The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-08-22
True and Sham Generosity.

True and Sham Generosity.
In putting an estimate upon the nature and dis
position of any person it is necessary TO go some
what beneath the surface and consider not onl
his actions but, so far they be ascertain ed
the motives which govern them. This is no
merely because the subject of investigation or in
quiry may be hypocrte posing for something tina
he is not, but because good actor or bad action
may result from great variety of causes in tn
disposition of the actor, in his habits in thu
circumstances that surround him. Quite Otter
one member Of a family will get the reputation o
being whOle-souled and generous. when n fact IN
simply spends easily the money which he cajole
from his brothers and sisters, who, having beer
so generous to him. cannot be generous to Others
1t is also often the that very selfish fellow
is accounted generous. He likes good living
entertainment. company. To crafty himself he
invites friends to dine with him, treats then
royalty and. of course, derives enjoyment from
their company. His visitor goes away sounding
his praises, and thinks no more than the generou:
man himself about how the wife or sister OF
mother at home will have to stint herself to make
up for that night of extravaganza. A few years
of such generous joity gives him a reputation
that he must maintains his relatives begin to rec
ognize it without giving any thought to the mat
ter. All the members of his family pay tribute
to the prince of the house. When he calls upon
his brother John (who is accounted rather stingy
fellow for a small loan to tide him over difficult
ties caused by his generosity, John lends him the
money as matter of course without expecting tc
get it back again. He knows that his brother
the royal good fellow-has great expenses which
he, John, escapes. and so the generous man is
enabled to GO on building up a reputation for
being free and open handed at the expense of his
relatives and friends. and perhaps at the expense
of the tradesman It'll whom he deals. John. on
the other hand, may get very different public
reputation. He may have strict notions on such
subjects as honor and debt. and in endeavoring
to carry them out find that his income is no more
than sufficient to pay his way and to help his
brother when in difficulties. So John entertains
nobody his own account, he is accounted
rather stingy than otherwise and nobody ever
discovers that he is in fact both generous and
just. Besides these two types there is another
that of the man who under the pretense of being
just becomes parsimonious, using his sense of
justice excuse for not doing those kind
Off ces to friends and ne:ghbors that he could
readily offer without injury to himself or any one
else But this man is essentially hypocrite,
while neither John nor his brother is conscious
of con cealing true character under false ap-
pearance. To DO justice to John and his brother
one must look beyond the habits and actions to
find what gives rise to them. we do that we
shall very likely reverse the popular verdict as
and generous; that his brother is selfish,
is content to put upon others the bur-
d
be applied is whether the subject-whatever
he may appear to be-is in fact lust or uniust
selfish unselfsh. 1t is perfectly true that man
should be just before he is generous without us.
ing that motto excuse for self shness
Until man has been just it is not his own money
which he lavishes upon friends or strangers to
gain the name of good fellow. 1t is not his own
money with which he buys wine if he owes it to
the poor baker around the corner it is not his
own great dinner to which he invites his friends
if his wife because of it will be obliged to stint
the household tor week; it is not his own money
with which he entertains his friends at the
theatre if because of his extravaganza he is obliged
to cajOle from his sister part of her equal share
in their mothers estate. As to the motive selfish
or unselfsh that is much more difficult THING
to consider. But the truly generous man has
as his uppermost thought the desire to give han.
piness to Others and derives his own qualification
from the accomplishment of that purpose. The
really good fellow'-the generous and lust mar
and hearty frend-is the best of companions ano
deserves to be cherished but he has many i'm
1tators. Before adopting any one as brother b e.
cause of a fair outside he should be tested as tc
his sense of fairness and justice for unless he il
just he cannot afford to be generous.-Balt imore
Sun.
Anger is like the waves of troubled