Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-20
CROSS PEOPLE.
Availability a Virtue Not Practiced as Much
as 1t Should Be.


Il believe" exclaimed a bright
woman one day. that | would rather
have really wicked person in the
house, if he would only Ue good
natured, than to live with the best who
was cross.
This was extreme, but any one who
has ever endured the society of an
irritable companion for many days
will feel a sympathy with even this
strong statement. Such a companion
is species of torture.
1t sometimes seems as though al
most every duty were more forcibly
impressed upon the young than the
duty of amabiIity. In many quarters
this virtue is absolutely at a disadvant-
age. The cross ones are likely to get
a reputation for greater ability than
the pleasant ones. Fools" we are
old, ARE always amiable."
We plead for a reform, and so pleads
everybody who happened to be in a
certain house in an inland town, where
a handsome and fashionable young
woman was stopping with an aunt
who had every claim upon her tender
est consideration.
Are you going out to the cliff?n the
young woman would demand of her
aunt.
II don't know yet" the aunt would
respond, YEARLY.
ooh dear, | wish you could ever
make up your mind!' the neice would
fret.
But I must wait and see how feel
he Il
would protest.
IF it wasn't that it would be some
thing else," the niece would exclaim.
petulantly. You're always waiting,
always undecided. l get so sick of it!''
The aunt bore her young charges
Cor superintendent's) vagaries almost
too sweetly; but the hateful little
bicker and impudence of the latter
were unendurabe to the outside listen
ers, before whom she took no pains to
control herself. Yet this young girl
was a member of a church. She would
not have lifted her hand against her
aunt yet she gave her daily worse in
suits than physical blow.
1.-The blow g'ove gives is but weak,
Does the mark yet discoor my cheek?
But when the heart suffers blow
1t is to women that the poets are al
ways giving praise for their amiability.
1t was a woman to whom belonged
those
Sweet lips whereon p9rpetually did reign
The summer calm of golden charity"
But it is doubtful whether women are
really so equally as men. Xantippe
and poor Rips wife are types of very
large class.
1t is reasonable to expect that women
should be less amiable than men.
Emerson says, "All healthy things are
sweet-tempered." 1t is only within
few years that women have begun as a
class, TO take proper care of their
health. Even now they are not expert
in the art, and more than half our
women are semi-nvalids. A woman's
mode of dress, her diet, her indoor
and monotonous life, have all been
against her. Women are more con-
scientious than men. They ought to
have more principle about keeping "a
pleasant face on; but when the whole
nervous system is a ar from insufficient
nOurishment and close air, an angel
could not always keep her temper. 1t
was only she who felt so pretty and so
pleased all day" who could not take
the trouble to be cross" When one is
ba1fied and thwarted all day, crossness
becomes a luxury that most women are
too prone to indulge in.
But OH! how it spoils and degrades
family life!
Sec Il word, how it severeth!
Oh power of life and death
In the tOn-,,c, as the Preacher Saith!
We may not all of us be able to culti-
vate the highest tues--constancv,
generosity. magnanimity-but we can
all keep civil tongue for those around
us, and put on Il pleasant expression if
we try. Availability has been pooh
poohcd at TOO long, 1t is the source of
more comfort and pleasure in any
home in which it is practised than many
a most Wanted virtue.
THE music that can deepest reach
And cure all ills is cordial speech
BY all means let us have more of it in
our homes. -Harper's B0zar.