The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-09-05

BY LADY COOK
ne; tennessee ItiiIia

I
their own. To know ones self IL the mos
dinlcult Of all knowledge There are non
no ill-fayored. for instance. who will no
admire Themselves in the mirror. becaus
| they see not themselves. but some idea
individuals. And with like partlslity d
! wc regard the good and evil qualitle
which form our character. always esteem
Ing ourselves. no matter how desplcabl
We may really be. Hence vanity is tn
, predominant and universal vice. Thus
pl0uS philosopher said: What bllndetl
the eye. or what hldsth the heart Of MAJ
from himself like vanity? Lo, When tho,
aecst not thyself. then others disctye
thee most plainly"
Cogan defines vanity az that spcciei
Of pride which. while II presumes upon
degree Of superiority In some particulal
articles fondly courts the applause o
every one within It's sphere OF action
seeking every occasion to display som,
talent or some supposed excellency"
Thus vanity Is yain-gicry. and arise,
from desire 10 appear wiser. or richer
or cleverer than we really are. and conse
quently is a sort Of imposture, often OF.
enslye to others and injurious 70 our.
selves.
The extraordinary circumstance about
this falling ls that It attacks those who
have many estlmable qualities. as well
as those who have few or none. Peer and
peasant. lady and waiting maid. are in
their distinctive ways. alike subject to &,
and the more acutely they are affected by
H. the greater Is their self-degrndatlon
and loss Of genuine esteem They may
succeed In acquiring the lip-seryicc Of par
asltes and fools. but In doing this they
must lose the good opinion Of those whose
regard Is worth having.
Hume. the historian. in one Of his es-
says. writes on this subject with his usual
power and lucidity: "A desire for fame.
reputation. OF a character with others, is
80 FAR from being blameable that 1t seems
Inseparable from virtue. geniua capacity.
and a generous or noble disposition . q.
wherein. then. consists vanity. which is
50 justly regarded as fault or Imper-
fectlon? II seems TO consist chiefly in
such an intemperate display Of our advan-
tages. honors and accomplishments: in
such an importunate and open demand Of
praise and admiration. as is offensive to
others. and encroaches too far on their
secret vanity and ambition. II is besides
a sure symptom OF the want OF true dig
nifty and elevation Of mind. which is so
great an ornament 10 any character. For.
why that impatient desire of applause. as
II you were not justly entitled TO II, and
might not reasonably expect that 1t would
forever attend you? Why so anxious to
inform us Of the great company which
you have kept; the obllglng things which
were said to you: the honors. the distinc-
ttons which you met with; as II these were
not things Of course, and what we could
readily. OF ourselves, have imagined, with
out being told OF ther?"
Montaigne says: THE corruption of the
age Is made upon the particular contrlbu-
tons Of every individual man. one con-
tributes treachery, others injustice. ire
Iision. tyranny, avarice and cruelty, ac-
,ording as they are OF power; the weaker
sort contribute folly, vanity and idleness.' |
The word vanity includes within its mean
ng all sorts of empty delight or frivolous
display. all unsubstantial pageants and
weak pride, and all the little ostentations |
which are intended to make others think |
" US more highly than we deserve. II Is |
!erived either from the Anglo Saxon verb /
yn-igeaD, TO wither. 10 fade. to pass
Iway to faint, or from wanian. to wane
o far away. and thus it denotes that
which has no substantial basis but is in
Is nature essentially ephemeral, delusive
md evanescent And yet observe the ex-
ent TO which this idle quality is cultivated
" almost all classes of mankind; civil
zed and unciviliEed. high and low, rich
nd poor learned and illiterate. The
aked savage who can display some pal
ry object coveted by others, struts as
hough he were lord of the universe. We
,ugh at the Righteousness of his vanity.
-et in "A thousand ways our own airs and
ffectations are equally absurd. We pride
urselves upon so many things mich are
ither not worth possessing, or, If they
re, were not obtained by any merit of
lr own. Stars and Carriers, ribbons and
are not to be despised when
,ey have been won by personal valor or
obility OF conduct They are then the
ltward and visible signs of an inward
nd spiritual worthiness. But he who de-
we'd his orders or titles from the merits !
I another, without coming up to the
andard OF the original, decks himself in
proved plumes to which he has no moral
ght. He resembles a clown garbed in
lie mantle of philosophy. or Ii pigmy at
mpting to bear the burden of Atlas.
ut even worse are they who have Oh
lined their distinction by fraud, treach-
" vice or cruelty; the minions of mon
chs, the betrayers of the people. the
,pressors OF the poor.
We do well to have what is called
roper pride" to respect ourselves and
be jealous OF our reputation. because
is conduces to rectitude of conduct.
At we should beware of being bitten by '
nifty. When once its poison enters the Il
ul, there is no saying to what lengths
folly We may eventually be urged-the
rvant girl will ape her mistress, her I
stress the next in rank, and so on. ad l
finitum
rhe excessive love OF dress is pestI-
nt vanity, and goes far to demoralize
tn sexes. 1t is. however. peculiarly
ngerous TO women. To dress modestly,
d even we'll so that It be within our