No point of social etiquette is quite so valuable as this one of speech.
As one goes forth he is weighed in the balance and if he is found wanting
here he is quietly dropped by refined and cultured people, and nearly
always he is left wondering why with his diamonds and his motors and his
money he yet cannot find entree into the inner circles where he would
most like to be. Money does not buy everything. If it were possible for
it to do so there would be no proverb to the effect that it takes three
generations to make a gentleman. And the proverb itself is not more than
half true. If the attitude of mind is that of one who honestly wants to
develop himself to the highest possible point, mentally, morally, and
spiritually, it can be done in much less than a single generation. Of
course, much depends upon one's definition of what constitutes a
gentleman but for the purpose of this book we mean a man of education,
high principles, honor, courtesy, and kindness.
CONVERSATION
There is an old Italian proverb that says, "He who has a tongue in his
head can go all the world over.
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