News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-27
Seif-Cpnfered PpOnia.

There used to be notion going round
that it would be a good thing for people
if they were more "self-centered. Per-
haps there was talk of adding course
to the college curriculum, in addition to
that for training the all-competent
journalist, for the self-centering of the
young. To apply the term to a man or
woman was considered highly compli-
mentary. The advisers of this state of
mind probably meant to suggest de-
sirable equilibrium and mental balance;
but the actual effect of the self-centered
training is illustrated by story told of
Thomas Fl. Benton, who had been de-
scribed as an egotist by some of the
newspapers. Meeting Col. Frank Blair
one day, he said: Col. Blair, L see
that the newspapers call me an egotist.
/ wish you would tell me frankly, as a
friend, if you think the charge is true"
ut is very direct question, Mr.. Ben
ton, replied Col. Blair, "but if you
want my honest opinion, am compelled
to say that think there is some founda-
ton for the charge" We'll, sir" said
Mr.. Benton, throwing his head back
and his chest forward, "the difference
between me and these little fellows is
that 1 have an Ego!" Mr.. Benton was
an interesting man, and it is fair con-
sideration if certain amount of egotism
does not add to the interest of any
character, but at the same time the self
conferred conditions shut person off
from one of the chief eDioyments to be
got out of this world, namely, a recogni-
ton of what is admirable IN others in a
liberation of peculiarities. 1t is odd,
almost amusing, to note how III this
country people of one section apply
their local standards to the Judgment of
people in other sections, very much as
an Englishman uses his insular yard
stick to measure all the rest of the
world. If never seems to occur to peO-
pie in one locality that the manners and
speech of those of another may be just
as admirable as their own, and they get
good deal of discomfort out of their
intercourse with strangers by reason of
their inability to adapt themselves to
any ways not their own. 1t helps
greatly to make this country interesting
that nearly every State has its peculiar
tiles, and that the inhabitants of diff
ferent sections differ in manner and
speech. But next to an interesting per-
son in social value is an agreeable one,
and it would add vastly to the agree
ableness of life if our widely spread
provinces were not SO self-centered in
their notion that their own way is the
best, to the degree that they criticise
any deviation from it as an eccentricity.
1t would be very nice world In these
United States if we could all devote
ourselves to finding out in communities
what is lkable rather than what is OPP
posed to our experience; that is, in try
ing to adapt ourselves to others rather
than insisting that our own standard
should measure our opinion and our en-
joyment of them.
When the Kentuckian describes a
man as a "high-toned gentleman" he
means exactly the same that a Bostonian
means when he says that man is q
"very good fellow" only the men de-
scribed have different culture, a diff
ferent personal flavor; and it is fortunate
that the Kentuckian is not like the
Bostonian, for each has q quality that
makes intercourse with him. pleasant.
In the South many people think they
have said a severe thing when they say
that person or manner is thoroughly
Yankee; and many New-Englanders in
tend to express a considerable lack in
what is essential when they say of men
and women that they are very Southern.
When the Yankee is produced he may
turn out a cosmopolitan person of the
most interesting and agreeable sort; and
the Southerner may have traits and
peculiarities, growing out of climate and
social life unlike the New England,
which axe altogether charming. The
truth is that the agreeable people are
pretty evenly distributed over the
country, and ones enjoyment of them is
heightened not only by their differences
of manner, bit by the different ways in
which they BOX at life, unless he insists
upon applying everywhere the yard
stick OF his own locality.-ChnrIeS
D11dLey Wc12ler i'm -Hnrner's Maqa-