Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1859-12-08
The Man Who Doesn't Mind.

.af7r 3
ss "A SOCIAL SKETCH. .,sf -...i
A Man who Doesn't Mind is the most
tortured ofall the martyrs of society He
is constantly exposed to trials and prfva-.
tions. Like Ixion's wheel, his life is one
continual round of proftless exertion-
proftless, at least, so fur as it concerns
himself Directly it is found out that he
Doesn't Mind, everybody takes advantage
OF the fortunate discovery: His time and
he are instantly at eyerybody's. mercy, and
no one ever dreams of being mereifll to
either. He gets imposed on right and left,
| IN person and in purse. Bores bother him
perpetually, and have no fears of being
kicked. The rcmotcst of relations act
towards him as though they claimed the
closest consanguiuity, and thereby were
entitled to be worse plaques than those of
Egypt to him. Almost perfect strangers
play the part of dearest friends, and use
the privilege of friendship to drop in on
him Mt any time. As for needy visitors,
he has them thick rs thieves, and few
leave him without making an attempt upon
his pocket. Bosom friends unbosom their
family misfortuncs to him, and do their
| best to make him miserable by the story
OF their sorrows. Yet of all these pests
ana plaques, none have the least compunc-
ton or compassion III their plaguings.-
However they may poster him they feel
quite sure he Doesn't Mind it
In fact, the Man who Doesn't Mind is
perpctually exposed to all manner of an
noy"nces and physical privations. Every
body takes advantage of the goodness of
his nature. 1t subjects him to insult as
we'll as Inconvenience. People stamp on
his pet corns, and scarcely ever beg his
pardon. However much they hurt him,
| they conceive he Doesn't Mind it, and rely
he won't take steps to avengc the pedal
INJURY. When he goes out to dinner, he is
always the worst served and the worst
seated of the guests. lie gets the back
bones of the fowls, and the scrngs of the
legs of mutton. No host ever dreams of
giving him tit-bits. The chances arc, in
deed, that if the tables at all full he'll be
moved off to the side-board, and have to
cat his dinner among dirty plates and
dishes. People take for granted that he
Doesn't Mind where he's put
At picnic, too, he finds his fate is
just as sad one. If there happen to bo
amy children to be looked to, YOU may al,
ways take for granted that he's the happy
man. And beside being appointed to the
charge OF the light infantry, he is sure to
be entrusted with the heavy baggage also
The commissuriat department devolvcs
mainly upon his shoulders Whoever re-
ally is in fault, he is nnswerablc for all its
ilnperfections and Deficiencies When it
happens that the knives and forks nrc left
Ebchind, everybody make the most cutting
remarks to him, and digs at him nnccasing-
| ly with some thrce-prOnged s;ircaSm.-
Surprising such a wonderful accident oc-
cur, rs that by some strange accident the
salt should be forgotten, of course, the
Man who Doesn't Mind is told to go and
| Or 0t1Ff At fc r.,
| house unattached until lie gets it. Then
having duly done what was required of
him Hs GRAND boy, of course he is expected
TO 0hlciate rs waiter; and should he steal
lime III his waitcrShip to get 81 snack him.
self, lie is pretty sure to find his seat as
signed him in the nettles,7 or else where
all the broken crockery and lobster-shells
arc shot And to wind up his days mis-
cry, should it rain going home, rs it always
does at pic-nics, of course he is expected
to sit patiently outside, and lend his rival
his umbrella; and not to show the slight
est symptom of annoyance, though he de-
tects that rival, undor cover of that um-
Drclla' flirting ticrcely with the widow with
| whom he is smitten
In short, wherever he may be, and what
ever he may do, the Man who Doesn't
Mind is never thought of for a moment cx-
ccpt as convenience. Whatever foible
he may have, he never finds it gratifed.-
| HIS known "lttle Weaknesses" are wholly
dlsregarded No one ever dreams of stu
dying his comforts. Like the desire of
-Ar. IOotS, his most heart-cherishcd wishes
are considered of !no consequence How
ever useful he may be, no one ever thinks
OF even saying, Thank you. Nor is lie al
lowed any periods of respite If on Mon
Day he does service for n friend, on
Tuesday the friend calls and makes him do
another. Any one, at any time, may ask
him to do anything. Whatever hobbies he
may have, people never give him time to
mount n single one of them. They inter-
rupt him just when getting his foot we'll
into the stirruP, and never have n fear that
he will venture to kick out at them. In
short, they do exactly with him what they
please, and solely for the reason that thew
think he Doesn't Mind it.
/ But the worst of it is, that in time even
his wife gets seized with the Infection
From seeing how his friends treat him.
she learns itotdo the same herself. In her
domestic calculations she puts him down
rs mere cipher, and provides only for one,
Herself being the unit. She expects him
| to go shopping with her twice a week at
least, and to do light porters work, and
carry home her purchases. She even dares
TO try if she can feed him on cold mutton,
and she does SO with impunity, and even
without pickles; and she never dreams OF
p0lliating that connubiaI offence by the
attcr-introduction of his fayorite pudding
At least twice in every month she asks ber
dear Mammal" to come and stay a week
with her and then coolly fills his DRESSING
1 9s room with the parental pugs and parrots.