The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-11-23
Fancied Sights.

them more comfort than all the rest,
that affords them positive pleasure,
you would say, to see the eagerness
with which they graspit-the pleasure
of being "slighted.
These persons are always on the
lookout for slight; they scent it from
afar as the vultures do the carcass of
the dead camel; and it is hard to say
when they are best pleased, whether
in enjoying sense of triumph when
courted or fiattered, or in nursing the
sense of martyrdom and burning
wrong when overlooked and forgotten.
They imagine the slight and believe in
it, when it does not exist; and when
it is really impossible to believe in it,
content themselves by picturing what
the case would be if it did exist, until
suitable emotions are kindled in
their breast, and they have the
dramatic species of pleasure nearly
the same as if it had been founded on
fact.
Perhaps it is their friend who has
"slighted' them, omitted the personal
mention of their name from some
general invitation, forgotten in some
pressure to send them cards at all, i'll
advertently turned the back upon
them in the crowd, accidentally carried
off sutton, and accidentally swept
them triumphant glance; GOODNESS,
distrust, icy discomfort, stalk upon
the scene, to be followed after time
by sort of slurred-over forgiveness
that circumstances, whether of affec-
ton or convenience, make necessary.
But perhaps it is not their friend, but
your friend, that has done this deed;
and woe is you for the distress and an
noyance that then becomes yours
through the agency of the individual
whom your friend has outraged, until
fresh outrage wipes out the memory
of the old one.
To be slighted-that gives one an OPP
portunity for eloquence in stating the
reasons why one should not have been
sighted, or else for assumption of hui
mility in stating the reasons why the
slight was not undeserved. 1t gives
one the opportunity, too, of feeding an
old grudge with the indulgence of
righteous indignation called for by self
respect, of nourishing a hearty spite
by the recital of any piquant scandal
concerning the giver of the slight that
otherwise it might not be permissible
to recite, or else of a lofty show of
magnanimity by mel ely limiting at the
knowledge of such scandal, and with
on. consenting to crafty the tantalized
curiosity of the listener; and at all
events it allows one to make an inven-
tory of ones virtues, all by ones self,
in wondering why an individual pos
sessing such qualities should be made
the victim of such wrong, and, when
the inventory is made, to feel doublv
wronged, and to render uncomforta-
BILE every member of the household
that does not entirely concur III the
view taken of the slight.
1t IS really both amusing and amaz-
ing to see how people can coniure up
fabulous injuries and make the most
of them, with morbid enjoyment,
when every consideration of proper
pride ought to lead them to think it
would be impossible for any one to
dream of such thing as sighting
their claims to attention. Why should
one slight them? Are they coarse,
gross, vulgar, Inbred, ill-mannered,
'lll-natured, SO plain as to be disgust
ing, so simple as to be a
bore, so spiteful as to be dam
gerous, so ignorant as to be
laughing-stock, 50 low-born and
of so low associations as to be
communicating? And if for none of
these, for what other reason can they
be sliglted? From personal dislike?
Yet why should one dislike them but
for such or kindred qualities? From
envy? One who supposes that hardly
makes the listener convert to belief
in superior qualities calculated to ex-
cite envy; for one will not be envied
unkindly, if rich, unless an unkind
display of riches is Haunted in the face
OF those who have none; if well edu-
Gated, unless contempt is shown for
those less fortunate; if virtuous, I'M
less the virtue is self-righteous; if
beautiful, unless the beatty is spoiled
by consciousness, flippancy, heartless-
ness, and the assumption of "top-
lofty airs. No, indeed; one would
have an exceedingly erroneous opinion
of the very nature of society if it were
for moment supposed that virtue,
beauty, learning, good fortune, were
not welcomed eagerly by it in the per-
sons of the happy owners. There is
not so much of any of these fine things
abroad in the world that any can be
with they are the very ele-
ments of that charming society that
feeds the wit and delights the eye, the
forces that make it lovely and of good
repute, and wherever they are seen
they are gladly welcomed and made a
part of it. Just as a hostess would |
hail with satisfaction the acquisition
of choice prima donna with her
singing at her evening entertain
ment, so will society hail with
satisfaction the advent of any
who can add by one iota to its
pleasure; and if one is not hailed, if
'ne is sighted, it is fair to presume
hat one is destitute of the means of
lffording this pleasure.
For if one receives pleasure from
'ociety, one must in return render
pleasure to society; and before COM
blaming of Sights, it is no more than
ust to sit down and inquire what
light one has to other treatment. Has
me home and the means of enter
aiming in it, and so Of being a valua-
lie factor in this society and of re-
urning something of all that is given i?
f not that, then has one such beauty
S will be perpetual feast at which
he gazer asks no morep Or if not [
hat, has one intellect to lead, to con- {
rol, to illuminate society, to add to +,
IS gayety, to lend it instruction, to ,