MANNERS AT PLACES OF AMUSEMENT.
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| Punctuality. Finding seats. Waiting with quietness. Gazing about and making criticisms. Talking and laughing,—story. Looking at watches and clocks. Applause. Doing fancy work. Courtesy to others. Time and manner of leaving. |
LESSON IX.
MANNERS AT PLACES OF AMUSEMENT.
When we attend a lecture, concert, or other entertainment, we should go in season: to enter after the performance begins is a discourtesy to the performers and an annoyance to every person in the audience. If we are obliged to be late, we should wait for a favorable time, and then be seated quickly and quietly.
When there is a choice of seats we have a right to take the best that remain when we arrive; but this right offers no excuse for us to push and elbow other people, or to obtain such seats by crowding others aside. It is better to have the poorest seat in the house or none at all than to sacrifice good manners and self-respect. We often see disgraceful exhibitions of selfishness at entertainments on the part of people who pride themselves at home and in company on their politeness.
If we are too early, or if there is delay in commencing, we should wait with well-bred quietness. Nothing marks more surely the ill-bred person than noisy demonstrations of impatience at waiting. This is one of the occasions to practise the graceful sitting still which has been spoken of in the lesson on manners in society.