1866: On Instruction in Deportment

Miss Hester Braye to Jeanne d’Anatis

My mother says a young lady must learn to curtsey before she learns to think, for bowing comes before reflection. The dancing master says the same, though in another key: “Your step, my dear, must precede your sentiment.”

If one learns to move without stumbling, it is called grace; if one learns to think without stumbling, it is called presumption.