The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-29

hswe rsny estsnahSe qualities. as well as
those who have few OF none. Peer ard
peasant. lady and waiting z1ssa are In thesr
distinctive ways alike subject % 4. ard
s1s more acute1y they are Affected BY IT,
ne grpatsr : their ss1f-yls-rsssatier ard
loss q ger1zins eSses-u. They nay S1ccaed
n scou2rznx tie N~s-ssrysce c. parasites
TIE gossd optnian of hose whose regard
alone $ worth having.
Hugna. ths historian. n one o. Ais Is
SAYS writes On this suhSecs with lis
usual power ard iuclHty. "A desire az
fame, reputation. Or character with ofa-
ers, = 80 Tar frern being hlsme2AIe that
= seems iDsspzrahle ffSm virtue. genius.
capacity and s. generous or noble asspo-
s1tion- Wherein. tAea. consists
vanity which Is 50 justly regarded
as a faulc or t-nperxecfions Il SeeTus 20
consist chiefly in sGca an }nteu7p0rste dis
Play q CIR advantages, honors and accoaa-
flfsAnzentss In such an iEnportunate and
open demand % praise and admiration. as
IS offensive 20 others. and encroaches too
Tar on theIr secret vanity and ambition
/ Il IS besides sure symptou OF the wanE
Of true dignity and elevation @ mind,
which IS 50 great an ornament in ans
character. For Ehy that impatient desire
( Of applause. Is il you were rot Justly en-
titled 10 L. and might not reasonably eS-
Why SO anxious 90 inform Us OF Inc greaE
company which You have kept: the oblls-
Ing things which were said 20 yous the
hou9rs the distinctions which you met
with: as II these were not things OF course,
and what We could readily. 81 ourselves
/ have imagined. without being told OF
Them
Montzigne says. The corruption Of the
age IS made Up upon the particular con-
tribGtions Of every individual nan. one
contributes treachery, others injustice. r.
religion, tyranny avarice and cruelty, ae-
cording as they are OF power the weaker
/. sort contribute folly. vanity aad idienass.
The word vanity includes within its mean
ing all sorts Of empty delight or frivolous
display. al unsuhstantial pageants and
pleasures whose end IS merely 20 graufy
weak pride, and all the little ostentaUons
which ara intended TO make others think
Of US more highly than we deserve. IL =
derived either from the Anglo-S4xen verb
"fyD-igean." 70 wisheF, 10 fade. 70 pass
away to faint. or from "'wanlan." 10
wane, 70 fail away, sud thus 4 denotes
that which has no substantial basis, but
IS in its nature essentially ephemer2i, de-
lusive and evaneSeent. And Vet observe
the extent 70 which this idle quality is cul-
tivated by almost all classes of mankind.
civilized and unciyilIzed. high and low,
rich ard poor, learned and illi<erate
The naked savage who can display some
paltry object coveted BY others struts as
though he were lord of the universe. We
laugh al the Righteousness OF his vanity.
Yet Ia a thousand ways our own airs and
Alterations are equally absurd. We pride
ourselves upon so many things which are
either not worth possessing. or, If they
are, were not obtained by any merit OF our
own. Stars aud garters. ribbons and dec
orations are not 10 be desplSed when they
, have been won by personal valOr or no.
! bilMy Of conduct. They are then the out
ward and visible signs OF an Inward and
spiritual worthiness. But he who derived
his orders or titles from the merits of an
other. without coming ZIP 10 the standard
CT the original. decks himself in borrowed
plumes TO which he has no moral right.
He resembles clown CARRIED in the man
tie or philosophy. or a pigmy attempting
to bear the burden OF Atlas. But even
worse are they who have obtained their
distinctions by fraud. treschery, vice or
cruelty--the miRions of monarchs. the be-
trayers of the people. the oppressors OF
the poor
We do we'll TO have what IS called "a
proper pride" 10 respect ourselves and to
/ be jealous OF our reputation. because this
conduces 10 rectsfude Of conduct But we
should beware OF being bitten by vanity.
When once its poison enters the soul, there
| is no saying 10 what lengths OF folly we
may be eventually urged. The servant girl
will ape her mistress. her mistress the
next I'm rank. and so on. ad inhnitum-
| The excessive love of dress is a pestiient
vanity. and goes far 10 demoraiize both
sexes II IS, however. peculiarly danger
/ Gus 10 women To dress modestly, and
even well so that II be within our means.
* desirable But to endeavor 10 adorn
ourselves beyond this point, or 70 dress
extravagantly, IS the sure mark OF vain
mind.
=. y,e4
her virtua-a wofnan's noblest Jewef-fcr
| some gaud out OF goldsmith's shop win
! dowi How many a young and inexperi-
| enced girl has been led astray by a passion
for snowy dressi Eve is said to have been
tempted through an apple. Her daughters
are tempted by rings. trinkets and me
clothing. and wear IN public the price OF
their private dsshonor.
II we could only recognize our true
wants. perceiving what is really advan-
taeeous we should avoid much heart
burning and many useless strainings
Happiness and peace of mind come only
with content. and how little is needed TO
satisfy actual requirements well or
dered home: good, plain food; intelligent
surroundings: simple recreations, and a
modest and wornanly demeanor. would
carry all through life with domestic hap
piness and public esteem.
But we are not content with these solid
and permanent blessings. our dress must
be more expensive, our servants more
numerous our eauipagee more striking,
our houses larger. and our furniture more
costly than these Of oar neiRhbers. With
the humber i'm circumstances 10 IS the
same. All ere t0iiing for that which
pronfeth them rot. Husbands and wives
see little Of each other. Parents and
children are often barely acquainted. and
frequently. although in the same house.
DO not meet from weeks end 10 weeks
end. Either the struggles 20 live or The
p~omptings Of ambitious vanity keep the
fathers working from early III late. Thus
their lives pass away unrelieved by the
true Joys OF existence, and unsweetensd
bv necessary leisure. Wen may such
gay. In the words Of the wis
dom OF Solomon; What hath
rrfaa prodted u.s. Or what good
hath riches with our Wanting brought
us? All these things are passed away
Ike a shadow. and as post that hast
eth by: and as a ship THAI pa4sseth over
the waves Of the water. which when It
is gone ny. the trace thereof cannot be
found. neither the pathway OF the keel
in the waves"