The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-05-17
CRUSH ALL SUSPICIOUS.
How to Avoid Dr..,as Ia Miserable
Condition. OF Mind.


There are few things more productive
Of evil in society than n suspicious dis
position. He who is always on the watch
for wrong-doing actually fosters H. He
may fancy that he is a foe TO evil. bat
in truth, by letting it dwell it his mind,
he becomes il promoter. The gross in
justice he does to the innocent is but
part of the injury. lie stirs up re-
sentful feeling, destroys friendship,
embitters intercourse, sows seeds OF
distrust everywhere, poisons both his
own happiness and that Of many others.
So manifest are these results that there
is a very general stigma placed not
only upon the suspicious person, but
upon all suspicion itself. "lf its con-
tinual presence be SO baneful, let us
Danish it altogether. say many social
well-wishers. A little deeper rellcc-
tion, however, would show that this
utter determination of suspicion il
neither possible nor desirable ; for as
long as there is evil in the world there
must be the fear Of evil, and a suspicion
in its first formation is but a fear,
IA doubt, an uncertainty in the mind.
based upon moro or less reasona-
BILE grounds. A man, for example,
suspects some one in his employ of un-
faithfulness. lie may have strong
cause for the suspicion, or there may
be but slight foundation. or it may be
entirely "A iigment Of the imagination.
In any case be, perhaps, can not avoid
in the FIRST instance the entrance OF the
suspicion into his own mind, and IL
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 inn med,ately
arises, What shall he do with itP There
are three paths open to him and to
every one who suspects another OF
wrong-doing. He may test the sIspi-
cion, he may quench it or he may
cherish and retain il. The last OF these
methods is the most common. and this
il is that works so much evil and grad
ually develops the suspicious DISPOSE
tion. To retain the suspicion, 10 let IL
rankle in the mind even slightly Is
both unjust and unwisc, aud when TO
this we add the very common habit Of
confding these unprovokcd doubts and
fears to third party tie injury is
multiplied.
There are many suspicious that need
crushing in the bud. We fancy our
friend is cool to us; we imagine some
one has slighted us; we suspect our
neighbor Of having spoken i'll Of us.
Most likely we are mistaken, and, in any
case, We could never profitably search
into the matter. Our trust in our
friend or our own sclf-rcspcct, 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 US
Danish il from our thoughts with scOrn.
Circumstances mny tend TO cast sus-
picion on one whom we may honor; let
us continue TO trust him in our heart
OF hearts. We may feas~ hat some one
has committed a fault, which, how
ever does not concern us in the least,
aud in which we are not called upon TO
interfere; let US expcl the idea Of an
unwelcomo intruder. In one OF these
two ways every suspicion may be right
ly dealt with. II as "A warning it has n
mission to perform. it will do its work;
ifit Is an unworthy or an idle conjec-
-. z. ,,.;II - 1 1;g,,isg,I Ia oi.Inr oaeo
IL 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 10 light, or in prov
ing the guilt which should be purged
away. But rs permanent inmates OF
the mind, their influence is most per-
nicious. Suffered 20 remain, they
rankle and tester, and produce all man
ner Of social corruptions. People arc
not naturally suspicious, as Is some
times supposed. They have brought
themselves into this unwhOlcsome and
unhappy condition by failing 20 deal
rightly with cach 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, darkcn the thoughts,
and fll the heart with distrust and
bitterness. But he who deals intelli-
gently and faithfully with his sus-
picions, mastering them, and never
suffering them 10 master him, will
never sink into the miserable and
misery giving condition that every one
must occupy who has a suspicious