Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-04-05
A WISE sELFIsHNEss.
Why We Have a Right to Defend On,
selves Against Bores.

selves Against BOres.
The genial ''Autocrat of the Break.
fast-table," whose kindly heart pleads
for human weakness always, iustifes ma
in protecting ourselves against boreq
against people who rob US of vitality AZ
we'll as time, for he lays down this a.
professional advice: "Mark this which
| am going to say, for it is as good as a
working professional mans dvice. and
costs nothing. 1t is better to lose a Mint
of blood from your veins than to have a
nerve trapped. Nobody measures vour
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-thev
come empty and go away empty, and II
you should meet them the next hour Won
would find that you could carry on the
same conversation on the same NH.
losophy, declare the same theories. and
they would be new. Should any sensible
person allow himself to be used as
social jumping-iack, 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 a woman to whom
a heavy sorrow had come, who day after
day called on a nervous, high-strunp
neighbor, because she was so svmpa-
thetic," she explained, until the little
neighb fell victim to nervous pros
tration. II knew" said the sick woman.
II did her no good, because every dav
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 cCmforted unto strength, and
she brought down her victim as surely
as if pisgol 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
iIOJ you lCtA'l-A Il measure 4OL pLObcCblOU
beyond individual effect. ''You heard
that Mrs. - had a fortune left her.
large enough to keep her comfortably"
said one friend to another, speaking Of
a common accuain lance. yes" was
therespUnse, given with animation, and
I'm quite as glad for her friends as for
her. Y0u know we never heard from her
Il. L. L., ~
she was in trouble. l dreaded to have
her call land yet liked her much), for
! knew | was doomed to a tale of Woe
| never heard her say a 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 shonld 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
purpose. We must smilingly submit
10 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 sparlled 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 a world. We can only
help where there is receptivity; we can
only help, in the true sense, where
there is q capacity and a desire for self
help; ard 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.