The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-04-19
BALKY.
Such People are Generally Jealous, Big
oted and Tyranical.

1t is related that an honest old farmer
while on his way to town one day, had
the bad luck to have his horse stop, and
obstinately refuse to proceed. A fellow
farmer seeing the ruction which ensued
asked him if his horse was balky. Now
old honesty didn't like to own up that
such was the case, so he replied: "Oh!nO
he isn't balky, he's only afraid some one
will holler whoa and he wont hear it,"
Now, that seems to be the trouble with
a great many people, and has been from
the earliest period of history up to the
present time. They are not exactly
balky but are terribly "techy" and
afraid some one may say something of
them, and they wont hear it; conse-
quently they go through life at rat
ting gait, frequently stopping with
attentive ears to listen if some one is
not saying or going to say something
about them. Such people are not only
unhappy themselves but they make
everyone about them uncomfortable.
They are very apt to hear or imagine
they hear something derogatory to them
selves, or, which is more frequently the
case, place false construction on what
they do hear, which gives them a fit of
sulks, or in other words, makes them
balky. Reason will not have any effect
on person in that condition and you
cannot well resort to other measures,
and the result is discomfort to all
around. Again the balky person is
built good deal on the plan of his
equine brother, in that when he gets
over his fit of balkiness he moves right
along, totally oblivious that he has
made confounded fool of himself and
just as anxious as ever that some one
should "holler" whoa, and just as fearful
that he will not hear it. Such people
are generally jealous bigoted, tyranni-
cal and overbearing. They would like
to impress upon the world the alleged
fact that they are decidedly firm, when
the truth is they are only obstinate or
'balky." Some of them are more to be
pitied than blamed, perhaps, but we are
all more or less inclined to blame the
faults of others and condemn in them,
what we have perhaps to great extent,
without being aware of it. In truth,
are we not all of us inclined to balkiness,
only some are not so far gone in the
habit as others, but if the habit is allow
ed to have full sway it is only question
of time when we will be as balky as the
balkiest of them ALL Now, selfshness,
in my opinion, is the foundation stone
of this habit and when we have eradi-
Gated that, the others will fail for want
of nourishment. In order to do this, it
is only necessary to make ourselves con-
versant with the golden rule, "Do unto
others as ye would that they should do
unto you" We must not only learn it,
but practice it. 1t is the fOunda-
ton upon which true Christianity is
built, and when put into practice, is
conducive to pleasure and comfort
otherwise unknown. Look about you,
and when you find man or woman
striving to live by that rule, you will
find that man or that woman knows
nothing of being baIky. One day, per-
haps, the world will have come to rec
ognize the divine grandeur of the golden
rule and will be found striving to live
up to it. Then will be the millennium.
Then there will be no more "balking."
T.