The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-11-05

that we were once taught to re-
gard as among the most pleasant in
life, the gathering of families, the talk
over old times with brothers and
and the joyous public festivities, |
these are the saddest .humbugs of
modern civilization, the things that
poison our cup of happiness With
these maXims and some few others the
cynic makes out pretty well.
The art cynic has a narrower sphere
of action. You MAY find him about the
galleries. He stands before a |
picture where She whole soul-a poor
thing. perhaps, but all he has-of the
artist has been poured out. Women,
looking at the fixed thought On the
canvas, are moved to tears. He, how
ever is unmoved. After mature consid-
GRAFTON he turns to his friend and
whispers audibly: rAh! yes-pretty
well-the old trick, you see.." So the
simple country folks dry Their eyes,
ashamed to be seen crying overa picture
that is done by the ''old trick" and go
on to the next, all their pleasure spoiled.
Sometimes he gets an opportunity OF
speaking on in some review. Then.
taking.the picture in detail. he has a
chance to sheer at every one.
The theatrical cynic-he never laughs
and never cries; needless to add that
he never applauds. His finest oppoEtu-
nifty is when the whole house is in tears.
He is wont, then, tt turn round to the
man with him, whose throat is, perhaps,
choked at the moment with a sup
pressed sob, and to whisper loudly:
Very badly done. all this. 1 never
| saw a worse piece" So that the peo-
pie all round leave off crying and try
| not to feel interested in the heroine's
~sufferings. In the same way, when
faces are broadened with grins, when
boxes and pit and gallery are
roaring with laughter, he will sit with
unmoved countenance orremark, impa-
| t:ently, .'Dear me! this is very melan-
cholyr' which has an effect upon the
audience similar to that of oil upon the
unnumbered smiles of ocean. Some
nights ago l saw W of these critics at
a New York theater. They were not
greatly advanced in years. the elder
being apparently about twenty-one.
They listened with grave faces at the
funny parts, keeping, l thought, a fur
tive eye one on the other, to detect and
deride any accidental lurking smile,
but when we came to the misfortune S
of the heroine, and the agony was piled
up higher than we could well bear. these
two young heroes. with whom intellect
and an overwhelming appreciation OF
art altogether conquered and drove ont
sympathy, and with whom the critical
1 faculty so far mastered the emotional.
that they.lost the power of feeling, the
thought, in watching for the expression
of the poet, suddenly rose, moved by 8
common impulse. '.Bah!" said the
younger, with an infallible air of disdain,
what rotit is! Let us get out of here. u
So they got out The two boys were,
after all, only boys. AS for the rest OF
us we cried and laughed at the foolist
piece till our sides ached.
Isaw a young but very promising
cynic the other day, in an Episcopa
Church. Three boys were sitting
together, he in the middle, but 1 thinl
he had come alone. The other two
pulled out their Bibles and followed tn
lessons, joined in the chants, sang tn
hymns, knelt for the prayers, and gener
ally eomported themselves with be
coming reverence and propriety. He
however, my cynic, regarded them. t.
right and left, with an am of the mos
sublime contempt. He would lool
around the church, as if to call atten
ton to this preposterous humbug ant
his own superiority. Indifference to tn
service, he stood up for the hymns AM
sat down for the lessons; but he neithe
knelt, nor joined in the singing, no
affected anything but the most suprem
boredom at the whole thing. ''Relig
ion?" he seemed to say. prayers
piety? Dear, dear, what absurdity.
OF inferior quality, but, perhaps
more effective in his small way, is tn
domestic cynic. He it is who takes car
that none of his household shall b
possessed of any foolish notions of ad
!, quaintances. He knows the cheapnes
of a friends liquor; the reason-sordi
and selfish of course of anothe
/ friends kindness to him; the IN
/ trustworthy character of a third; an
so on. Much as we may admire tn
!, other kinds of cynics, l confess tina
toward this one l feel a repugnance
owing chiefly, 1 suppose, to some defec
| in my organization that forbids me
write about him with philanthropica
calm. But these great and noble me
whose aim it is to show the world wha
+ it really is, and not what it pretends @
hopes to be; to put down sentiment an
' all the things which foster absur
/ friendsh ps, excessive admiration, ia
e matte principle. devotion to a cause. 10y
g atty and the like passions, which haV
S produced such great disasters to tn
world, who have discovered the res
) roots of love, and now hold them up t
the derision of mistaken humanity
who tear his fanc;ed honor from ma
and her imaginary modesty frol
t woman. what things shall be said i
. Their praise. and what reward shall
: bestowed upon them from a gratefl
people? Posterity will, perhaps, vine
: no illusion is left. and none of the Ol
World reverence for age. dignity an
b principles, award to the modern Gym
his fit need of glory.-Br0oklyn Eagl