, 1891-02-21
DISAGREEABLE 0 P
THE INFINITE VARIETY INTO WHICH
THIS GLASS IS DIVIDED.

Copyright b. American Press Association.l
The fact that no two people are alike
is one we are all familiar with, but IN
some moods and under some circum-
stances we are tempted to wonder that
in this infinite variety there is so little
that is perfectly satisfactory. Outside
your own family, an austere truth may
induce you to add. or inside, how many
persons do you know with whom you
would like to % boxed up in one room
for the rest Of your life?
You probably shudder at the thought;
but why?
Because nearly everybody has some
disagreeable trait of character, habits,
manners, conversation, looks or health
which does not especially annoy Us in
the occasional intercourse of social life,
but would be intolerable if forced upon
our constant attention. or course we
know that we ourselves are no exception
to the general rule, and that other peo-
pie find US just AZ disagreeable in some
ways and at some times as we do them,
but l never saw the sense of that theory
that we must never perceive the defects
Of anything or anybody, unless we could
do It better or were ourselves perfect.
You, for instance, have not the slight
est idea Of how Julienne soup is made,
but are you not TO know If it is i'll made?
You could not cut your own gown to
save your life, but u you not find
fault If it does not suit your And in the
same line Of argument you may have,
for instance, a very bad temper, but
does that prevent you from perceiving
that your neighbor is coarse or ignorant
or dishonest
On the contrary, L think that ones
own faults sharpen ones appreciation Of
the faults OF others and make il harder
TO endure them.
But apart from faults, how can my
body with eyes and ears and trained
perceptions avoid seeing how many per-
sons fail of making things pleasant for
others, in fact fail of being agreeable, IL
they do not become absolutely disagree
able?
Society does not go on harmoniously
without constant effort upon the part of
the persons making up society, and
when through s~elfishness or laziness or
from any other cause a person does
not try to be agreeable he generally falls
into the other extreme.
We all are selfish. Some philosophers
say that selfshness is the salt that pre-
serves the world from corruption and de-
cay and these cynics go so far as to aver
that martyrs and saints, and devotees
and Damiens, give their lives to toll and
suffering and death in the hope of earn
ing heavenly rewards above their fell
lows.
II these theories are correct we cannot
hope to escape s~elfishness as the basis Of
our character, but we can and we ought
to avoid those outward manifestations
that annoy other people-in fact, we
mustn't let our selfshness make us disa-
greeable.
Probably you have been away from
home during the past twelve months,
have met a great many strangers, either
on steamer or trains, or in hotels and
boarding houses, and 1 am sure you
will remember the lady who always
secured the most comfortable chair
in the drawing room, who managed
to be first served ut dinner, and, il
she had the chance, appropriated
the lions share of the fruit, or the
sweetmeats, or the real If it was
warm she fastened to place herself at
the coolest window; if coolshe shut up
the room as if it were her private bed
room and in the train, If she fancied an
open window, it never occurred to her
that she was letting a cold blast upon
the person behind who might be quite
unable to bear it, or she may have
chosen in a sitting day to order all the
ventilators closed because the dust would
spoil her bonnet.
II a drive were in question she stepped
out Of the door a little in advance Of the
party, and, unlimited, climbed to the box
seat or took the contest corner inside.
II it was sunny she unfurled a big sun
umbrella and held it 80 that nobody
could see the view, and the points pecked
like birds OF prey at all the eyes in the
neighborhood. II a celebrity were of
the party she boldly took possession OF
him and "gobbled" him as if he were a
ripe fruit, or she herself posed as the
center of attraction and edited the COM
pany with accounts Of her tastes, travels,
acquaintance with great people and de-
tails of her private life.
l met several of this hnu OF nsagree-
able, both male and female, last sum-
mer, but in especial one who, having all
sorts Of worldly advantages and good
looks into the bargain, might have been
4 most delightful person had not she
been so blindly selfish as to make herself
thoroughly disagreeable TO every one
she met.
Another very disagreeable person is the
pompous mamie who takes position
upon his own. or yours, or a public
hearth rug, with his feet apart, his
thumbs in his buttonholes, an insuffer-
able air Of general liberation upon his
face, and tells you that the country is
going to the dogs because the president
and cabinet + blind to the situation,
which he proceeds to expound, with its
remedy. 1t is no matter how deity you
turn the conversation or what topics
you introduce; if you speak of pictures
he tells you how many he has bought
and what long prices he has paid for
them; he speaks of the old masters with
liberation and indulgence, and tells what
good advice he has given to most of the
present school, and how largely they have
profitedb by it. You f~rantically turn TO the
weather, and he tells you that he proph-
eded yesterday exactly how it would be
today, but really the weather makes
no difference to him, as he never goes
out without his carriage, and his horses
have waterproof bonnets and shoes and
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