was in, made signs to him, that they would accom­ modate him, if he came where they sat. The good man bustled through the crowd accordingly ; but when he came to the seats to which he was invited, 1 the jest among the young fellows was, to sit close, . and expose the con sion and embarrassment of the old man to the gaze of the whole audience. The frolic went round all the benches reserved r the Athenians. Bnt, on those occasions, there were also particular places set apart r strangers. When the good man, covere with- con sion, came towards the boxes appointed r the Lacedemonians, these honest, though less-instructed people, rose om their seats, and, with the greatest respect, received the old gen­ tlemanamongthem. TheAthenians,beingsuddenly touched with a sense of the Lacedemonians' virtue and their own misconduct, gave a thunder of ap­ plause; and the old man cried out, "The Athenians, understand what 1s good, but the Lacedemonians practise it."
ADDISON.
2. PoLITENEss.-Care should be taken to cultivate, I in all intercourse with friends, gentle and obliging , manners. It is a common error to suppose, that - :
miliar intimacy supersedes attention to the lesser i