Rules of the Old South
As we begin to organize her diaries and correspondence, we often come across some rule, some mandate, she so often extolled.
The following ten rules were found in letters to various family members. The most recent rule on this list was written in 1932. We have uncovered many, many more...
Be mindful that every decision you make has a consequence. There is a right way and a wrong way to behave. It is foolish to pretend otherwise.
Modern education theory is mere trend and drivel. There will always be a student taught through classical means. Either you to will be, or you will incur the pablum shovelled into the mouths of the masses.
Be serious about politics. It is of no use for you to engage in political sentimentality. You must engage intelligently or you are not worthy of your vote.
Reject the church that will pander to modern tastes.
Dress with propriety. It is disrespectful to others to cling to excuses of comfort. If you accept comfort as an excuse, you communicate that you are weak.
Practice the discipline of serenity. It is easy to become irritated. Decide to respond in a dignified manner to daily annoyances. You must control childish impulses and demand of yourself mastery over them.
Move gracefully about your day. Demand of yourself the effort it takes to stand up straight, sit properly, hold up your chin.
Insist on eating properly and engage in natural, reasonable physical exertion. There is no excuse for allowing your body to become burdened by too much weight or ailments brought on by your own habits.
A child's education is the responsibility of the parents both in its cultivation and its maintenance. To believe otherwise is a foolish error.
Intelligence is a desirable attribute. Do not accept the dangerous modern desire for the common. This home-spun foolishness costs us our dignity and our rights. Insist on intellectual and moral integrity.