Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-01-11

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nous gifts These have the double ad
vantage of suppressing at once ingrati
tude and abuse.
CHOICE EXCERPTS.
FIVE great enemies of peace are ever
with us-avarice, ambition, envy, anger
and pride; if these were banished, we
should enjoy perpetual peace.
THE good that a woman can do to-
ward the great world at large is as moth
ing compared to her possibilities in her
own home if she be wife or mother.
WE must have weak spot or two in
character before we can love it much.
People that do not laugh or cry, or take
more of anything than is good for them.
or use anything but dictionary words,
are admirable subjects for biographies.
BETWEEN sincerity and politeness
there need be no war, no antagonism, no
separation. They can grow together,
each welcoming the other to its side.
All sincerity can be made beautiful by
politeness, and all politeness can be
made honorable by sincerity.
SOCRATES was pronounced by the ora
Gle of Delphns to be the wisest man in
Greece, which he would turn from him
self ironically, saying there could be
nothing in him to verify the oracle ex-
cept this, that he was not wise and knew
it, and others were not wise and knew it
not.
THERE is often duty Of secrecy
where no definite promise has been ex-
acted. We are not sensitive enough or
delicate enough in this respect. We
sometimes say, at was not told to me
in confidence" when very little refiec-
tion would show us that such was in
tended and taken for granted.
WITH regard to the choice of friends,
there is little to say; for a friend is never
chosen. A secret sympathy, the attrac-
tion of thousand nameless qualities, a
charm in the expression of the counte-
nance. even in the voice or manner, a
similarity of circumstances these are
the things that begin attachment.
WE must all live according to the
light that is in us, and, if we cannot see
for ourselves that our paradise is only
that of fools and not of men, we must
abide by the consequences Of our dark
ness, as the blind must bear the broken
heads which come when they run full
tilt against wall. The fools paradise
of certain success, when there are no
means by which it can be assured, is not
to be confounded with the true patience
and courage of persevering man. This,
if one likes, is noble, and the power by
which the world is moved; the other is
pathetic by its futility, and deplorable as
a waste, a misdirection, and delusion.
MUCH is said, and well said, upon the
power of habit. 1t is almost impossible
to exaggerate the extent of its influence
upon life and character, and for this rea-
son the formation Of good habits is
rightly esteemed one of the very first
and most important elements of on ethi
cal life There is, however, one danger
which attends very firmly fixed habits
of any sort, and which is very seldom
guarded against, even by those who are
the most anxious as to their quality. The
danger is that they may obtain so strong
a hold upon us that they cannot be
loosened, even when something better
opens up before us. Progress of every
kind implies change, and, if in any de-
partment of life deeply rooted habits
make change repulsive and perhaps i'm
possible, they must be foe to improve
ment.
PRIDE and vanity, though differing
in their first origin, often intermingle
and become indistinguishable in their
later stages. But pride much more sell
dom mingles with vanity than vanity
rises up to pride. If we pnt it so, pride
is Independent, self-supporting, stand
offish, and cold; whereas vanity is de-
pendent on others opinions, tickle, fussy,
and apt to chatter of itself and its ways
and claims. Pride will not listen to
flattery, and in few cases will it conde-
scend to bestow it. Vanity is constant
ly on the search for it, and adopts all
devices to crafty itself in this direction,
and is indeed apt at flattery with hope
of return in kind. Mortified pride will
sometimes give way to vanity, and van
ity gratified will sometimes shake hands
with pride. But the obtaining distinc-
tion between pride and vanity is that
pride concentrates certain of the facul-
ties which vanity dissipates-will and
affection in particular. The proud man
may be strong in will, and may love
deeply, intensely. The vain can scarce
ly do so; his absorption in himself in a
small way is so complete. The proud
men also may be capable of great self-de-
mails which the vain man never can. 1t
has been well said, "a vain man is 80
busy in bowing and wriggling to catch
fair words from others that he can never
lift up his head into true pride. Pride
in former ages, may have been held in
too good repute-vanity is so now.
Pride, which is the fault of greatness
and strength, is sneered at and abhorred
to vanity, the froth and consumma-
tion of weakness, every indulgence is
shown. Vanity is unable to stand, ex-
cept by leaning on others, and is care
full, therefore, of giving offense. nay is
ready to fawn on those by whom its
hopes are fed" "Many men," says an
other, "spend their lives in gazing at
their own shadows, and so dwindle away
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