Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-11-23
OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS.
what is other neonle's bnsiness2

cerned in the matter, and that they
are all too apt to clash. For If some
OF us are too slow in claiming our righ'
| OF interference in what really is, in &
sense, our business, others are too for
ward in interfering in other peoples
business without any right at all, and
both courses are equally to be depre
Gated. Ii requires much tact, good
| feeling, and knowledge of the world, t.
know how to draw this dividing line
with any correctness; and a little oi
| that yet rarer quality, common sense,
VIII aid us greatly in this difficult
achievement
OF course there are cases in which
other peoples business can by no pos.
sibiliiy be mistaken for our own: it has
clearly nothing on earth to do with us,
and We dare not pretend that it has.
however much we may wish to do so.
! To interfere in such circumstances
would be mere presumption on our
part, an inexcusable violation of the
rights of those 'Other people" to whom
the business properly belongs.
Our neighbOr's buslLess and our own
are often so closely connected that it is
extremely difficult to decide with any
begins; ana when the temptation to in
terfere ia what hardly concerns us is
strong We are very apt to strain point
and trespass on other peoples property.
"Oh. but it really concerns us, you
know; We are affected by it, so of
course it is our business" That is
what We say, and therein we find am
pie excuse and justification for the
l,Ia t,.Er
forget what is due to others, we forget
what we owe to ourselves, We become
impertinent meddlers aud busybodies,
who respect nothing, to hom nothing
is sacred. If our neighbor does any.
thing, no matter what, We tell him at
)nce that he oSght not to have done IT,;
or-if it were absolutely necessary to
10 it-thRt it should have been done
quite differently. The most trivial ac.
tion of his life is watched and com.
mented upon, our criticisms and adj
vice are alike thrust upon him, without
his inv tation, aud, probably against
bis will. We force our way into the
sacred rivacy of his home, talk over
his domestic Jars with brutal frankness,
and drag his family skeleton from the
safe seclusiOu OF the cupboard into the
broad light of day.
Now to lay rude hands on the skele-
ton in a mGn's cupboard is certainly n
most unjustItiable interference III
other peoples business, aud yet it is
one that many otherwise excellent
persons have no hesitation in ventgr-
ing upon-always, of course, with the
very lest intcntloass IT is surely a
strange thing nough, that those who
seek to crafty their curiosity WITT
regard to any little family mystery tf
this nature, sho1ld almost invariably
do so with these best intentions, and
from some particularly high and eX-
alted motive. "We wish to sympathiZe
with our friends IN tEeir troubles, and
how can we do so unless we know what
those troubles really are; we wish to
help, but bow can we help to any pur-
pose while We know nothing of the
circumstances of the case?" Thus they
explain their conduct. Could anything
be nicer or more appropriate? To say
they are prying busybodIes, iaterfer-
ing in what noways concerns them, and
trying to make other peoples business
their OVID, sounds most heartless way
Of describing their tactics; and vet,
after all, it is usually the more accurate
Of the two, OF course, there may be
some kindly feeling mingled occasion
ally with the less worthy motives; but
it is much to be regretted that this
kindly feeling should find so vulgar "a
way of expressing itself. A little more
retineT ent of mind would teach such
well-meaning but blunderIng souls that
there are cases in which the truest
q, l.. r.
10 which it rs the best kindness, as
well as the height of good manners, to
see and hear nothing. If these per
sons would only take a somewhat lower
view of their owp importance; if they
would bring themselves to believe that
there may be troubles beyond the
range of their necessarily limited ex-
perience, aud sorrows that even their
vigorous sympathy is powerless to
assuage, then we should have far fewer
meddlers in other peoples business,
and the world would be a much pleas.
anter place to live in.
Moreover, if they were Less taken up
with other peoples business, they
would have more time and attention to
devote to their own. This would often
be great advantage to those nearest
and dearest TO them, for the members
of a busybody's household are too apt
to suffer, while be-or sne-is attend
ing to foreign affairs.
But in our anxiety to avoid the ex-
treme of undue interference, too many
of us fall into the opposite error, and
having begun with our own business,
never get beyond it. Now this is lust
as grave a fault as the other, and has "A
terribly narrowing effect on our minds
aud our sympathies. The person who
confines his attention exclusively to his
own business is usually a very selfish,
unsympathetic person indeed, and one
to whom We would not willingly go for
advice. far less for more practical as
sistance. lie is apt to be self-compla-
cent and self-satisfed; long concentra-
ton on the mole-hills of his own private
affairs has narrowed his vision. so that
he cannot see the mountains of world
wide interest that lie beyond them.
He keeps himself 20 himself, and never
in what doesn't concern him;
yes, but then so few things appear to
concern him, and no one-beyond the
narrow circle he has drawn around his
own llfe-is ever one bit the better for
his presence in the world. He may do
little harm, il is true, but he will GER
tainly do no good. The man-ay, and
the woman, too-who makes it rule
of life never to take any interest in
other Ieople's business. loses many an
opportunity OF helping his fellow crea-
lures, and thus assumes a very grave
responsibility in striving to escape
from one. For there are sins of omis-
sion as well as sins of commission, and
the servant who buried his talent lest
Ii should suffer loss or injury was by
DO means commended for his caution.
Whatever gifts we possess. whether of
wealth, OF power, or of influence, have
been given US, not for our own use
alone, but Tor the use of our fellow
crcatures-for the good of humanity
Only when we remember that these
gifts Of ours should be other peoples
business as well as our own, shall we
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