The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-03-17
Gtne1nteltigsulrr.
BE WHAT YOUARE.
Don't Make Believe Y cure Above
HOur Work.

From lunday nj Home.
Many years ago, when lnCiier matches
were yet unknown, and the tinder-box, |
with its flint and steel, formed the only
domestic instrument Tor Obtaining light |
little old man used to walk about in one |
OF the suburbs OF London holding in his |
hand ian.shaped bunchOf matches made,
as usual in those days, Of splinters OF
resinous pine wood tipped with briu-
stone. He never offered his goods, except
by silent gesture, nor did he make them |
an excuse for asking charity US many |
others were in the habit Of doing. The |
good natured servant girls who saw him
pass their windows would run up from
the area with smile and half.penny, |
and call out, "MRster, some timber but |
they never spoke Of matches. Timber |
madam ?" the old man would say "yes,
madam and with grave face and a |
courteous bow would take their money |
and supply their want. 1t was reported |
that the old man had seen better DAYS;
perhaps he had ut some former time dealt |
IN pine logs, and carried on business on |
large scale; now he called himself u |
small timber merchant and ii any one |
addressed him as the "matchman,n or |
asked him for 4 hall pennyworth OF |
brimst0nes, he would take no notice OF
the speaker, but turn away in disgust, NJ
II 1t were impossible Tor him TO have any
dealings with such customer. OF course
the poor old man was crazy, and those
who knew him humored and pitied him.
But how many people are there in these
days crazy after the same fashion, with. |
out being aware Of it themselves or sus.
pected Of it by their neighbors The
small tradesman carrying on business
in some by-lane calls himself merchant.
his shop an emporium, his back kitchen
warehouse, and his cellar depot; the
bricklayer or carpenter il u contractor;
the hairdresser is n professor; the wig.
maker is an artist in hair; and the milk |
man, purveyor, while the dress.maker
presides over the mysteries Of her art in |
a magasin des modes The ZANE spirit |
shows itself here and there among all |
classes, In answer to advertisement for |
hospital matron "lady.supcrior offers
herself; and il mistress is wanted for |
an intant'school, applications are made, |
not always dramatically expressed, for |
the post OF "gOverness." A father brings
his daughter 10 the house OF n lady who
has been inquiring for housemaid She
wears an imitation iur Jacket, imitation
gold earrings and nm imitation chignOn,
or plat, made OF cotton or hemp by some
new patent process OF this imitation age,
With curious bunch OF gauze, feathers,
ribbons, grapes and flowers, hung on be-
hind hv. NJ n hHnnnt. kn. hg, l..
eucased in lavender.colored kid gloves,
and she carries light parasol in her
hand, though the day is overcast, and an
umbrella would be much more to the
purpose. She makes an imitation bow
when the mistress Of the house enters the
room; and her father, who is proud Of
her appearance and manners, introduces
her with the appropriate words, "This is
the young lady, na'am, as is open to an
engagement for your situation" The
owner OF the house, who has no intention
OF resigning her situation, but only wants
u housemaid, declines the application.
There are pretensiOns OF worse kind
than this. A well.educated youth, for
instance, leaves school and is placed in an
office or under articles, with view to
his future profession. His iellow.clerks
or iellow-students appear TO him by their
costumes and conversation to be great
swells." He does not wish to be thought
inferior to them, and very soon learns to
initiate their style and adopt their man.
ners. He hears them talking largely OF
their parentage, OF their exploits and ex.
trayagances; and he wishes to be thought
AZ rich, as gay and rs reckless as the best
Tor WOrst) OF them. II they smoke, he
must do the same; il they drink, he will
drink with them; il they behave like
heathens and talk disgraceiully and vile.
ly, he affects to admire their conduct and
to enjoy their conversation All this
may Ut iirst be very much against his
better instincts, hut he fears 10 be ridi-
culed; and, in a word, would rather be
accepted for what he is not, and ought
not TO be, thaube esteemed for what he is.
Every kind OF pretense is bad; to pre-.
tend to be better than we are,
is hypocrisy; to pretend to be
greater than We are, il vanity and
folly; but to pretend TO he worse than
we are, for the sake OF winning favor
with those whose favor is not worth hav-
ing, il ut once the worst and ailliest pre-
tense OF all. Whatever mans position
or calling may be, lit be thing to be
ashamed OF, let him abandon it; but il it
be not wrong or disgracelul in iselI, let
him never be ashamed ofit.