Page:Book of Etiquette, Volume 1, by Lilian Eichler.djvu/307

 or hid himself whenever he saw visitors approaching. His wife, who was also very timid and retiring by nature, was left to entertain the guests as best she could. Hawthorne was heartily ashamed of himself, but instead of trying to overcome his self-consciousness he sought and found forgetfulness in his books and writings. His wife, on the other hand, was forced to overcome her natural timidity for the sake of her husband and for the sake of the hospitality of the Hawthorne home. And because she determined to do it, she soon became entirely unself-conscious and able to conduct herself with ease and unconcern even among the most celebrated people.

And so you see that self-consciousness can be overcome. There is no reason for the bride to feel embarrassed and ill at ease when she is hostess for the first time in her new home. There is no reason for the young girl to feel shy and timid when she is introduced in society. There is no reason for the young man to be self-conscious in the presence of ladies. A little will power and a little sincere effort will banish this fault forever.

That is the only way you can hope to cure yourself of self-consciousness—forget about yourself! There are so many delightful things you can think of, so many interesting things beyond the selfish little boundaries of your own self. Send your thoughts abroad, send them into the universe to drink deeply of knowledge and learning, to delve into the wells of profound interest that surround us on every side—and forget about the petty commonplaces of life, the unimportant everyday conventionalities. Then you will forget about yourself also,