New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-08

BY HENRY WARD BEECHRR.

As II there were not troubles enough in
this world that come upon men without ku-
man design, people set themselves to work
to diminish happiness and to increase mis-
cry. PhrenOlOgists tell us that there Is in
man an organ and faculty OF obstructive
ness-that, when unregulated, it inspires
cruelty; that it is the root of that horrible
pleasure which the old Romans had, and
their modern descendants still have, in
murderous gladiatorial shows, contests of
wild beasts, bull fights etc.
But there runs through modern civilized
society vein of the same quality. People
who would faint to see . gush of blood, and
who think themselves Christians, have a
lively enjoyment in Witnessing pain, and
cultivate the art OF infloting it. The men
ton of few of the methods employed will
make good my remarks:
The delight with which many report bad
news, the eagerness with which they report
to people evil sayings which can not but
lacerate the feelings, shows morbid love
of suffering. This is not the trait of vii
famous natures. 1t exists in people of real
Kindness of disposition. 1t is not anomalous,
because it is SO widely extended as to seem
normal.
Some people scatter pain producing ele-
nents thoughtlessly, and are surprised and
CORY whea they witness the suffering pro-
duced. others do it for momensary pleas
ure, without meaning any serious results.
But now and then We find persons who love
to torment 3 victim. They enjoy another's
sufferings. 1t is their happiness to see
some one made keenly miserable by their
lance-li tongue. They will smile and
talk in low, sweet tones, and shoot out
quivering. sentences, poison tipped, and
cast look sidewise to see if they strike
and at every sigh Of pain their face grows
In part this is latent ambition. People
assert their power over others. It raises
one in his own estimation to perceive that
he can control the moods of another.
But there is still more common exhibi-
ton of the love Of suffering. 1t is seen in
the universal art of teasing.
We see it in its most unregulated form
among children. who nip and pinch each
other, make up mouths. witch each others
clothes, run Oft with toys, push and '.jog-
gle," point with insulting fingers, and in a
hundred ingenious ways strive to make each
other miserable. As they grow up, it often
happens that young people carry on cam
paign of teasing, each one vieing with an.
other which shall be the sharpest.
1t does not cease with youth. Grown
folks, good natured, kind-hearted, we'll
this perverse spirit in the midst of all their |
BY sharp speech, by yelled sar-
casm, by exciting curiosity which they will |
not crafty. by narrating pretended frauds,
by sinister compliments, by rallying one |
when circumstances forbid reply, by |
'luivocal praise, by blunt telling of some |
ruth that had been better left unsad, and !
~ hundreds of ingenious ways which time
you'd fail % tell. people infct pain upon
ZACH other.
Those who ~ the main ars striving TO !
make friends happy will have one black
bread in the web OF white. Those who
eally love each other have strange fond. |
ess tor stirring each other up.
There is an innocent and even pleasure.
reducing method of raIlying which, if
efly and gracefully done, heightens the
njoyrnent of society. One may touch
iscord if it lapses into true chord. Some
.Des. when we have good news to tell, we are
ewitched with desire to open the matter
3 If it were great trouble that we were
bout to break. There is q gentle badi.
age, an innocent arrow-shOotipg, which
alters and charms. But life is full of that
Their sort. II Darwin is right in thinking
nat men assembled from munads BY gradual
pollution, then it is very certain that some
len came up bv the way of the mosquito
nd the biting iy, and that their ancestral
ats still linger in the blood. s.