San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-04-04
STEADY COMPANY.

The young ladies of the Light con
gregation need not curl their pretty
lips in disdain, thinking that the Ligh
preacher is going to discourse
upon their best fellow" and exclaim
what does an old gray beard, like
him, know of an up-to-date girls com
pany" The preacher is not so rash
as to attempt anything of the kind
1t is company of very different kind
that is in his mind this morning as he
faces once more his weekly congrega-
ton. Whether this steady company is
your "best fellow" or your best girl
or your worst fellow" or worst
girF' is something that the preacher
leaves to yourself TO determine.
Perhaps 1t is neither, only
your. second best company, but that
also is to be left to your own deter
mination.
1t is recorded of Socrates, that on
one occasion some one mentioned in
his presence that young friend of
his had returned from his travels
nothing improved by his observation
and advantages, TO which Socrates re-
piled, Il can very well believe it, for
he took himself along" This is the
steady company to which alluSiOn is
made this morning, and of truth it
is for each of you to determine wheth-
er it is your best company or your
worst or only your second best.
Whichever it is finally concluded to
be this is certain, you always take
this company along. You can shake
even your best fellow, you can be
mean enough to go back on your best
girl, but no matter how much you
wish it or how sick you may grow Of
yourself you cannot shake yourself
free from your self. If that self be
mean company how great is that
meanness.
How peculiarly unfortunate is that
man or that woman, no matter what
their age, condition or abilities, who
is obliged to carry around with them
an unwonted self. 1t is bad enough
to be married to a woman you deteSt,
or to a man for whom you have no
earthly use, but this is heaven com
pared to the necessity of Juggling
around with you an unwelcOme COM
panion in the person of yourself. Some
people are so mean that they would
>. die il they bit themselves there is so
much real venom in them. Others are
really in love with themselves, and
wonder that every one else
does not share the feeling.
1t by no means follows that
because these people are thus really
in love with themselves that they are
better than others who are not, but
it is a mark of self satisfaction that
goes long ways to making ones per-
petual presence enduraDle.
This self satisfaction is not always,
or even generally a desirable acquisi-
ton, for it is too apt to stand in the
way of personal growth and improve
ment as we develop years. The secret
of successful living is to develop man
hood and womanhOOd as we develop
years, to grow wise as we grow old
and mellow as we ripen. But if we
are in love with ourselves we will not
so develop, because we will not see
these imperfectiOns in ourselves that
must be understood and recognized be-
fore we really attempt to develop
away from them. The fact IS very
few of us have more than b0w.na
acquaintance with our real selves
and need an introduction. We're W.
really to know ourselves better We
might not pride ourselves on the &C
quaintance.
But the pertinent fact is that WI
cannot get rid of our own company
: As mothers we at times grow reStiv,
under the constant pressure of tEt
chatter and clatter of the little one
and say to ourselves, Thank goodness
it will soon be bedtime and then / vii
have little quiet" The prospect o
getting rid of them for little. niue
as you love them, is a positive relief
Ii they are not your children, ste
children perhaps or those of tn
neighbOrs. the patience to bear wit
them is not so great, and all the NOR
welcome the release for time iron
the burden of their presence. This
they are reasonably good. children
and Infinitely more so if they ar
quarrelsOme. or cross. or unruly, o
dlsobedient, or tidgety or Otherwis
disagreeable.
1t is the same way with the friend
we really prize, the guests for whCI
we really take pleasure in preparin
After a time they grow weariSOm,
their presence is not the rest IN
relief it was, we realize that there AZ
moments when we wish 20 be al0n,
and the visit done or the CUES! },
Iarted it is with a real sigh Of relic
that we return to our own Quietne;
arid feel that it is good TO be 10 on
Saves. But what if the guest is
4 yeritable Old-man-of- the-sea," son
Zone we are debarred by the perversit
4 of an unkind fate from dismissiI
; from whom it is impossible to r
ourselves. The very fact that we ca
not free ourselves from II
burden only doubles IL. The promi
OF relief IN the future is itself a relic
Such old-men-Of-the-sea are we
q