Part 26 (2/2)
”What is 'improperly dressed.'”
”Not nice and neat.”
”Nice and neat--_clean_ and neat, you mean?”
”Yes.”
”Then a gentleman may have poor clothes on?”
”Of course.”
”Can anybody be _poor_ and be a gentleman?”
”Not _anybody_, but a gentleman may be poor, certainly, without ceasing to be a gentleman.”
”But if he was poor to begin with--could he be a gentleman then?”
”Yes, Rotha,” said her friend smiling at her; ”money has nothing to do with the matter. Except only, that without money it is difficult for a boy to be trained in the habits and education of a gentleman.”
”Education?” said Rotha.
”Yes.”
”You said, 'feeling and manners.'”
”Well, yes. But you can see for yourself, that without education it would be hardly possible that manners should be exactly what they ought to be.
A gentleman should give to everybody just that sort of attention and respect which is due; just the right words and the right tone and the fitting manner; how can he, if he does not understand his own position in the world and that of other people? and why the one and the other are what they are.”
”Then I don't see how poor people can be ladies and gentlemen,” said Rotha discontentedly.
”Being poor has nothing to do with it, except so far.”
”But that's far enough, Mr. Digby.”
He heard the disappointed ambition in the tone of the girl's words.
”Rotha,” he said kindly, ”whoever will follow the Bible rules of good manners, will be sure to be right, as far as that goes.”
”Can one follow them without being a Christian?”
”Well no, hardly. You see, the very root of them is love to one's neighbour; and one cannot have that, truly and universally, without loving Christ first.”
”Then are all gentlemen Christians?”
The young man laughed a little at her pertinacity.
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