, 1880-05-09
TOO GOOD.

;:' To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune.
: CHICAGO, May 7-If shall assert that there Is
a possibility Of ones being too good, of overlo-
ing ones duty by exercising I'M excess OF virtue,
I shall expect to be 1T down in the cataloQ Of
1unatics; but a1u, nevertheless, about to make
the venture.
That tho object Of tho parent In the education
Of his offspring Is to make them virtuous and
good, rs well as Intelligent, thereby fitting them
for the duties Of 'aftor life, none will dispute;
and who has ever asked tho question whether
there was possibility Of imparting to the young
too great hatred Of vioo and too great rpyer1
ence for virtue? But I h0vo seen people so
given to tho practice Of virtue md rigid In the
observance of stern moral and religious dog
mattsm that III their attempts to make their chil-
drcn good they have dwarfed tholr 1nirthful-
ness, discouraged their buoyancy, and brought
them up to be grave and sedate at an ugo when
y all tho months. and days, and hours should
l am no defender Of vice. ;! only wish to show
that virtue and goodness, like nearly all the
means devised for the nappincss OF tho raco,
insiunee 2 sy my friend and Nmrod Lty He IS moaei
Of candur and sincerity. He has lived to throc-
score in the rigid practice of virtue. and. dare
70 do good. But being 50 good himself he sur
man frulltiea to which all are subject This
state Of exceeding goodness causes him to for
get tho brightest gem in tho cluster Of Christian
cised or ch.ractcr traduced, in place Of seeking
for mitigating circumstances upon which to base
his judgment, he is so good that he fails to SEQ
ali. This excess Of virtue be9ets strong preju-
diccs III favor OF his own opinion, and seems
to bogct habit Of judging severely: He
looks upon as faults or frailties
in disturbing ono's good opinion Of ones seif:
jack Willy in this manner: NOW you viii par
don me, Mr.. Wiiby,--you know what say or do
Is out OF pure friendship, and when I doom it
hidden enemies to your peace and happiness,
which are mt only Watching their call to destroy
your prospects in life, but have hitherto even
5oa will understand my motive. The carly age
at which you were loft an orphan prcoluded the
possibility of your knowing anything concern
that hered1ty has much to dp with tho lives Of
men, and it is out Of sincere rdgard for your vel
fare that 1 wish to put you On your guard against
inform you, sent your father to bis grave. It is
no fault of yours that he fell In the midst Of his
days, but trust you will sec the point and not
the astonlshment Of Jack at this disclosure.
Having bad no warnings Of aliy such danger, Or
was both grieved and alarmed in tine, he was
made miserable by an impertinent disclosure Of
n fact which it were better shbuld remain Sc
" crct, and by warning for which there was no
necessity. This WAS 0ne Of the results OF being
too good. too frank, too sincere. There are
others quite as conspicuous which not only
cause disturbances in society, but tend to create
low estimates Of human character In the pos
SCISSOR Of such excessive purity. It bcgcts 50 in
tense d hatred of hypocrisy that it relegates to
tho limbo Of the evil one many things not only
ornamental but useful and innocent. It treats
with contempt the old saying that the truth is
not to be spoken at all times" and every species
Of hiding the real behind the false Is set down as
fetal teeth, md suntlry appliances tn use IS i to
forluation OF the human vertebrate are set
down in the list Of the Devils Vaccinations to
deceive. 1t seems ' paradoxical that one
can be so good as to be un-
happy; but how cau 10 much goodness
work It's way through world of sharp conflicts.
laeratitude1 seltshness. and*:.fong-aoing With
out encounterfng a vnst deq cpf disgust at the
arts Of dtssimuation cvertHntFe to be seou-
The millennium is a long way in the future, II
one has to Judge: from. the present state Of the
world; and We have to take society Us We find It.
not setting it down as altogether bad because It
liz not lust as we would have 1t. auRlCOLA.