Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-04

o'clock in the evening, punctually; never theless parents should not imagine that all is lost because their sons are sometimes little frisky, and public officials ought to be lenient in their reinstatement. These young men do not need a cell in the penl- tentiary, as have seen it hinted, but they need a private talk by some kind old man, judge or professor, or college president, who will put his spectacles up on hls forehead and take the young man by the hand and tell him of the great possibilities that are open before industry and sobrlety, and of the grief that his i'll behavior will bring to parental hearts so anxious for his welfare, and then say: "That is all, my son." But this throwing our selves back on frigid dignity and in merci- less condemnation of the present, as though the past had all the virtue and all the honor and all the propriety, is an as- sumption hypocritical and unjustitable.
 Now I am resolved, and will you, kind reader, join me in the resolution, to be ill good humor with men and women, boys and girls, and sweeten our judgments. If people want to whistle let us join in the ex- ercise, and if boys will be boys, let us not conclude they are going to ruin.
 We know people so genial that their face is always full of sunshine and there is no night there. When they have trouble we can scarcely tell whether they are crying or laughing. The wave of tears dashing against bank of smiles. But there are others who are explosive and gunpowdery under slight provocation. There IS such thing (who would have thought itO as snappy editor. When you enter his edi- torial rooms he does not look up for long while You stand with your hat in hand, thinking what luxury it would be to be asked to sit down. While you are meditat- ing the best way of attracting his atten- tion he suddenly looks over his shoulder and spits out: "What is it?' There is a flash in the eye and a venom in the tone that you feel yourself villain, though previously you had supposed yourself hon est. Before you get through telling him what you want he is at another editorial, and he finally puts you off by telling you he can not attend to you now. You back out with apologies for interruption, but in- wardly resolving that you will never risk your life again in an editorial sanctum.
 There is such thing as snappy railroad conductor. When he announces the name of a depot he bites off the first letter and the last syllable. It is at your peril you ask him the name of the next place. While you are deciding in which of your eight pockets you put your ticket he gapes upon you devouringly, as much as to say: "I have you now; you expected to get a ride without paying for it, chg" If you venture to tell him that the car is very cold, he will freeze you still worse with wondering stare If you ask him why there is no water on the train, he will throw over you the wet blanket of a curt reply, and that is water enough. He IS snappy to the old lady who is too long in getting off, and the old gentleman who is too long getting on :; snappy about where you may set your feet, snappy about where you set your valise. Before many miles all the passengers feel the contagion from having been bitten by such snappy disposition, and so they get snappy, too.
 You have noticed, furthermore, the snappy merchant After you have asked for certain kind of goods he halts before showing them, as much as to say: "Do you really want to buy? or are you among those who do nothing but go a-shopping, and are you going to take up my time for noth- ing?n He talks over the counter in exas- perating monosyllables. When you point out defect in the fabric, he asks: "Do you expect to find any thing perfect under the sun3" While you are meditating whether or not you had better take the goods, he says: " Y ou need not have it if you don't want it" As you quietly suggest that you saw something a little cheaper at the next store, he hoWls at you: " Go there and get it." As you go out he slams the door after you, and you go down the street with limitations all over you just because | you came in contact with a snappy mer- l chant.
 Suavity is art that we all need to cul tivate. It pays to be gentleman or g lady. Porcupines are fit for nothing but l museums. Most of us need to have 2 smoothing-iron run over our temples Many people get up a red heat at a mo- ment's notice and do not always cool off SC | quickly. Some are like hot journals, or the railway cars--a little friction, and To
 they are on fire, and it takes ice and salt and waste and time to get things running smoothly; and then there Is no saying when they will be on fire again. If we had more of the spirit of Him concerning whom it is said ''Grace is poured into Thy lips, i've would all cease being snappy