The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-10-08
ABOUT THE BLUES.

thing to have around one, or inside of
one, more properly speaking. Every
body has EN-, more or less, so far as we
know, unless in the case of some peo-
pie who never have the blues or any
thing else except an appetite. They |
say that people of sensitive natures
have 'em more, and harder, than any
other class Of people. Well, that is
some consolation, to know that one is
of 'delicate, sensitive nature and
that's why he has the "blue devils
once in while-the more refined his
nature the more he indulges in the said
b. DIS. This being the case, we are
glad we are among those who frequent
ly enjoy (?) run of them-either clean
down in the depths, or else away up in
an ecstatic balloon, one or the other,
most of the time. We have often
envied those persons who seem never
to be anywhere save astride ''happy
medium" They are always evenly
serene, have a stereotyped smile on
their countenance, always answer one
in the same pleasant sweet way, and
are so stubborn in their evenly happy
gait through life that nothing short of
a pile-driver or cyclone could knock
them out of their mental balance. They
are never particularly happy, and new
er noticeably miserable. TO one who
has 'blues" little more than half of
the time, these people are conun-
drum. They cannot understand such
stOlid Unconditional creatures, and feel
like pinching them to see if they
aren't a tobacco-sign or a drygoods
dummy or politician. Their greatest
merit lies in their being easy to get
along with; they say "yes" when you
want them to say yes, and "no" when
that is the word you desire them to
repeat. Now, the fellow who luxuri-
ates in blues isn't that sort of being at
all. Some of the time he is so jubilant
that he is too silly to answer ques-
ton sensibly or to act sensibly; then
|
he makes no effort to be civil, and his
countenance looks as though he had
been born with the blues from choice,
and because he just dotted on being
miserable. Blues are like bad cold
the worst colds a person has are those
for which he cannot account. So it is
with the ''blues;" an artist in blues can
be vastly more miserable when he has
nothing to be miserable about, then he
can in the face of first-class reason
for being so. This is very strange
statement to make. and expect it to be
believed, but it is true all the same
We have often, Ourself, drifted into a
star case of melancholy under the
most cheerful conditions. At such
times the more bright and hopeful
everything looked, the more pleasing
: the surroundings and prospects, thu
more we seemed to enjoy being mis-
erable; and, the bluer we got the more
dainty and carefully we nursed it, fo
fear it might pass off prematurely an(
things become lovely again before W.
were ready for it. The fact that W.
t are perfectly aware there is no goot
: excuse for "blues' at any time or unde
= any circumstances, cuts no fgur
: whatever; they come right along, ever
: though one knows it is cowardly ant
4 shallow to give way to the "blues." 1
/ is certainly very strange mental phe
l nomenon, and the more one indulge
= in the luxury (?) the more he may
o they are apt to be the aftermath of to
S jubilant a feeling-the delirium-tre
Q mems of unwarrantable ecstacy. Th
t real fact is, however, "blues" are
=? great big humbug; and natures tina
u are given to melancholy should tigh
f the tendency, teeth and toe-nail, unit
q the gloom is beaten down and COZ
n quered. Persons of decently strOn
n minds can do this and if they don't d
e it, it shows that they have not norma
81 ly healthful minds, or else that the
- are naturally too mean to be othe
than happiest when they are the mo'