Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-31
SOME SOCIAL NUISANCES.
The Young CynIc In the Drawing
Room.

debut intes pride themselves on what
they call Thorough knowledge OF the
world" and then declare that all men
are base deceivers, and women friends
are Jealous foes to be regarded with
suspicion. Young boys moralize over
the depravity OF humanity, the falsity
of woman in particular, and folly OF
love or friendship.
Almost daily | meet in drawing
rooms some beardless youth who tolls
me life is a horrible bore, and that
society ennuies him, and that he has
worn out all human emotion and would
give the world for n real sensation,
which he never again hopes To expert
ence.
Each of these youths imagines his
remarks to be quite original, and looks
TO see his listener start with astonish-
ment at such prodigy of experience, or
TO melt with sympathy.
Some very young girls grow senti-
mental over the blase airs and cynical
assumptions Of these callow youths.
Small boys emulate them, and sensible
men and women who think OF them at
all despise or pity them for their lack
OF common-senSe.
We can but wonder why this speci-
men of youth so persistently seeks the
society that bores him. | have mot
him numerously at three afternoon teas
in one day and again in the evening,
everywhere posing as an emotionless
stole and hopeless ennui. Frequently
he makes vague references TO "siniul
past" or to tragedies through which he
has passed, only TO issue "a SCARED and
hopeless wreck. One is inclined TO
ask il his sins consisted OF thefts from
his mothers pantry his tragedy
OF the accidental overturning of his
crib at midnight.
All these nondesciipt creatures dis
trust woman. dislike humanity, and
sheer at love and marriage. They are,
OF course, atheistical in their tenden-
cies, consider this life sad mistake OF
nature, which death will end They
pity you for entertaining any belief in
future existence, or sigh and say,
Dear me, how delightful it must be To
have any such faith; quite refres hing,
really. but OF course, wholly with out
reasonm
a somewhat mature specimen OF this
fancy it must be such pleasure to be-
lieve in God and mankind, in love and
goodness, the way you do. No founda-
ton, of course for such belief exists.
save in your poetic Imagination. and
! have great faith that you will yet
change your ideas, and believe in
nothing at all.
] must confess at that moment, if |
had not been able to see beyond this
shodow of man who stood before me,
giving utterance to such rude and use
less platitudes, that might easily have
believed in nothing at all. so excel
lent an Illustration was he of nothing
ness.
There is no more painful object in
life To me than the spectacle OF pes
simistic youth or maid, devoid OF tho
hopeful dreams, the bright outlook.
the trusting confidence which naturally
belongs to youth. They develop into
disagrecablc friends, and uncomfort-
able wivos and husbands and unsuc-
cessful men and women.
Not many months ago | was ques-
toned regarding my idea of Santa
Claus. Did | not think the illusion
cruel one, and the awakening painful?
Should not this mythical being be
happiness the belief in Santa Claus
gave mel do not recall any succeed
ing misery. Let us keep our illusions
while we may, and not awaken until
we must Too many parents nowadays
seem DESTROYS OF tearing away the veil
of ilusions-or what they fear may be-
come illusions from their children's
eyes. To the young girl they say,
do not expect happiness in love or
marriage; there is little poetry and
much humdrum practically about you
you may as we'll know it soon as
late" SO, at the first shadow on the
sunlight of her dreams, the girl is pre-
pared to believe that the end OF happi-
ness has arrived. and she make, no eff
fort 10 rescue her ideal from complete
destruction.
We're | the mother of Young daugh-
ter, | would say, The world is mainly
as you make it-people are, "a a rule,
what you believe them to be-and you
receive from the world what you give
TO it. The greatest possible earthly
happiness lies in congenial marriage.
Clouds may shadow your pathway at
times, but the sunlight of love can dis
sipate them il it shines persistently
and warmly enough"
1t seems TO me such utter bad breed
ing to go about the world scattering
the seeds of distrust and scepticism.
We get quite enough OF these ideas in
the novels Of the day, without being
obliged to hear these failure-breeding
theories expressed in every parlor and
drawidg- room. | say failure" breed
ing adviscdly.
! have a theory--the result Of obser-
vation-which is quite my own. AL
most without exception | have seen
chemically inclined pessmistic people
degenerate, or only achieve partial
success in life, while the optimist, even
less richly endowed by nature, reaches
his goal more rapidly and achieves II
more complete success, with the same
amount OF diligence only.
| believe the tendency OF the world is
strongly optimistic. Even the inani-
mate things Of Nature are helpful and
kind toward one another. The breeze
,,d ,la hoo oi1 tha nowara IN nropa-