The news & observer., 1897-02-21
6Jl[ZETlGGG QUEER PEOPLE,
Bah Gives the Reader an Into the Lives Of Odd Beings
New York, Feb. 10.

INGW 4OIhg 1Gb. ~
Do you ever stop to think of the queer
fhings and the queer people in every day
life? 4 little while ago | met the type
of woman that .call the moral pincush-
sen." Everything stuck in her; but un-
ike the hard commonplace pincushion,
that one which is only receptacle for
pins and needles, this poor, moral pin
cushion was hurt by every point and win
eed as each pin, or needle was directed,
as she thought, at her. The moral PIN
cushion can always be made to suffer by
~the people who make little malicious
speeches. In doubt as to the becoming
ness of her frock, she meets Miss Young
Lady, who says to her: "Ah, you've got "a
new gown. / thought of getting that col
or myself, but | was afraid to risk it.
That one speech means suffering for the
season to the poor pincushion, since she
must wear her dress, and she is now
convinced that she looks a thousand
times worse in it than she really does. She
runs across an old friend who says to
her: How the years have gone since
you and ] went to school! And you
married Charlie Brown-well well,
could tell you something about Mr..
Brown, but | won't" Now, there comes
worry and misery. The pincushion is
convinced that her husband loved some
ether woman more than he did her, and
that he probably spends his days in re-
GREETING his choice.
Any little speech that she can possibly
tESe unto herself and make hersilf miser-
able about, she seizes with an ayldlty
that is, so. remarkable that one almost
wonders if she isn't greedy for stabs.
It's true she's kindhearted, and her eyes
will fill with aears as you tell her Of some
tale of woe, while she is the first to help
where assistance is really needed. But,
from her childhood up she has made her.
self the receptacle for all the nasty
speeches uttered before her. She has all
lowed her imagination to make the worst
of everything, until she is convinced that
she the most maltreated, as well as the
most sIlpersensitive woman in the world.
1t neIer enters her lfead1to protect her
self. She never thinks that all these
careless speeches may not be meant for
her; no, she goes along through life hurt
by every pin-prick of thoughtlessness,
wounded by every needle-point OF sar-
easm, and unnecessarily unhappy.
There are few families in which there
is not a moral pincushion: and the people
who are forced to live with him are the
enly ones capable Of telling just how ag-
grayating these self-made martyrs are.
/ say self-made because the moral PIN
cushion is usually person eaten up with
eelf-consaiousness. IL she could eliminate
the thought of herself from her life she
would be happier If she would devote
more time sympathizing with other peo-
pie and less with a continual search af-
ter unhappiness in herself, she would
not only be more agreeable, but better
iookings This type of woman gets wrin-
kles around the eyes, has her mouth
drawn down at the corners, and her fore
head with heavy lines across it, the result
of deep study as to how each wicked
speech could he menat for her.
It's the duty of the mother to find out
which one of the ittde people in the nur-
sery is inclined to be moral pincushion
and to subdue the inclination by dos
of conlmon-sense, administered not only
daily, bat hourly. Speaking Of the nui
sery, how many women know how to
train up boy in the way he should go?
The average only boy, educated among
lot of women, is | am sorry to say,
either a molly-coddle or a hypocrite.
At seven years of age, one of these moth.
ers' boys criticised the right OF preach
er to hope that all the little dead babies
wouldn't be sent to everlasting torment!
! don't know what medicine would have
been good for this young man. Some
times | think mixture of calomel and
castor oil, with a limited acquaintance
with those bad boys out on the street,
might have made him something of a
man, but | doubt it. When everybody
else went boating, he charmed the ladies
of his family by preferring to study his
catechism; when everybody else played
tennis or croquet or basket ball, he chose
to count~the pennies that We're to be used
by the missionaries to teach young lady
eannibaIs to arrange their locks in Psyche
knots. Don't misunderstood me- |
don't like a bad boy. But a bad boy
could reform while this boy would never
reform. unless it should be when he got
into the penitentiary after embezzIing
the funds Of some charitable association.
like a polite boy, but / like boy who
enjoys life as q boy should who enjoys
being out in the open air; who likes boys
books and boys games; but boy who
has been bred so well that, even at an
early age. he knows how TO act as gen
tleman should. Now, object to the sis
sy, and / object to the tough; ! long for
the happy medium. And there are plenty
of nice boys Generating. they are more
agreeable than small girls, though they are
sc ldom as smart The small girl is over
whelmingly conscious, unless girls are
plentiful in her establishment, Of her
best clothes. She don't mind sitting all
through the long church service, because
she's quite sure the congregation enjoys
seeing her Vain little parsonage! How
the girl is mother to the woman! She's
pretty to look upon, and she is desirable
to have where boys are around. as she is
the refining influence. The wise mother
early teaches her boys that first choice
of everything must go TO sister; that they
must share their play toys with sister;
that they must keep their heavy hands
effthe beautiful dolls that are her delight.
Consideration for sister is the keynot Of
an American nursery. Does it make the