Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-11-17
DIGNITY.
BY THOS. ?. CRANE.

BY THoS. 2. CRANE.
"A $500 HE digni-
IN H. fed individ-
" ~ Nashamed to
bW= 49, be caught in
HfHSsxs.. ~ M the act of
llMEIE NJ smiling is
N%&1 Il W not neces-
S1SSsS H,M sarilya more
ai1SH n 49, MlZ,HHIl6 import a n
WHA r. W<SWIHkp- person ge
IT, Ml CTNSWNllZ~ than the one
~ TM II p~ W no S a l.
lExzSMsHds) ways on the
f$3E@sT lookout for
uTHFn chance to
smile. Dig
nifty is often assumed by people of very
ordinary intelligence, who are continu-
ally laboring under the delusion that
they are exceptionally cute or knowing.
individuals of the ape tribe have nat
ural tendency to assume wise and
dignified expression of countenance. /
can only account for this tendency to
wear dignifed look by the fact that a
monkeys mind has never been able to
grasp or comprehend the witty or hui
morous side of life. The most palpable
or transparent humor, 80 to speak, is
too deep for their comprehension. So,
not being used to the habit of
smiling, their countenances naturally
retain dignifed and grave appear
;ance. If an ape could only be induced
a &c h. I,r
lor ludicrous, he could shake off that
grave and dignifed aspect. He would
then appear less stern and forbidding,
and more congenial to the community
lat large. There are many other ami
imals who habitually retain a dignified
.countenance [ will not enumerate
them, for their name is legion-or
words to that effect. Their principal
excuse for being dignified is that they
cannot help it; it is natural for them
to be so. 1t is natural for us to suppose,
then, that all dignifed people are not
wise or learned. There is nothing
necessary to success in life as much as
"a self-confident and dignifed APP
pearance. A young man with
plenty of pluck and dignity in
makeup Will succeed where shrewder
but less confident and energetic one
will fail. Dignity is, therefore, quite as
much Il necessity as anything else.
Some people are in the habit of con-
tinually wearing sour, unsympathetic
and chilly visage. Nothing seems to be
able to disturb their equilibrium OF dis
place their habitual chilliness. A
great many people who are in the habit
of being cheerful and warm by nature
mistake this sourness for dignity, and
have, therefore, no idea of what true
dignity means. They think that dig
nifty means coldness. Let us be earn
est and sincere while attending to bust
ness, and let US find time for smiles and
fun occasionally when nature seems to
call for it. have seen persons who
were never known to relax their dig
nifty, even on the most mirthful and
ludicrous occasions. 1t seems to
me that people who will mot laugh
when nature seems to call for laugh
are not in their normal condition. Ii
man refrain from laughing to pre-
serve his dignity, let him remember
that COW is also a very dignified per-
sonage, and will not smile on the most
mirth-provoking occasions. She does
not think it is good form" to smile.
In nine instances out of ten, when a
person refrains from laughter when it
is time to laugh, he is too obtuse and
unsophisticated to see the point of the
joke. There is great deal of hypoc
risy, pride, and egotism in much of the
false dignity that we meet with and
mistake for true dignity.