Smyrna times., 1867-02-06
Selfshness as an Art.

OelnshneSS as an Art.
" no has not seen a dOmineerinp husband
OF shrewISh wife, gradually deyelon hv roo
sou VI Che weak SubServlency they always moo
VIII" lIt0 perfect monsters Of exacting selfish
nesS no cannot recall households wbicl
ILe H'u only TO enter to be conscious of a som
ote' eAactlhg DIVINITY, to offer homage and in
the other inmates? 1t must be acknG,vIaIm Imo5
we thlnk, by impartial observers. thar for 1L;,
rye OF the social tyrant women are hotter on,ai
lneu Ihah NELL Men of this stamn are a., ;,
degenerate into downright brutality anJ i,s(
al power but what they derive from sunnr;nr;
tyot physical strength. Women. ON thr ntln,
nand, are more subtle delicate, and disrr;ni
mating IN their deSpotlSm Dominecrnr wivn.
arc 10 u0lnlneerlng husbands, what LoniS ri
was 10 CharleS the Bold. Moreover, they havc
exclusive use of most potent wnonor oT+;r, L.
denied to the male sex, and that isFtar
truly comedy cannot get further than j. !, na,.
rleu IN many family circles which ront.;n .
| SpoohY' stupid husband, ruled over with a ~, /
oi IRON by clever and selfish wife A,,a;n
the delGacy real or tcigned, which many NO.
men suffer from, is mighty engine of JomoS
Tic oppression. Every woman who wishes thor
oughly TO henpeck her hush shouId NJ nnno
set up as an invalid. There are decrees md
eXactionS which can come with their I'm nf;na'
cy only from sofa. O''i'"
! Healthy women who can wall oho,,.
a good breakfast can never carry the art ot bns'
Danu-suDuulng to It's finest developments 4
HSOIous' rosy young matrOn may give tronblo
or comfort to her husband, accor,linr ~ L,r
disposition; but She can never command anj
cohtrol nm with that perfect AUTHORITY which
Is welded by the sweet. pale creature who !.
Ii""3 golhS 10 taInt. How quietly, aud yer
now completely, the latter can maxi. L;r 81
hrIlt9IIfN Of l.
ing out on that occasion ten minutes bevond IL.
appointed time OF return. What if it were to
SEE an old friend of to India? He little th;,l.y
81 thc weary hours during which She. the sweet
pane creature, has been in constant dourar NJ
IaIlhtllig While he was absent. And. OF conrs.
Inat person, that friend, as he is pleased ~ rol
nllh' Dut concerning whom she has very Az.
icIcht theoIy namely, that he is a very artful
"cs'shlhg Individual, whose real nature will
Cou4c oul some day when She is gone-that per
SON as usual, has Induced him To s,noLa onl
he knows that smoke kills her. But il viii
soon De over. No one can doubt we tb;nl
cnaC 4 Ilttlc Judclou5 sclhshness, administered
frequently III cases OF this kind would have a
most statutory effect on all concerned AMI tbat
Lhe omission to exhibit it NAV arise inJn,J
from an overdose Of good nature, bcucyolrnc.
anilaDlIlty: or what not, which nevertheless
III spite oi me names, 1t is hard to di>tiug,fi.L
vice F"'" VI "
In the above examples we have Considered
1udlclous selhShneSs in its coarsest tor,n-n th1
lornl IN which 1t must be exerted in mere. self |
ueiehce, merely to keep the enemy Out Of onr
which he would otherwise ah |
sorb' But there are other kind. Of il which
relate to more elevated order. Duty often
uriVes US INTO conduct which nine people ont
T,,ri III "oaiI Ie OG ready to pronounce simply and
pu.ely selfish, but which We venture To regarj
As merely containing that amount of injiri"n.
selhshness whish is invariably as.or;o,aj ,;'
str10ng and growing natures.
INC P!lgrli1age OF life is constantly present-
ing US with alternatives which have Laan 60
11T WT, aI symDoilzed IN the apologize Of Hercnlns
men we are wise, resolute and nrograYs;,,o
We are frequently arriving at bifurcations-at
paItlngS ol the ways down one of which we
must elect to travel. But we never ,at 90 a. |
without having acquired-inheritej rs i Uor. ,a'
from our past lite-relations with others wbn
may have no intention whatever of taking the
pain which conscience cries aloud Is the ono
4or us. % break from the dear old ties of cn1n
panlonshlp and friendship on such occasions
Is frequently the heaviest task set before us in
nj mi nose with whom we part company in |
such circumstances are sore to murmur. Our
uoiectlOh Is resented as the result OF cold cal !
cu'atlng prudence. Our head NAV he comnli-
mented, but 1t is at the expense of our bnart
And if the sole commendabIc object nit in re-.
were 70 avoid giving pain to others, our critics
would be In the right. The old companion. or
Che Oh sweetheart, who sees the pleasant fra,
grant ties OF intimacy or affection snap, one bv
one ana notes growing divergence of your
path from theirs, may well be excused for feel |
ing a little soreness or sadness
There are crises in life at which man must
either Willingly. incur the accusation of gross
selhshness, or else forever renounce all pursuit
OF an exalted ideal. 1t may be better never to
give pain, to deceive no hopes, however rasbIv
formed, never to hurt kind hearts that cling to
us; but it is not SO that great men become
great or produce great actions; 1t may have
been very selfish iii Goethe to forsake Freder
ika but the question is, would Goethe have
been the Goethe We know had he not been
able and willing to act as he did on that occa-
sion? And, if this is admitted, our position is |
proved, that judicious selfshncss in many
turns and circumstances of life, is an indispen-
sable element i'll an expanding and aspiring
person.