The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-25
VANIIIEs OF GE.Irs

From the New York iv~tttser.
Proper pride, which may NEAR. self
| respect, is certainly most eommenda-
bic; but pride, as il generally manifests
itself. is repulsive and is apt TO stir up
a spirit of opposition. Pride is peculiar
to men, and vanity to women. Pride
indicates our appreciation of ourselves,
and vanity and intense desire to be ap-
preciated by others. Simplicity is usu-
ally characteristic of great genius;
but frequently men conspicuous for
their talents have shown their weak
ness through an impulsive form of
pride. Button, the famous French nat
uralist, was so excessively vain as TO
become the butt Of his friends.
When asked how many great men
the world had had he replied:
'Five-Newton. Bacon. Leibnitz,
Montesquieu and myself" This re-
marlable man was not only proud Of
his own intellect; though. really very
homely, he believed himself to be
model of manly beauty. Even when
at work in his study he was always in
full dress. and never took a walk in his
garden without being accompanied by
his valet.
Gibbon. the famous historian, left, in
his private diary. his opinion of him
self He says: Il am the greatest his
torian that ever lived. No one can
equal me in this direction, and l fear
no successor"
Disraeli's faith in himself was un-
bounded; though he tried to hide his
vanity from the world. il would assert
itself. He succeeded as a novelist and
statesman, and so great was his
own belief in the universally of his
genius that he told his intimate friends
that he would have been equally sue
cessful as painter. a sculptor or nu-
stefan. If he had the time 20 devote TO
those arts
Victor Hugo was the embodiment of
vanity. In his letter 10 Prince Bis
marck he used this expression: The
giant greets the giant, the foe the foe,
the friend the friend. hate thee furi-
ously, because thou hast humbled
France; love thee because / am
greater than thou art. Thou vert ST.
lent when the bell in the tower Of nv
fame struck my eightieth year. | am
eight and thou art seven. and mankind
IS the cipher between Us Thou art
the body; I am the soul. Thou art the
cloud; ! am the lightning. Thou art
the might; am the fame and so on
through a long rigmarole OF self-lauda-
ton.
Nearly all the French writers Of note
have this peculiar form Of weakness
Balsac was very sure that he was not
only the greatest writer Of his day. but
of all times
Dickens shows this peculiar form o!
vanity in his private letters In one
place lac SAYS: Il would not write az al
II were not the vsinest man IA the
world" A writer who knew the great
novelist wei says 81 him. There Is
vanity IN everything which be sad or
did or wrote IN all his lie long, and Il
kept growing 70 the end
Walt Whitman might he called a
monster 81 egotism- Speaking % him
self 10 one Of his poems. he says. -Ih-
vine an ]. inside and cot. and make
holy Whatever touch and am t0achsd I
from
Pope. Who vas one q he ho-neliest +
OF mOrtzls. was also the v2inost, and
was angry a. Lady Mary Montague b. {
cause she did not tbink him a. hand /.
some a. &c thoE~ht hiT2self - -
Goethe vas the vziRest nan ia Ger 4
many IN his day- Indeed, se Haight .
believe that vanity Is an Genital f.
r.re4l5 farf-v- Of r-sufy3 vve~e We not cgsa-
frouted with The fat that the greatest .
o. al geaiUse4- SbzkesDesre, vas sith- 4
oEf AZ