The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-21
CRUSH ALI SUSPICIOUS.
low 20 Avoid Drifting to . Miserobl
Condition 0f Mind.


Condition of Mind.
There are few things more productive
# evil in society than suspicious dis
position. He who is always on the watch
or wrong-dOing actually fosters it. He
nav fancy that he is foe to evil. but
IN truth, by letting it dwell it his mind,
lie becomes it promoter. The gross in
Justice he does to the innocent is but
BART of the injury. He stirs up re-
'entful feeling. destroys friendship.
smbitters Intercourse, sows seeds OF
listrust everywhere, poisons both his
own happiness and that of many others.
SO manifest are these results that there
very general stigma placed not
only upon the suspicious person, but
lpon ali suspicion itself. If its con-
inual presence be so baneful, let us
Danish it altogether. say many social
we'll wishers. A little deeper reilec-
zion, however, would show that this
litter determination of suspicion is
neither possible nor desirable for as
.Ong as there is evil i'm the world there
in its first formation is but fear.
doubt, an uncertainty i'm the mind.
based upon more or less reasona-
BILE grounds. A man, for example,
suspects some one in his employ of un-
faithfulness. He may have strong
cause for the suspicion. or there may
be but slight foundation. or it may be
entirely tigment of the imagination.
In any case he, perhaps, can not avoid
in the first instance the entrance of the
suspicion into his own mind, and it
may be we'll that he can not. His own
interest and the cause of justice might
otherwise both suffer. Being there.
however, the question Immediately
arises, What shall he do with it? There
are three paths open TO him and To
every one who suspects anOthc: of
wrOng-doing. He may test the suspi-
ciOn, he may quench it or he may
cherish and retain it. The last of these
methods Is the most common, ar! this
it is that works so much evil and grad
ually develops the suspicious DISPOSE
ton. TO retain the suspicion, to let it
rankle'in the mind even slightly, is
both unjust and unwise, and when to
this we add the very common habit of
confiding these unprovoked doubts and
tears to third party the injury is
multiplied.
There are many suspicious that need
crushing in the bud. We fancy our
freud is cool to US: we imagine some
one has sighted us; we suspect our
neighbor of having spoken i'll of us.
Most likely we are mistaken, and, in any
case, we could never prOtitably search
into the matter. Our trust in our
friend or our own self-respect, should
lead us to put away such thoughts, to
abandon such suspicious. Some one
has. perhaps, dropped poisonous
word of scandal into our ears. Let MS
Danish it from our thoughts with scorn.
Circumstances may tend 10 cast SuS-
picion on one whom We may honor; let
us continue to trust him in our heart
Of hearts. We may fear that some one
has committed a fault, which, how
ever, does not concern us in the least.
and in which we are not called upon to
interfere; let us expel the idea of an
unwelcome intruder. In one of these
two ways every suspicion may be right
~ dealt with. If as warning it has a
mission to perform it will do its work;
lift is an unworthy or an idle conjec-
!: L. al.
it will pass away as all suspicious are
meant to do AS transient guests of
The mind, they may be useful In
establishing the innocence which
should be brought to light, or in prov
ing the guilt which should be purged
away. But as permanent inmates of
the mind, their influence is most per-
riciOus. Suffered to remain. they
rankle and Tester and produce all man
ner of social corruptions. People are
not naturally suspicious, as is some
times supposed. They have brought
themselves into this unwholesOme and
unhappy condition by failing to deal
rightly with each separate suspicion as
it arises. Instead of courageously test
ing it. or firmly resisting it, they have
permitted the constant presence OF one
suspicion after the another until they
clOnd the mind, darken the thoughts.
and fill the heart with distrust and
bitterness. But he who deals irtelli-
gently and faithfully with his sus-
piciOns, mastering them, and never
suffering them to master him. will
never sink into the miserable and
misery giving condition that every one
must occupy who has suspicious
character. -MOravian.
A ooni.9inor To n.arS tom tr.o