The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-21

sure to be said that would jar on self love, and
| that consequently cannot De retailed without
peril to the eqnanimily of the hearer. Pascal
Is strong on his point, bnt his general zone
towards human nature leaves 1t uncertain
whether the inherent vanity OF man, or nlS
| equally Inherent malice, is most in fault:
| Personne ne pare de nous en- notre pre- 'ence
| CONNIE Ii parle en- notre abserce. L'uulon qui
| ess entre les hommes. NEST fondee que sur ce te
mHtuelle trompe lie; ct pen L'"mlties suosl,terol
| ent 81 chacuu sayuit ce que son ami DIT de lul
lorsquil n'y es pas; quolqnr en- parle sincerement
ct Sans pa sin.
There are people whose social business 1t
seems to be 10 expose this mutual deception.
The temper that impels TO the practice Is not
necessarily splteful; ut worst 1t need not go
beyond a desire 10 tease for the moment, 10
| "geL rise" perhaps out of q man who thinks
himself superior to see how he behaves
under free handling. There Ia relish IN let
ting such man know that he Ia not taken at
understand him q good deal better than ne
understands himself, and smile behind his
back at certain delusions, while doing ample
justice to his general powers; the "deluslons'
Ueng the points of self knowledge OF which
he most values himself. 1t displays sense
of dscprnment merely TO report 10 vale
Ludinarian that his connections are much more
hopeful OF his condition than he allows him
Self to be, and have cheerlully commented to
one another on his good appetite and unorok-
en- slumbers.
IA fine lady has been known to dismiss favor
lie physician, 10 whom she was worth COD
siderable aunuity, upon the Information OF
one oil these oIuDderers that ne nao, Ia an on
hand manner. without crcumlOcul1on, pro-
uouuced her ''betler" 10 some inqulring third
party. The habit OF reporting sncn conVersa-
lions certainly deadens The sympathies; the
people who Indulge themselves in II cahnot
distinguish between their own feelings and
tnA haAnr hnf q
or amuses them must needs be inlrlnslcally
amusing, and will only gain point and relish
from Its personal bearing. In their obtuse-
ness they even come to regard criticism as
sort OF homage and compliment, from the fact
that to be a topic of conversation is In the ao-
stract Infinitely gratifying and stimulating to
vanity. II s 10 this way that servants ana
subordinales-the sympathes OF different
classes towards each other being always I'm
perf.ct-once encouraged or even permitted
10 report the comments OF others, quite lose
sight of their main object Of pleasing in the
hurry of exhibiting their own admirlng devo'
tion: aud will blurt out what "he said with
MS launts and his feeIs," lor Inc creGlt OF
their own indignant rejoinder. No man whose
selfrespect is In working order will allow
others, In mere takativeness, or to re-
| commend themselves, or TO engage his
preIndices on their side, TO report To him
what has been said In his dlsparagement, or
indeed in any spirit whatever, merely 10 In
his curiosity he wena .e tha
ACT of listening. Prudence and dignity are
| cIose allies here, but these are tiresome guar
dians. which the old regime permitted the
| master 10 cast of with his Udtet de chdnoTe,
and which ladies now throw over sometimes
with their maids, or In oondescending gossip
with their social Interiors, 10 the permanent
iujnry of their relations with their equals.
Children are often innocent victims OF this
liberty. which is the more unwarrantable from
their defenceleesness; and most peoples mem
| ores must recall some personal comment re-
pes ted. some revelation OF outside opinion for
which their philosophy was not yet prepared.
which set the blood courslng at the tine and
infests the CONSEQUENCES still IN mere sym
pathy with dawning sensitiveness. The poor,
whose ordinary training Inculcates little dig
] n1ty or self-restrant, are as rule dead TO the
i'll cons ,quences Of this habit. In villages and
| small communities, the excitement or nfe, the
sense OF company and numbers, is kept up by
existepces grievance. Men, near nelghbors,
slowly and silently withdraw from speech and
intercourse with each other, because somebody
has told them something that the other has
said. Taken simply there was not much harm
III it-perhaps only some question OF skill or
management in their calling; 1t has to be twist
ed into ill-wlll; but broodine end silence supp
L
values himself more, feels more distinguished,
more somebody, for keeping up q sense OF
sore ess and investing possible slight with
the pomp and state of deliberate Insult. On
the other hand, there is sort OF satisfaction
iu finding your neighbour out OF humour with
you, supposIng that nc damage To worldly ln-
trrcst comes Of 1t, and we shall not lind the
unintentlonal offender IN auy hurry to explain
or make up matters. No society can exist with
| ont n public oplnIon of its own. What people
saw forms this opinion, and in very small Cir
cIes, thrown for their excitement upon them
selves, 1t is necessarily what people soy OF one
another. 1t Is first what Widow Smith
..shoud say" when comes to the ear OF Betty
Jones: but It is amazing to 500 the ingenuity
with which the idea Of public oln be genera
| ted mt of the inhabitants OF two or three con-
| t,puous cottages; and thus, II one person
| M k.s a remark on onother IN the hearing Of
| two or three, aud remains uncontradlcted, it ls
| instantly reported upder the formula There's
] n mapy as saws" 1t is no longer tbe opinion
on the Injustice OF 40 indlvldual; the judg.
ment of her wcrld is reported to the absentee.
| II would be curious 10 know how many last
ing preiudlces, how many passive allenatlons,
how MANY coldnesses which might have been
friendships, are due TO the repetition OF trivial
comments and small criticisms not intended
for the ears they reach. IL requires effort and
| some closeness of intercourse TO overcome an
early uutavorable impression formed on how.
ever slight grounds. We mostly hold by the
opiuI, q we first form OF people, unless brought
into some intimate relation 10 which prejudice
disincllnes or which circumstances do not
favor. Dante and other searchers into the
future and unseen have pleased themselves
with grouping kings philosophers, poets, great
captains, and engaging them in the leisure OF
Paradise upon an easy review OF the past,
setting them to compare notes as 1t we're, and
40 bringing tuem to a mutual understanding.
Might not neighbors and contemporaries
whose sphere in this life is less elevated find a
coneenial diversion in tracing to their source
the various separating influences which hold
good people apart2
We heve made no mention Of the trick OF
reporting what has been said without giving
tho name OF the speaker, either to stimulate
curiosity or to impert more weight to o
structure. Seeds OF vanity, or of mislrust and
suspicion, are equally sown by this anony-
nous method; but as the tongue that spoke
g criticism is shrouded in mystery, the par
ticular ndlscretlon and breacn OF confidence
which We have just now had 10 view has not
been committed; the error, so far as there is
one, is against society rather than the lndi-
vidual.
COMhEROIAL NEWS.