The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-16
THE DOOR,.

Many Persons VIII Persist In Opening the
Wrong One.
In olden times it was said of the
inhabitants of n certain great city
that n large number of them did not
know their right hands from their
left. That was n lamentable state
Of things, and to read of it awakens
an emotion of compassion in the
breasts Of the men and women Of
the more favored nineteenth CEN
fury. But there is reason to believe
that right here in New York city,
as the century is drawing to a close,
there are q goodly number of peo-
pie afflicted in much the same way
as were those of Nineveh in the
long ago.
The number of swinging doors in
this town is legion, and it is a rule
almost without an exception that
where n swinging door is there is
another also. That is to say the law
of tho fitness of things prescribes
that swinging doors go i'll pairs, and
this is true generally no matter
whether the doors swing in one di-
rection or in both. Now, there is a
we'll established rule of the road in
this country. 1t is that when people
meot they should turn out to the
right. If that rulo is founded in
common sense, as it seems to be, it
follows that when ono starts to pass
through a pair of swinging doors
he should take the II on the right
hand rather than the other.
Observation shows, however, that
there are hundreds, yea, thousands,
of mon in this city who consider
this rule more honored in the breach
than the observance. Nor are mon
the only offenders. Many women
are employed in office buildings in
all parts of the city, and they, too,
often manifest lamentable igno-
rance of the principle that oneshould
keep to the right instead of the left.
Why this is thus might be an in
teresting question for the psycholo-
gist. The thing now under consid-
GRAFTON is the salient fact, which
has innumerable illustrations on ev-
cry day of tho week.
1t seems easy enough to do tho
right thing, as easy as the rule laid
down by Sturgeon FOR getting TO
heaven, Turn to the right and keep
straight on" The trouble with
many people is that they persist in
turning to the left when they come
face to face with a pair Of swinging
doors. A plain duty is incumbent
on those who know what ought to
be done in such circumstances. Let
them never depart from the estab-
llshed rule, never take the left hand
door, even if it is swung alluringly
open at the right moment by some
n coming in the opposite dircc-
ton.
That is tho only path of safety.
By walking in it umswervingly
those who have learned the lesson
will be able to exert some educative
influence upon those who go astray
as often as tho opportunity pre-
scnts itself. Let the former not be
discouraged if the influence is small.
The cumulative force Of tho right is
mighty, and one hazards little in
saying that in time tho uso Of the
right hand door will Eccomo univcr-
sal. The present generation may
not 1.-Two to G tho day, but those
who lend Il hand in the accomplish
mont of this reform may rest as
surcd that the triumph of tho cause,
though long delay cd, will be sure.
Keep to the right in meeting pco.
pic on the sidewalk. Above all, keep
to tho right when entering q build
ing or an apartment provided with
swinging doors.-Ncw York Trib-
unn