The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-19
MUFFS.

Secretary. Chairman Of the Vestry.
MUFFS.
From the Liberal Review
There are good many people In the world
who never give themselves fair chance.
Their undoubted abilities and virtues remain
hidden even from themselves, and less wolthy
men rush past them in the race of life. To
this class OF beings belongs the muf.
His speech may be good one In itself, being
full of logical argument and brilliant rhetoric;
but it will appear tame and inane, because
delivered badly. 1t Is equally certain that he
makes mess Of the dramatic performance IN
which he is engaged. He loses his cues, for
gets his part, sLammers aud stumbes, and be-
trays his nervousness by the awkwardness OF
his gait and his sheepish appearance. In
sees a masked foe. When people chuckle at
the "hils," he faucies they are laughing at
him-as, no doubt, in many instances, tney
are. Whenever there Is murmur, ne
feverishly imaglpes that he has done some
Ching wrong, or that there Is something
amiss with his dress. And ne has the
unfortunate knack of making it evident
10 everybody tnat his mind is haunted by
these torturiDg doubts. Yet, Tor all this, the
muff is by no means iool Give him work
which he can perform when no one Is looking
on, and he will get through 1t successfully and
CrCUlLaUN. Gc VIII uuhC uO uItChp1 W oiii
it. He would rather be set a task than set
himself one, for he readily recognizes the fact
that 1t Is his mission to follow rather than 10
lead. He Is ever ready to support any reason
able scheme, but 1t Is rarely Indeed that ne
comes out in the character Of the propoSer OF
one. He has no faith in his own individuality
or power and so he likes TO shift responsibility
on to stnrdier shoulders than his own. He Is
generally willing 10 do anything for everybody
or ANYBODY, but he must be looked we'll after,
and kept up to the mark. His weakness Of
character and his generosity are, OF course,
traded upon TO q very large extent. He Is too
often made the tool to help forward other
mems schemes, and his Resources taxed tc an
undue extent. When he Is 80 employed, he,
more frequently tnan not, never gels reward
ed. for the simple reason that 1t Is not known
what he has done. Those who use him keep
their own counsel, and he, through causes
which will be evident, keeps his, too. He,
tc log through the world very comfortably.
His Is not one OF those active, ner-
yous temperamens which are miserable
unless constantly plunging into fresh schemes,
and seeking fresh fields IN which to exercise
the talents they feel lie within them. He Is
quite satisfied TO simply Jog along doing his
duty. It Is Of such stuff as that OF which muts
are made. men are constituted who content
edly remain lifetime In one sltuation-who
are quite content TO die In the same place In
which they were born, and under the same
, circumstances. The muff has his pleasures,
and he appreciates them. They are quiet
pleasures, but they are none the less enjoy
able for all that. He does not envy those who
enjoy life In more noisy and brilliant fashion
than he does. He may, now and then, heave
q sigh. and wonder how IL Is that he was not
born like such people, but The matter goes no
further. He Is not jealous at any rate, and
very conteHtedly resigns himself TO his posi-
,io..r n hln uhnn 70 Ea
advantage of his weakness, and destroy his
selfpossOssion by bullying and riding rongh-
shod over.h him.
1t is often matter of surprise how many
muffs manage TO get married. But they ire
quenily do 80. Doubtless, they endure much
mental agony before the fatal step Is resolved
upon. But this can only be coDjectured, for
the muff keeps matters very quiet until such
time as it Is publicly declared That he is Zen
gagged" be receives the congratulations OF
friends on his good fortune, In u bashiul, de-
predatory manner, and objects to have the
subject dwelt too largely upon. He Will say
nothing which will commit him, or may be
turned into ridcule, for, of all things 10 the
world, which he dreadss most, ridicue Is that
thing. II pains him as much as the lash does
the garotters back. To this may, no doubt,
be traced the fact that, Invariably, when he
contemp!ates matrimony, he fOrsakes all bis
old haunts and companions, until such time
He will never be discovered spoOning or flirt-
ing In company, for he could not stand the
"chaff" which such proceedings would bring
down upon him. Aud yet those who know
him and have studied his character can a.
ways see through him. AS soon as he tempo
rarily forsakes them, and assigns no cause,
they know what Is about to happen. The
embarrassed lovers, whom one sees upon the
stage, convey but vague idea OF his state |
when ''popping the question" 1t Is a pity |
that prejudice seals peoples lips on this SUBJ |
ieci. Did 1t not do so, we might hear some |
revelations which would be very amusing, |
and, at the same time, very astonishing. For, |
after all, the world has but an imperfect con- |
ception of what most love-passages consist OF. |
The majority of the peoples conceptions are |
founded upon their own experiences; or the |
idea what they themselves would do under |
certain circumstances, OF upon what they |
have seen enacted upon the stage. Now, |
ones own experience may hold good IN certain |
circumstances, but it will not do so in others. |
for tho simple reason that differently con- |
stitpted men and women act differently under |
The same circumstances. And then 1t Is very |
evident, in the majority OF lOve-scenes upon |
the Stage, that they ha. e been made to order. |
It Is one OF the best features In the nun |
that he Is firm in his friendships. Thus, If he |
makes few friends, he remains true to those |
he has. A genuine friendship with him lasts
as long as life good deal Of enduring work |
may be got out Of MIN, for, as has been hint
ed, he can work we'll when not exposed to |
general observation. He can paint good pic
lures, write good books, or solve dithcult ma
thematical problems, lhongh his public con-
duct :light induce a very contrary belief in
the minds of on-lookers. Altogether, he is
often very useful being, aud the world
would sustain substantial loss were his SER
vices to be discontinued. He does not de-
serve the comparative contempt with which
he Is regarded.
The Berlin Cross Gazette publishes COM
munication from an eminent jurist, in which
the ground Is taken that the constitution OF
The German Empire confers the right to vote
on every woman over twenty-one years OF age.
Other competent authorities, 1t is said, take
the same ground. But when even men In Ger
many don't care TO vote, what Is the slgnid-
,ance of claiming the right for women? II Is
, fact that political elections in Germany ex-
lie so little popular interest in some constit-
lpncies that where hundreds might vote only
. few staid and respectable electors will take
he trouble to go to the poll.