The morning call., 1890-05-18
THE CHRONIC GROWLER.
Whose Sole Aim Seems to Be to
Make Others Unhappy.

IG;E2HATEVER else you do never be-
NEATG2 come a chronic GROWER. If your
SAEEN aches and pains are so bad YOU
have to keep swaddled in red flannel, grin
and bear it. 1t is all very we'll to be an i'll
teresting invalid for short time. Your
neghbOrs will bring you in nice things to
eat and your acquaintance will bring you
pretty bouquets and novels to read, and even
your children will look in at you and won
der to see mother in bed instead of up get
ting dinner, and halo up "Good-by!" to you
when they go to school, as an unusual mark
of affection for you. But don't remain in
bed too long, or wear too sad face, or they
will think mother grOwls too much 3"
Don't you know that nobody can feel your
pain, or really tell how much you suffer
So, what is the use of telling it TO every
body all the time? IL it would only alleyi-
ate ones misery l would advise going on
top of the new City Hall and shouting out
to each passer-by; but it doesn't, so the
best thing is to keep still. Now, you know,
no one likes a neighbOr who, when she
sweeps her sidewalk, has such dJleful
fac e, and constantly complains of her ''ru-
matiz." You sympathize with her once or
twic e, then it becomes chestnut.
Then there is the suspicious GROWER, who
believes her Ieghbors are always talking
about her. Why, she can't be happy If she
sees two of them speaking together on the
most trivial matter so she grOwls and
makes herself a misery to herself and every
body around her.
But u meaner GROWER still is the woman
who is always growing about her husband :;
he don't give her money enough to spend,
he attends the lodge too much, he don't
take her to the theater and he forgets the
anniversary of their wedding. If she
stopped at this it would not be so bad. but
she sometimes, let US hope unthinkingly,
gives him little StabS that hurt him, in the
estimation of others, more than she in
tends.
The chronic grOwler never sees anything
to suit-neither the house they live in, nor
the way the landlord keeps it, nor the street
and scarcely the city. Remember that
these universal GROWERS are not all of the
feminine sex. When they are OF the maScu-
line sex, oh, my the house is never clean
enough TO suit them; there are too many
newspapers around, or too many books. or
too many toys. There is cob
web up so high that no woman,
unless she is giantess, can reach
1t with broom, yet the chronic grOwler
rarely takes broom and sweeps 1t down
himself Then the table is never set ex-
actly right The mustard is too thin or
the vinegar too sour, or the knives are not
just bright enough and the slight changes
suggested in the cuisine would fill a small
cookery book Then his wife's hat is not
exactly right, or her dress is too long or too
short or this, that or the other, but never
just right On, the chronic grumbler is a
bird, and the funniest thing about it is he
does not know how disagreeable he is.
How much better it is to be pleasant and
overlook few shortcomings. Do not see
everything that is disagreeable.
Have you ever gone down the street with
lady friend who Is never satisfied with
your appearance? Who gives your poor
hustle jerk, say ing: "lt looks awful It's
too big or crooked or something. Why
didn't you put on your other one? This
have been out little while you feel per-
fectly uncomfortable and wish you were
home again.
Then have you not gone out with some
one else, who has said " How well you
look to-day. Your bonnet is so bacOming" ?
You feel pleasant for your whole walk, and
most likely your amiable friend has told
the truth just as much as Mrs. UncOm-
Portable" did.
Some people come into your house, and
the very sight of them makes YOU glad.
| They cheer you up, inspire you to work. to
do your best in art or literature, and when
they are sad, which sometimes happens.
how quickly you notice the change, and you
| say 1T does not seem right for you to be-
sad," and you really hope it will not last
long, for the good their visits always do
| you.
But there are others who always leave an
uncomfortable feeling behind them. and
| life seems less pleasant and friends less
true after their visit than before. They
| seem to leave slight trail of the serpent to
! show who has been there. Why, one
chronic grOwler will break up lodge d"
and make deadly enemies out of people who
would otherwise enjoy each others So
clety. Volumes could be written on the
/ al.
| be still more to say. Avoid chronic growI-
| ing-avoid it as you would the fever and
the ague, or anything else that would make
your own life burden as well as that of
| nfh - -