Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-11
Selected Miscellany.
The Good Fellow.

We wonder ii 1.-The Good Fellow"
ever mistrusts his goodness, or realizes
bow selfish, how weak, how unprinci-
pied, and how bad fellow he truly is.
He never regards the consequences Of
his acts as they relate to others, and
especially those OF his family friends.
Little fits OF generosity toward them
are supposed to attone for all his mis-
deeds, while he inAicts upon them the
disgraces, inconveniences, and burdens
which attend a selfish dissolute life.
The invitation of friend, the taunts
Of good-natured boon companions, tho
temptations of Jolly fellowship, these
arc 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 notoliously care
less Of his family. Any outside freud
can lead him wheresoever he will
into de5auchery, idleness, yagabond-
age. lie can ask 4 favor, and it is
done. lie can invite him into dis
grace, and he goes. He can direct
him into a job Of dirty work, and he
straightway undertakes it. He can
tempt him into any indulgence which
may suit his vicious whiEs, and regard
less Of wife, mother, sister, who may
be shortened in their resources so as
legitimately to claim his protecting
h.tnl--rcgardless Of honorable father
aud brother, he will spend his mon
eq' and waste his time and make him
self a subject Of constant and painful
aaxietl, OF an unmitigated nuisance to
those alone who care a straw for him
What pay does he receive for this
shameful sacrifice? The honor Of be-
ing considered a Good Fellow" with
class Of men who would not spend a
cent for him if they should see him
starving, and who would laugh over
his calamities. When he dies in the
ditch, as he is most likely to die, they
breathe sigh over the swiIl they
drink, and they say, after all, he was a
Good Fellow.
The feature of the Good Fellow. 5
case which makes it we'll nigh hopeless,
is, that lie thinks he is a Good Fellow.
lie 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
I'D by his companions, and thus his
self-compldcency is nursed. Quite
unaware that his good fellowship is
the result Of his weakness; quite un-
aware that his sacrifice of honor, and
the honor and peace Of his family for
the sake Of outside praise is the off
spring Of the most heartless selfish
ness, quite unaware that his disregard
Of the interests and feelings of those
who are bonud to him by the closest
ties of blood, is the demonstration Of
his utterly unprincipled character he
carries an unru1ied or jovial front.
while hearts bleed or break around
him. OF all the scamps society knows,
the traditional good fellow is the most
despicabIe. A man who for the sake
of his own selfish delights, or the sake
OF the praise of careless and unprinci-
nled friends, makes his home a 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 man
cannot be loyal to his home, and to
those who love him. then he cannot be
loyal to anything that is good. There
lis something mean beyond description,
in any man who cares more for any
thing in this world than the honor, the
confidence and love Of his family.
There is something radically wrong in
ssch a man, and the quicker, and more
thoroughly he realizes it, in humilia-
ton which bends him to the earth in
shame and confusion. the better for
him. The traditional good fellow is a
bad fellow from the crown of his head
to the sole Of his foot He Is as weak
as baby. vain as peacock, selfish as
"a pig, and as uapTinciplsd az thiet