New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-31
Tho Gaad Fellow.

We wonder if 1.-THE good fellow" ever
mistrusts his goodness, or realizes how
selfish, how weak, how unprincipled and
how bad fellow he truly is. He never re-
CARDS the consequences of his acts as they
relate to others, and especially those of bis
family friends. Little fits of generosity
toward them are supposed to atone for all
his niisdeeds, while he inflicts upon them
the disgraces, inconvenience, and burdens
which attend q seltishly dissolute life. The
invitation of friend, the taunts of good
natured boon companions, the temptations
of jolly fellowship, these are enough to
overcome all his scruples, if he has any
scruples, and to lead him to ignore all the
possible results to those who love him best,
and who must care for him in sickness and
all the unhappy phases of his selfish life
The good fellow is notOriously careless Of
his family. Any outside friend can lead
him whithersoever he will-intO debauch.
cry, idleness, vagabOndage. He can ask
favor, and it is done. He can invite him
into disgrace, and he goes. He can direct
him into job of dirty work, and he
straightway undertakes it. He can tempt
him into any indulgence which may suit
his vicious whims, and. regardless Of wife,
mother, sister, who may be shortened in
their resources so as legitimately to claim
his protecting hand-regardless OF honor.
able father and brother-he will spend his
money, waste his time and make himself
subject of constant and painful anxiety or
an tnmltigated nuisance to those alone who
care straw for him. What pay does he
receive for this shameful sacrifice! The
honor of being considered good fellow
with set of men who would not spend
cent for him if they should see him starv-
ing, and who would laugh over his calami-
ties. When he dies in the ditch, as he is
most likely to die, they breathe sigh over
the swill they drink, and say, latter all, he
was good fellow"
The feature of the good fellows case
which makes it we'll nigh hopeless, is that
he thinks he is good fellow. He thinks
that his pliable disposition, his readiness to
do other good fellows service, and his jolly
ways, atone for all his faults. His love OF
praise is fed by his companions, and thus
his self-complacency is nursed. Quite una
ware that his good fellowship is the result
of his weakness; quite unaware that his
sacrifice of honor, and the homer and peace
of his family for the sake OF outside praise.
is the offspring Of the most heartless selfish
ness, quite unaware that his disregard of
the interests and feelings of those who are
bound to him by the closest ties OF blood, is
the demonstration of his utterly unprin-
cipled character; he carries an unrutied, or
q .jovial front, while hearts bleed or break
around him. Of all the scamps society
knows, the traditional good fellow is the
most despicable.
A man who for the sake OF his own self.
ish delights, or the sake of the praise of
careless or unprincipled friends, makes
his home scene of anxiety and torture,
and degrades and disgraces all who are
associated with him in his home life, is,
whether he knows it or not, brute. If a
man can not be loyal to his home, and to
those who love him, then he can not be
loyal to anything that is good. There is
something mean beyond description in any
man who cars more for anything in this
world than the honor, the confidence and
love of his family. There is something
radically wrong in such a man, and the
allies it. in a humiliation which bends him
to the earth in shame and confusion, the
better for him. The traditional good fell
low is bad fellow from the crown of his
head to the sole of his foot. He is as weak
as baby, vain as a peacock, selfish as a
pig, and as unprincipled as a thief. He
has not one redeeming trait upon which
> reasonable self respect can be built and
Oraced.
Give US the bad fellow who stands by his
personal and family honor, who sticks to
ais own, who does not "treat" his friends
while b home is in need of the money he
v astes, and who gives himself no indulgence
If good fellowship at the expense of duty
man with whom the approving smile of
wife, or mother, or sister does not weigh
more than thousand crazy braves of boon
is just no man at all.-Dr. j. G.
holland, an Scribner's for June.