The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-26
POPULAR PEOPLE.

way to establish the conclusion that he is
good, honest, reliable nan. He is 50 popu
! lar " being phrase which covers multitud
Of faults and weaknesses, and in the minds g
many settles the question OF worth.
Jones heard cynical man inquire Of anothe
concerning third party with whom he wa
meditating business transaction. He i
safe, perfectly safe. was the declaration, '.ant
50 popular" .Then l will not trust him,
was the rejoinder. II have no faith in popu
lar men" Certainly in this case his judgmen
proved correct
Popular people are generally timber; they
bend here, and yield there; they want back
bone. They have an invincible repugnanct
to that little monosylable no consider il
sharp, blunt, abrupt. They are more courte-
GUS and suave in their intercourse with their
fellow creatures, and will not wound their self
love with such positive negations. They laugh,
and dissent with shake Of the head, and if
hard pressed, and it is some favor that is want
ed turn away with eve will see about it. OF
call again, or 'wait until tomorrow
anything to put the person off and free them
selves for the moment. A popular man hard
ly ever in his life utters good, honest, hearty,
stout, downright no. He meets you with an
outstretched land, inquiries for your family
and yourself in a manner that cOnvinces you
he is impressed with their and your welfare.
He slaps you on the shoulder. speaks conf
dentially to you, mods knowingly, and leaves
you impressed with the idea that he is a very
fine man and you stand high in his estimation.
| He continues always to make you pleased with
yourself the consequence of which is you are
pleased with him. Perhaps at parting he tells
you good story or joke, and you go on your
way laughing to impart it to the next friend
you meet, with what capital fellow that
is"
well, what is the harm in this 2" you ask
None. if you do not make this mistake of sup
posing that being a capital fellow he is conse-
quently a strong, trustworthy, reliable person.
The worldly wise will tell you that strong, re-
liable men are seldom popular men. They
are men OF purpose opinion, action more
apt to be antagonistic to, than in sympathy
with the suaruer IN nlOdo which characteizes
the man bent on pleasing i'll general. Take
for example the popular men and women OF
society the beau, the belle, the married
woman.
The popular belle is pretty, has pleasing
Manners dresses well, dances well, talks well,
says pleasant things. She has the tact to
make every man believe he is first and fore
most in her regards. She receives all the at
tention she desires, goes everywhere, sees
everythng-at the expense of her gentlemen
friends as of course she should, and is con-
sldered one of the finest, incest, most delight
ful of women, but does she come up to the
standard Of womanhood you have enshrined
ia your heart, as typical Of she who is to be
your wife! Is there not something little
coarse connected with this popularity and
belehood something from which you shrink?
And the popular beau what is he: Gentle
manly, pc lite, dressy, full Of pleasant tiatter-
les and small talk, never forgets any little at
tentlOn, dances the German, is always on
hand for an entertainment and Indispensable
as best man at the marriages of his friends |
has considerable sense may be proper
business man is called good fellow but |
own it, you feel disposed to smile at him He
does not embody the idea Of vigorous, earnest
to you. He is not the realization OF
a woman's dream ; makes delightful beau
but is not chosen for husband. He is popu-
lar, though and every lady speaks we'll Of
him.
Just with the married woman only her
opportunities are greater. She can entertain
people, and she can use them after they are
entertained. No matter if they do not know
they are used, what is the difference.
Women naturally are more anxious to please
than men. have more love Of appreciation,
and love Of appreciation lies at the bottom OF
this thirst for popu .arity. Society women,
too have more time to devote to such things.
There is rivalry in it, and they electioneer for
M admirer as man does for a vote, with an
office for an object. A woman whose aim is
to enjoy the favor Of the multitude can no
more be true woman than she can be good
Christian.
Why, you say, taking popularity as in the
opinion Of a great part Of the wo Id. it is the
seal of appreciation. There are popular
preachers.
That is all very true but popularity in that
application is used in little different sense.
However, popular preachers are not always the
most evangelical preachers, nor are they those
Who do the most good in the world besides
popular preachers are not all popular men. |
ave In my memory noted case of a popu-
Al preacher, who drew crowds whenever he
leld forth, so that he could scarcely gain ac-
ess to his pulpit yet was he very tar from
'eing one in whom his tellow-men had conf
lence OF We're prepared to follow. His voice,
lis eloquence, his beautiful imagery affected
heir intellects and swayed their fancy : they
ooked upon him as one who pointed to
eaven, but lied to lead the way
1t Is often the case that the very popularity
f ministers of the gospel draw suspicion on
and their cause I
We do not say that this is just only that it is
rue, man has right to study TO present
he cause he loves, and himself as the advo- {
aIe OF t1lat cause, 10 tl1OSe VINO are supposed
ot to love it and are in opposition to it, i'll its
1ost attractive light, using all his powers of
loquence i'll Legitimate way so to do. But {
ne temptation to meritorious action i'll this {
natter OF popularity is so great that large {
lumber OF people are SLOW to believe in the
ertect good faith of those who have gained it |
ven by righteous MEANS
Many people confuse eminence and popu- c
'rlty. In their minds they are Synonymous f
srms, whereas, III reality, they are almost in
ppostion. To be eminent is to occupy an +
Nalted position among men-to be popular is I
ttentimes to be inferior sometimes to be +
ulgar. A rian may be eminently popular or t
ninently unpopular. To be both eminent 0
nd popular in the best sense is rare union. C
lady, in speaking OF an eminent judge, used d
he terms in this manner; and upon being O
remarked: They mean the same c
hing"
As rule, popular people are wanting in the
omestic virtues they fail to find at their own e
resides. The woman who is most popular in G
,cety is not always the most agreeable per- s
N at home, and he man who is hailed as a a
BOD fellow may put his goodness on as an t