Presently the car stopped, and a poor old woman entered, but there was no room for her to sit, and not one of the soldiers had the good manners to offer her his seat. So the woman walked to the end of the car where the general sat, that she might stand where she would not be in any one's way, but the kind general rose instantly, and gave her his place; that was courteous and kind of him, was it not? Then several of the other soldiers stood, and asked the general to be seated, but he said: "No, there was no seat for the poor woman, so there is none for me". The soldiers were very much ashamed, and soon left the car.
Why did the general offer his seat to the old woman? For the same reason that the boy raises his cap—to show respect to her.
You know how father takes care of mother and lifts heavy weights for her, and how brothers take care of sisters, and so if there is not room for everybody to sit, a man or boy will rise, and let a woman have his place; and they do all this partly because they are strong and like to do kind acts, and partly because it is nice and right to be courteous to women.
But a kind woman does not like always to take the seat that is offered to her. The man may be old or weak, then the woman would say, "Thank you, I will stand," for she sees that the man needs the seat more than she does. And if a man had been working hard all day (never sitting down at all maybe), and he should be coming home tired at night, in the train or tramcar, one would not like to let him stand, and give up his place.
It is nice and polite for a man to offer his seat, and the lady should always say, "Thank you," whether she takes it or not.
A very old man entered a crowded railway carriage, and a young girl who was sitting near the door stood up at once and offered the old man her place, for she knew that he was too weak to stand. So you see that sometimes it is right for a girl or woman to give up her seat; we must not let the men do all the kind, polite actions.
LXV. ON SHAKING HANDS.
117. Reggie and the Visitors.
One afternoon I called with a friend to see a lady at whose house I had not been before; she was very pleased to see us, and brought her little boy, Reggie, into the room where we sat.