The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-03-11
TO BE CONTINUED.
HOW TO LIVE WITH OTHERS,
De Always COnsiderate In Speech
and Deed,

.
De Always Considerate in Speech
and Deed.
The world is not altogether what we
should like it to be, and life with the
best of men is one long struggle to
remedy and overcome its imperfec-
tions. People have to make allowances
for deficiencies and drawbacks. The
farmer asks science to help the power
ty of the soil. The mariner knows
that the needle is apt to vary, and cal
culates accordingly. The artist in pre-
cious metals, when he discovers that
pure gold is too soft for his work, does
not throw it aside, but hardens it with
alloy. To make the best of men and
things is a sensible philosophy of life.
Fuming, fretting and fault-fnding do
no good, but much harm, to all the
parties affected by it. LET your con-
siderateness be known unto all men,"
is an apostolic axiom which casts oil
upon the troubled waters of contro-
versy, and so softens the wheels of our
complex social machinery that they
run easily and well.
To be always considerate is some
what difficult. We get impatient and
irritable when the prejudices and fol-
lies of other people disturb our plans
and give us what we think unnecessary
trouble. To preserve the spirit of cour-
tesy in presence of annoying imperfec-
tions is often hard. The dull and obtuse
man who is constantly misunderstood
ing what you say or what you tell him
to do is a bore on whom you feel in
clined to launch the thunderbolts of
your wrath every day. But his very
stupidity has a pathetic plea on your
patience which should restrain your
anger and exercise your forbearance.
DR.. Arnold never forgot the fearful pro-
test of the dull scholar who looked up
into his face and sobbed: "Why are
you angry, sir? l am doing my best"
The great teacher was a Christian gem
tleman. He begged the lads pardon
and ever remembered the rebuke in his
eagerness for the young mind to I'M
fold. So you must be gentle and endur-
ing with your stupid friends mistakes,
even should they be mistakes which
have been a hundred times corrected.
You cannot sting him into cleverness.
If you and he are to live and work to-
gether, the sooner you accept him for
what he is the better it will be for both
parties.
Be considerate of the feelings of 9TH
er people in your conversation. Table
talk at restaurants is often source
of misery to sensitive minds. Many
women speak with each other in entire
forgetfulness of the fact that stran-
gers are present, and what they say is
governed neither by prudence nor by
kindness. The following incident may
be taken as type of many like unto it:
A young man was partaking of a boiled
rabbit in a London restaurant with evil
dent relish. At the opposite side of the
table were two stout middle-aged Ia
dies, who had just finished a dish of
outlets. 81 don't think much of those
outlets" said one, ''but, anyhow, they
are better than rabbits. How anyone
can eat rabbit is mystery to me-"
The inoffensive young man glanced
nervously at the lady, whose eyes were
fixed sternly on his plate. "Boiled rab-
bit, my dear; no, | could never touch
one"-the tormentor went glibly on
"after that rabbit in Church street.
Don't you remember? Yes, you never
can forget" The unfortunate young
man had ordered his dinner and had to
make the best of it, but the look of
gentle satisfaction faded from his face
and his misery was evident. 1t is pos
tive cruelty as well as extremely bad
taste to ventilate ones opinions about
certain dishes in the hearing of parties
who are engaged in discussing the con-
tents of these dishes.
The true gentleman is always consid-
crate in speech and deed. Courtesy is
more thing of the heart than of con-
ventional politeness. 1t is a neglected
virtue in our days of haste and selfish
striving. The law of the survival of the
fittest so presses men that they push
to the wall their weak and weary brcth-
rem instead of speaking kind word
and holding out the helpful hand which
will send them on their way with new
courage. Your own personal interests
are not the only set of interests to be
taken into account. Look not every
man on his own things, but every man
also on the things of others" Take
into consideration the case of the
feeble, the fallen round about you, and
by sharing their burden divide it's
weight and double the strength to bear
it. Practical sympathy can, at the cost
of little self-denial, do much to
sweeten and brighten the pathway of
life for pilgrims, who need every cup of
cold water they can get. Such mercy !
is twice blcst''-it "blcsseth him that |
gives" as well as him that takes."-N,
Y. Ledger.