The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-05-29
THE GOOD FELLOW.

We wonder if 'fTke Good Eel
low mistrusts his goodness, or
realizes how selfish, how weak,
how unprincipled, and how, bad a
fellow he truly is. He never re-
CARDS the consequences of his acts
as they relate TO others, and es-
pecially those of his family
friends. Little fits of generosity
towards them are supposed to
atone for all his misdeeds, while
he infiicts upon them the disgrac-
es, Inconvenience, and burdens
which attend a selfishly dissolute
life. The invitation of a friend,
the taunts of good-natured boon
companions, the temptations of
jolly fellowship, these are enough
to overcome all his scruples, if he
hiss any scruplea, 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 VIGOROUSLY
careless of his family. Any out
side friend can lead him whittier
soever he will-into debauchery,
idleness, vagabondage. He can
ask a favor, and it is done. He
can invite him into disgrace, and
he goes. He can direct him into
4 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,-re
gardless of honorable father and
brother,-he will spend his money,
waste his time, and make himself
a subject of constant and painful
anxiety. or an unmitigated nuis-
ance to those alone who care q
straw for him. What pay does he
receive for this shameful sacrifice?
The honor of being considered q
"Good Fellow" with a set of men
who would not spend q cent for
him if they should see him starv-
ing, 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 swill
they drink, and say after all he
was Good Fellow.
The future of the Good Fellow s
case which makes it well nigh
hopeless, is, that he thinks he is q
Good Fellow. He thinks that his
pliablc disposition, his readiness
to do other good fellows q service,
and his jolly ways, atone for all
his faults, His love of praise is
fed by his companions, and thus
his sclf-complacency is nursed.
Quite unaware that his good fell
lowship is the result of his weak
ness; quite unaware that his sac
rifice, of honor and peace of his
family, for the sake OF outside
praise is the offspring of the most
heartless selfishness, 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 unprincipled character
he carries an unruffled. or jovial
front, while hearts bleed or break
around him. OF all the scamp:
society knows, the traditional
good fellow is the most despicable
4 man who for the sake of hi.
own selfish delights, or the SAKE
of the praise of careless or unpTin
cipled friends, makes his home /:
scene OF anxiety and torture, anC
degrades and disgraces all who ar,
associated with him in his HON,
life, is, whether he knows it or not
a brute. If man cannot be 10y
al to his home, and to those wht
love him, then he cannot be loya
to anything that is good. Their,
is something mean beyond descrip
ton, in any man who cares NOR
for anything in this world thar
the honor, the confidence, and Low
of his family. There Is something
radically wrong in such a man
and the quicker, and the NOR
Thoroughly he realizes it, in a humi
} lation which bends him to tn
earth in shame and confusion, tn
better for him. The traditions
good felloy is bad fellow froI
! the crown Of his head to the sol
] of his foot. He is as weak as
. baby, vain a. peacock, selfish .
: pig, and as unprincipled as
thief. He has not one redeemin
: trait upon which reasonable sell
: respect can be built and hraeed.
, Give us the bad fellow, VII
! stands by his personal and famil
honor, who sticks to his own, VIII
does not s'treat" his friends Will
: his home is in need of the none
T ne wastes, and who gives himse
! no indulgence of good FELLOWSHIP
} at the expense of duty A ma
with whom the approving smile {
: q wife, or mother, or sister, doc
/ not weigh more than q thonsan
e crazy bravs of boon companion,
] Just no man at all.-Dr. j. G.. Ho
: land, in Scribner's for june.
: Hrooka has haoanaa en- pines,