Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-12-03
THE HABIT OF PETULANCE.
III Health Anxvcrnble for Seine OF
1t, BAT 1t IN Principally Due
to SeiHxiaucSs.

One Of the minor faults Of humanity
is petulunce. 1T is classcd as minor be
cause it is an exhibition of i'll temper.
based upon petty prcvocation, Eut t is
n major fault, judged by til" &Nncy-
ancc it gives. Men arm themselves to
resist their dangerous cne:i,icS, but are
helpless sufferers from ai.:,,s and mos
qultocs. They resent or receive with
frTtitudc the assaults of bad ,cnuc!,
freely exhibited, but they are almost
helpless when assaulted by pet1,lag7cc.
III health is 10 doubt auswcrable for
4 great deal Of petulancc--its victims
are excused on that accourt-but some
OF 1t is due to utter selfisnnrss ana to
too much indulgence. Some people
grow up with an idc;. that the world
was made fer them; they are pettcd
and INDUCED BY parents or other rela-
tives until they become utterly selfish
and feel perfectly grieved if it should
happen to rain on Il day they had ap-
pointed for picnic, Or if any ether
quite natural impeachment should arise
TO interrupt their erjoymcnts of life.
Such people are, Of course, Dctulant
when they are crossed in any way.
though they may be very agreeable as
long as they can have their desires
gratified. Their agreeable qualities
earn for. them the Indulgence which
helps to make them selfish ard, there
fore, petu!ant. If the day is excessive
~ warm they 90 not stop to consider
hat ii is warm for other people as well
rs for Themselves, but complain about
be- haI- :
ali encouraged. Inconvenience their
friends or relatives that they may tic
relieved Of the common atlliction. They
become i'll tempered, as all people are
inclined to be when rendered unco1n-
Portable By weather conditions, but in
stead o. bearing heir Ills with fortitu.;c
they exhibit their petulance and com
pei those about them to wait upon and
indulge them, if 4 quarrel is to be
avoided.
petulance which has any other origin
than disease should not be allowed to
develop into 4 habit. 1t is better. 10
resist it in the beginning. however DIS
agreed bic The task may be, dian TO en-
courage its growth aud indulgence.
This is only another way OF SAYING hat
one should not encourage the develop
nlent of q selfish spirit in those whom
one loves. Keeping i'll mind the evils
Of q selfish disposition, OF which petll-
lance is a manifestation, and that self
ishness grows by Indulgence, one vie
IS associated With d person Al all in
clined to consider his own pleasure be
yona that Of all other people should he
resisted when he makes any encroacE-
ment upon the rights of others His
pctulance should BE firmly rebuked in
stead of being encouraged by indul-
gence, and he should be made to feel
that he is but one of community en-
titled TO nothing more Cor less) than
all the other members. His petulance
should be resisted not by counter cx-
hibition Of temper, but with such firm
ness that Will give notice that nothing
is to be gained by bad humor The
existence Of petulant humor implies
the existence Of counter Indulgence en-
the part Of some intimate who weakly
yields to exhibitions Of temper, and thus
encourages the development of a bad
habit. While avoiding petulancc in
ourselves, therefore, we should be
equally on our guard against develop
ing it in others by an excess of good
nature. The petulant man or woman
should not be INDUCED in his or her
whins, but be made TO feel that pe;u-
lance is self-irritating and gains neither
sympathy nor relief. Baltimore Sun.
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