The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-11
A WISE SELFISHNESS.
Why We Have Right to Defend Our
selves Against Bores.

Why We Have Right to Defend Our
selves Against Bores.
The genial ''Autocrat of the Break
fast-table," whose kindly heart pleads
for human weakness always, justifies US
In protecting ourselves against bores,
against people who rob us of vitality as
well as time, for he lays down this as
professional advice: "Mark this which
l am going to say, for it is as good as a
working professional mans ,dvice, and
costs nothing. 1t is better to lose pint
OF blood from your veins than to have
nerve trapped. Nobody measures your
nervous force as it runs away, nor
bandages your brain and marrow after
the operation" Is there any moral law
that demands we shall waste our life
forces? that we should allow the drones
to sap the strength needed to fulfill our
legitimate duties?
Some people are like sieves-they
come empty and go away empty, and if
you should meet them the next hour you
would find that you could carry on the
same conversation on the same phi
losophy, declare the same theories, and
they would be new. Should any sensible
person allow himself to be used as a
social jumping jack, the clown for an
idle hour? Some people will demand
sympathy, feeding their morbid desires
by drawing on the very life-blood of an
other.
There comes to mind woman to whom
a heavy sorrow had come, who day after
day called on a nervous, high-strung
ueighbor, because she was so sympa-
thetic," she explained, until the little
neighbor fell victim to nervous pros
tration. 81 knew" said the sick woman,
Il did her no good, because every day
she came back in just the same state of
mind. do not know which wore on me
most, the being compelled to listen to
the same story, or the constant dread of
her appearance, and disgust at my own
lack of courage" The sorrowing one
was not comforted unto strength, and
she brought down her victim as surely
as ii pistol or poison had been the
medium she used. The state does not
recognize this method of killing as
crime, but society does, though it has
not yet found a measure for protection
beyond individual effect. 'sYou heard
that Mrs. - had fortune left her.
large enough to keep her comfortably"
said one friend to another, speaking of
common acquaintance. eyes," was
the. response, given with animation, s'and
Pm quite as glad for her friends as for
her. You know we never heard from her
when she was omfortable-only when
she was in trouble. l dreaded to have
her call land yet liked her much), for
l knew l was doomed to a tale of woe.
l never heard her say cheerful word,
and if you tried to make her cheerful,
she only looked at you reproachfully.
A call from her meant day of exhaus-
ton or depression. Yes, this money is
a great comfort to her friends" was the
close of the conversation.
Why should we allow a nerve to be
tapped when there is no gain by the
operation? We must stand the opera
ton many times in life to accomplish
a purpose. We must smilingly submit
TO the operation again and again, pub
licly and privately; but are we bound to
endure it when we have no purpose,
and know that the result is loss, and
loss of that which is most precious and
valuable? Sure it is that, sooner
or later, we must grow hardened if we
throw away the divine attribute of SYM
pathy, if we waste the forces given for
use. We can not protect ourselves from
the feeling, What is the use?'' And
that which sparkled in the light of di-
vine approval becomes turhd, because
that which troubles it is internal, not
external; the outlet is choked.
We are bound to help each other, but
we are not bound to play the part of
Atlas and carry world. We can only
help where there is receptivity; we can
only help, in the true sense, where
there is capacity and desire for self
help; and this is as true in the social
world as in the philanthropic world.
We rob not only ourselves, but those
who need us, when we lavishly spend
that which was meant for investment
Christian Union.