The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-02-26
PERSONAL VANITY.
Withih Proper bounds It RSAlly Is n W
~ unNla Attributed.

iaEN uhulo AttrtDutosN
What Is vanityPlI we are to pin our
faith upon Noah Webster, 1t is empty
pride inspired by an ovorweoning con-
ceit of ones personal attainments or
decorations" but it was long ago agreed
that the photographers do not know
every thing; that their craze for deflni-
tion has frequently led them into gross
exaggerations, and that their explana-
tions must frequently be received with
great deal Of caution.
The usual analogue for vanity, says
the San Francisco Chronicle, is the pea
cock. He has been held up to scorn for
centuries as the embodiment of vanity.
But why? Has he an overweening con-
ceit Of his personal decorations? By no
means. He is an object of beauty and
splendor, and he simply purposes to al
low an admiring world to feast its eyes
on his perfections. He knows he is
beautiful, II he knows any thing, and
feels that 1t is his mission in life to
pose in such attitudes as to display his
perfections to the best advantage. He
simply puts his best foot foremost, and
for this he has been villifed and abused
time out of mind Should he hide him
self beneath hedge or trail hisglorious
plumage under the barn he would not
fulfill the object Of his being, but would
degrade himself to the rank of the ordi-
nary useful but not esthetic fowl. We
might as we'll ascribe vanity to a water
fall, or rainbow, or glowing sunset,
rs to the peacock.
And it is so to great extent with the
genus which Plato is said to have de-
scribed as the "two-legged animal with
out feathers'-the genus homo. 1t is,
In spite OF Noah Webster, arrant nom
sense to call that "overweening con-
ceit" which is nothing more than just
consciousness Of one'squalit ties, whether
Of body or mind. The desire TO please,
to attract, TO charm, is as natural to the
human family as to any other branch Of
the animal kingdom. 1t is innate and
inherent, as is demonstrated every day
by tiny children, too young to have
been taught to assume airs and graces
and TO preen themselves for the admira-
ton of their fellows. These aspira-
tions, born in US, grow with our growth
and strengthen with our strength, and
we suspect no harm in them until there
comes along some cold-blooded diction-
ary-maker who informs us that that
which we had believed to be aatural and
proper was an overweening conceit in
our personal attainments and decora-
tions, and at once we feel sensation OF
shame, as though we had committed
some grave offense.
II may be shrewdly suspected that
those who are 80 severe upon vanity
have little or nothing OF their own about
which to bo vain. There are no such
severe or cruel censors as those who can
have had no personal experience upon
the subject against which their censure
is directed. There are no such keen
critics of the bringing up Of children as
the childless; no such harsh judges OF
the poor as those who were born with
silver spoons in their mouths; no such
oensors OF The successful in any line as
those who have not succeeded. The
same rule unquestionably obtains in re-
gard to the matter Of vanity. The
wrinkled old codger who says that in
his time there were no dudes and dan
dies, really means that as q young man
he was not possessed OF those personal
attainments or decorations which could
make him attractive; and the vinegary
spinster, who affects TO be Mortified at
the innocent coquetries Of the young
girls around her and their evident de-
sire 10 please, was probably no better
looking in her youth than she is now,
when in the sere and yellow leaf.
The truth is that vanity, within due
and proper bounds, Is one Of the most
valuable attributes or qualities that the
human family possesses. II is incentive
TO innumerable acts OF kindness, OF
goodness and OF justifable ambition. II
is fruitful source OF self-respect, with
out which respect from others will be
sought In vain. II makes US regArdful
Of the claims Of others, for the great
law Of compensation, the universal
principle Of give and take, is as op-
crative here as elsewhere. 1t makes us
avoid that pride which apes humility"
and puts us on the proper plane Of esti-
nation and valuation by the world, for It
Is assuredly true that II we value our
selves cheap the world will be only too
ready 10 take us at our own valuation.
IL is not self-conceit, which is always
offensive, but II is Just and proper ap.
probation Of who and what we are and
what we can do; and there is little dan
ger that VIC shall overvalue ourselves,
for there is always an abundance OF
people at hand to pull US up short II our
vanity tries 10 run away with us, and
TO restore US to our proper level. A
man or woman wthous vanity, es-
pecially II young, is certain to be q
failure In this world; for II We mako
door-mats Of ourselves we may be sure
that the world will wipe It's feet on us.
Turn About Fair Play.