The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-10
NUMBER ~.
The Good Fellow.

We wonder if the ''good fellow ever
mistrusts his goodness or realizes how
selfish, how weak, how unprincipled and
how bad fellow he truly is. He
never regards the consequences of his
acts as they relate to others, and espe-
eially those of his family friends. Lit
tie fits of generosity towards them are
supposed to atone for all his nlisdeeds,
while be inflicts upon them the dis
graees, inconveniences and burdens
which attend selfishly dissolute life.
| The invitation of a friend, the taunts OF
good-natured boon companions, the
temptations of jolly friendship-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 care
| less of his family. Any outside friend
can lead him whithersOever he will
into debauchery, idleness, vagabOndage.
/ He can ask favor and it is done. He
can invite him into disgrace, and he
goes. Hecan direct him into a job of dirty
work, and he straightway undertakes it.
| He can tempt him into any indulgence
regardless of his wife, mother, sister,
\ who may be shortened in their resources
so as legitimately to claim his protect
ing hand-regardless of honorable father
and brother-he will spend his money,
waste his time, and make himself
subject of contrast and painful anxiety,
or an unmitigsted nuisance, to those
alone who care a straw for him. What
pay does he receive for this shameful
sacrifice? The honor of being con-
sidered "goOd fellow" with a set Ol
men who would not spend cent for him
| if they should see him starving, and
who would laugh over his calami-
ties. When he dies in the ditch, as he
1 is most likely to do, they breathe a sigh
over the swill they drink, and say, ''Af-
! ter all, he was good fellow"
This feature of the good fellows case
which makes il well nigh hopeless, is
that he thinks he is good fellow. He
thinks that this pliable disposition, hi,
readiness to do other good fellows SER
vice, and his jolly ways atone for all his
faults. His love of praise is fed by his
companions, and thus his self-cOmpla.
ceney is nursed. Quite unaware that
this good-fellOwship is the result of hi:
weakness; quite unaware that his sacri-
flee of honor, and the honor and peace
of his family, for the sake Of the outside
praise is the offspring of the most heart
less selfishness; quite unaware that his
disregard of the Interests aud feelings o
those who are bound to him by the
closest ties OF blood, in the demonstration
of his utterly unprincipled character, hC
carries an unruffied or a jovial from
while hearts bleed or break around him
or all the seamps society knows, thu
traditional good fellow is the most de
spicable. a man who, for the sake o
his own selfish delights, or the sake o
the praise of careless or unprinciple'
friends, makes his home a scene of anX
iety and torture, and degrades and dis
graees all who are associated with bin
in home life, is, whether he knows it o
not, a brute. II a man cannot be loyG
to his home, and to those who love hin
then he cannot he loyal to anythin
that is good There is something rad
, calIy wrong in such 4 man, and th
more thoroughly he realizes it, in hJ
initiation which bends to the earth j
shame and confusion, the better fC
| him. The traditional good fellow is
bad fellow from the very crown of h
head TO the sole of his feet He is 8
= weak as u baby, vain as a peacock, Sc
: fish as pig and unprincipled as THE
He has not one redeeming trait upO
> which reasonable selfrespect can b
built and braced.
, Give us bad fellow who stands b
his personal and family honor, VIII
sticks to his own, who dare not "treat
his friends when his home is in need {
, the money he wastes, and who give
! himself no indulgence of good fellow
> ship at the expense of duty A ma
with whom the approving smile of
: wife, or mother, or sister, does not weig
q more than a thousand crazy bravos {
. boon companions, is just no man
: all.-.ScribHeg's for June.