Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-10-12
Mock Inyalids.

1t any OF our readers nave Deeu So
fortunate as to miss an acquaintance
with persons whose portraits are
faithfully drawn in the following from
the London Liberal Review they ought
to be happy, and consider themselves
exceedingly fortunate:
Now. if the mass of people who are
persuaded that they are invalids, and
demand to be treated as such, it is not
too much to say that they would be all
the better if they received 4 thorough
shaking up occasionally: That they
should be so treated is not only desira.
bic in their own interest, but in that
of other people. 1t must Ae remem'
bered that the mock invalid is invari-
ably not only torment to himself, but
constant source of aggravatlon and
annoyance to others. Though ne sees
dreadful significance in his own Pc
culiar ailments, he seems utterly una
BILE to imagine that any one else can be
so unhappily situated as he is. When
he is assured that exposure to certain
influences would undoubtedly bring
about his death, and that hard work
would utterly PROSTATE him, he seems
to labor under the pleasing impression
that his neighhors can stand anything.
and that the more they knock about
the better it is for them.
Thus he will not hesitate to impose
heavy burdens upon people who are
really weaker than he is, and justify
his conduct by the pleasing reflection
that they whom he thus treats are
practically made Of cast iron or some
thing Of the sort. This, unfortunate
ly, is not all. He is prone to display
unreasonable irritatian it those who
are around him fail to show that they
are deeply touched by the contempla-
ton of the infrmities with which he
has been pleased to credit himself, but
which fail to see in the strong light
that he does. Enter room in which
he is sitting and omit to close the
door; talk above a whisper when he
happens to have the headache; limo.
Gently mention that he has left some.
thing undone, the performance OF
which would not have cost much hard
labor, and you will soon find this out.
That you will be delighted at the dis
covery is not likely, bat at the same
time you are sure to feel that you
would be considered a brute if you re-
turned his unreasonable display Of irri.
tation in kind, and so restrain your
feelings.
Perhaps, indeed, after due reflec'
ton, you bestow additional sympathy
on him on account of his i'll humor,
which you lay to the score o. the NAL
aides that afflict him rather than to
that innate perversity Of nature which
he has done his best to cherish. Thus
he is not encouraged to cease wrapping
himself up in himself. On the con
trary, he is induced to continue in the
belief that he is a poor, suffering mar
! tyr, who should be the recipient OF
sympathy at all hands, albert that hi
sel6shly has no tender thought fol
mortals who are much more afflicted
than himself. Let him then be taught
that he does not stand alone. That hi
would be all the better if he were cod
died little less; and that because :
a man fancies that he is tender flow
er he has no right to constitute him
self an affection upon society and
burden to his friends. Treated thus
he might IN nine cases out Of ten dis
cover that, after all, he enjoyed fail
health. We are encouraged to believ'
this because many habitual mock in
valids, Notwithstanding their suffer
ings, contrive to live to good old age