The Eddy current., 1898-04-23

Poiats - Eessmbiaaes aaa DiGereaes
Betwsen Them.
"The vain man IL deslrous that peo-
pie shall think wer N him; the con-
ceited man iG convinced that they do"
The definition, or words 70 the pama
effect, IA from contemporary, says
writer In the Pail Mall Gazette. IL
struck me o. apt and set me ponder
ing. passing my friends and acquaint-
anc~a IN review. and sorting them Into
the galn and the concelted. II agrees,
too, with another remark on the sub
iect that have always held to bB true
that concelt is the vice OF tho thick
skinned while vanity II the weakness
OF the thln-sklnned. Most estlmablo
people are either concolied or vain.
Many praiseworthy individuals are
both. Vanity IL more easily detected
than concelt. II lies In the skin, and
ls a. plain to be seen as the measles.
You cannot be FIVE minutes In the room
with a vain man and not know him to
be vain. In his gestures, In his most
trivial remarks In the expression OF his
face. he bctrays himself at every mo-
ment as a vain man. Conceit, lying
beneath the skln-and thick skin az
frequently escapes detection. You
may be days. nay weeks. In the com
pany OF one whose interior economy ia
one solid mass OF conceit. and not dis
cover Il. II may be your lot 10 be
staggered by n sudden revelation OF uf-
fathomable conceit In one whom you
have hitherto regarded as tho most
humble-minded Of your ncquaintances.
The vain man Is a pleasant companion
In many ways. lie Is eager for your
good opinion and shows you that he
thinks II worth having lie goes 20
meet you half way with his intellect.
and, being always mentally on the
alert, II quick TO apprehond your mean
ing. You have not to prod him with
your wit or rub your ubletlea In. lie
goes forward and catches them In the
air before they have well left your own
brain. But he Is so sensitive. 30
"touchy," that you must be on your
guard, or you will be perpetually hurt
ing his feelings or wOundlng his van
ity. Long companiOnship with the
vain tends to make one nervous and
irritable. One cannot always be mind
ing ones p's and as. There are times
when one must let oneself go. When
this state OF mind comes upon one,
there II no greater relief than TO find
oneself In the company OF the conceit-
ed You may say anything you please
and rest assured that though they may
not understand II, at least they will
not take ofiense Even II you wish 10
offend them you cannot do so with your
ordinary weapons OF sarcasm and
Irony. In spite OF all you can do or
say 10 the contrary, they will believe
that you think we'll OF them. How can
you do otherwise they would say to
themselves II the question arose, when
they are so deserving OF your good
opinion? When their complacent self
satisfaction becomes n source OF irrlta-
tion, 80 that one longs 10 send n har-
poon through their hlppopotamus hide,
10 wound their self-esteem, then how
delightful Il Is 20 find oneself back
again and conyerslng with the vain.
One thing has sometimes surprised mo
I'm the concelted. II. carried away by
the desire TO pierce their inpenotrable
self-esteem, one hurls unmeasured
abuse at their heads. or thrusts deep
with a vicious home-truth. they will
receive II with amiable humility that
IL almost touching. Indeed. these thick
skinned, concelted folk seem capable
at times land under provocatlon) OF
humility as deep as their conceit ls
| sublime.