St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-14
ROSE ELIZABETH CLEVELAND.

and does see himself more truly than
does or can anyone else; and second, it
is the exception when others do or can
see us truly at all.
Some one-Dr. Holmes, l think-has
said that Ito every John there are three
Johns-namely, Johns John, my John,
and Gods John" That is only clever
way of saying that, in the contemplation
of each character, there are three points
of view: the outside view, when others
do, or can, see us truly at all.
Of course the overhead view is the
complete one, but that is not the view
of which we mOrtalS can talk. Gods
John is beyond us all at this speaking.
This is a thing, doubtless, to pray about
on our knees; to think about over open
Bibles; to reach after in our highest
climbing toward the vitaleSt truths that
concern US; but it is not thing to talk
about. The overhead view is the per-
feet view, but it is not our view.
1t is only of Johns John and of ''my
john that we can properly speak. I'm
der this clever nomenclature of DR..
Holmes, each human being may be
made trinity. No one of US can es-
cape the subdivision, for the three per-
sons are quite distinct. 1t is safe 20 say
that if all these three Johns which go
to make the one John were arranged to
confront each other, no one John would
recognize any other John as his other
self.
If all the Johns projected upon the
respective retinaS of all observers of
John could be hung in one gallery for
comparison, the exhibition would GER
tainly be amusing and interesting-per-
haps instructive and profitable.
hof II txrnnld roo nc nrItfo
as much concerning the observers of
John as it would of John himself.
If the original of all these portraits
should pay a visit to this gallery he
would be vastly confused and vastly
fascinated. Sometimes the fascination
would be of horror, and sometimes it
would be of pleasure. He would be
quite likely to wish that he could al
ways, or even sometimes, see himself
as others see him.
He would cast long, lingering looks at
some one-perhapS more than One-Of
these other Johns. There is no wretch
who lives who could not find in this
gallery some picture which so glori-
Ously fiatters him as to awaken his ar
dent wish that it might be true portrait.
There is no John living who is not, in
the ewes of one observer at least, beau
tiful and important. And, on the other
hand, there is no one so beautiful and
important in the eyes of many that, in
the vision of some one, he will not
come out ugly and Insignificant. And
John must deny the truth of each to the
original. He must sorrowfully relin-
quish the one and gladly repudiate the
other. He is neither so black nor so
white as he is painted. On the whole,
it is an open question whether Johns
visit to this gallery will benefit him.
An approximation to this experience
is not only possible to have, but it is
impossible to avoid. We can not only
see ourselves as others see us, but we
cannot escape the sight; and it is sight
which, far from being desired, is one
much to be deprecated.
To sum up, then it seems to be true
that the seeing of ourselves as others
see US is no more of desirable thing
than isthe being seen by others as we
see ourselves; nor more possible thing.