Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-08
The BLACK DOG.
BIZ CHRISTINE TERuUNE uEREICK

j
of friends IN which at least one member
may not be found who, by virtue OF some
faint of the currish disposition, does not
compel consideration from those about
him. For, MmeHtahle as the fact may
seem. it is none the less undcnahle tuat
no one receives such eager ueieiehce,
such ready sc vice, as the possessor OF an
easily RULED temper Tue man or wo-
man who Is always prompt tn sacrifice
personal comfort 10 the convenience Of
Others Is usually the first to be imposed
upon. Ii may rot he in acceptance with
the instructions OF tue g0ody-gO0dN tales,
but 1t is a TACT.
A moments consideration will recall
countless illustrations OF tbe truth OF TINS
statement 1 the memory OF toe optimistic
student OF human Dalure. In every So
clety II is the gentle, sei-denyng one VINO
is permitted TO yield INCLINATION and SER
wee. Even the closeuess of the marriage
tie affords lew exc pLions 10 this rule.
The euunciAtiou OF sucn belief sounds
like the offer Of a premium 10 irritabilIty,
and for the sake of faith In ones kind 1t is
TO be hoped that the practice OF Iretfulness
and sensitlveness is more frequently ln-
voluntary than studied. Viewed from a
selfish standpoint. no more etfectual
means OF securing ones own way can he
devised than the establishing OF repUta-
tiOn OF having a sensitive and lightly
Offended disposition. The owner of this
idiosyncrasy is humored with the indul-
gent treatment one accOrds to person
mentally or physically deficient rather
chan With the calm disregard OF pettish-
ness which would seem to be the wiser
course under the circumstances. the
good humored consideration granted in
these cases is more nearly akin to moral
NIT. The dread OF a "row" is innate IN
nearly all refined natures. II is generally
among those of a COarSer strain that one
finds the pugnaciOus humor whose ten
dency has been condensed in the express
siVe iFIsb pDTase, 'spolllng for night"
More frequently one shrnks from con-
dIct and submits more willingly TO impo-
sition thaG 10 dlscOrd.
a, naturally hasty temper does not nee
essarily place its possessor IN the position
of a family bugbear. The quick flash that
comes and goes in the same instant is less
dangerous than the dull, smOldering
wrsth that makes purgatOry for those
brought within the radius OF its influence
Such a temperament Yields great power
however, and one that could never be
gained by gentler character from that
peculiarly that renders fear OF punish
ment a stronger motive than love of right
course of conduct renders another uu-
happyis less liable to induce its practicer
to alter 1t than would be the dread of
arOusing resentment. The "black dog"
rules with q powerful sway. JudiciOusly
exercised, q sullen temper, sharp
tongue or mental thin skin may hold in
trembling subsection a whole family. 8
OF the came genus as the proprieters of
the aforementioned amable traits are
X faH ms hos
countless fellow creatures mourn. Per
feet openness ard sincerity are extremely
noble qualities in the abstract. but taken
in the concrete they are painfully apt to
produce disagreeable results. The eX-
perienced in such matters cannot fOrbear
shudder when they hear the announce
ment, generally made with an air OF con-
scious merit: "Well, as for me, am one
Of the very candid people. | always say
just what l.thihkp' 1t may be noted, in
passing, that this frankness seldom eX-
tends far enough TO induce the utterance
Of pleasant truths, but usually eX-
bausts itself after having prompted tie
delivery of criticism or rebuke. Occa-
siOnally it has the grace to attempt to
veil itself under compliment that COM
pares present Improvement with past de-
linquencies.
II am so glad to see YOU have changed
,
claimed one friend p to another. "Of
course aid not like to mention it before,
hut now that you have altered 1t will
say that dressing 1T as you did made you
look too ridlculonsly like common irish
grill"
Or again:
What pretty bonnet you have on!
New, isn't it? It's real relief to my
mind that you have finally bought one,
for We were all so tired of that you have
been wearing all winter"
And again:
Your new dress is wonderfully stylish.
And it is an untold comfort to me TO see
you have on decent pullback at lastp
The tact that the pill has a slight sugar
coating scarcely suftices to disguise its
innate npalatableness.
Yet many OF those-they are generally
women-wno make these and similar
speeches have no idea that they have said
anything calculated to leave a bad taste
In the mouth. They are usually of the
class OF well-meaning people who would
not Willingly wound the feelings of others.
Only they do not think how they would
feel were such remarks addressed to them.
still. the stab is none the less keen be-
cause it Is dealt in carelessness. The
ball is as fatal when fired from the sun
loaded piston that is responsible for many
dCC 'OeubdA uSd us dS WHe0 L0e weapon
has been charged malice prepense.
But when there Is deliberation IN the
blow or shot it adds poison to the wound.
There is food for thought in the specula-
non as to what must be the state OF mind
that moves one human being Intentionally
and uselessly to infiict pam upon fellow.
Lite is so short and its best holds so many
pangs that 1t is incOmprehensible that
One's study should not be TO diminish
rather than to increase them. were it
ever so slightly. True, the philosophi-
cally disposed NAV declare these are only
pin pricks, but even an insignificant az
fictlon may be enough TO destroy present
comfort and peace Of mind. The perpe-
traitors OF these unkindnesses would often
be tempted to hesitate did they know how
they themselves become Identified with
the suffering they cause, so that the men
ton OF the one calls up the memory Of the
other.
81 have an aunt.in-law-I never wish
10 see her again." said a young matron.
"She had been very good to my husband
in his bOyhood and youth aud | was pre-
pared to love her dearly. ] visited her BE-
fore my marriage and nothing could ex-
coed her trlendliness. anticipated Wis
II from her with unmiXed pleasure. But
she had not been III the house half day
before was struck by n change in her
manner. She had evidently come pre-
pared TO crlticlse, aud to my dismay pre-
scented an entirely new phase OF charac-
ter She was In what might be described