The times., 1901-03-16

On the whist page of New York Sun
day paper is to be found this bit Of re-
fection:
''The pity Of It all is that 50 many people can
not play bridge without forgetting their man
hers and losing their NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. terms
and there IS danger a. the excitement grows
apace OF deadly feuds arising IN hitherto we'll
regulated sets Some women and men also be
II understood. can never learn 10 lose gracefully
and as bridge is . game where ones partner
can make or lose ones hand, there is a fine chance
for the display Of self-cOntrOl vice versa.
Most sbsurdly childish in review are many Of the
fierce squabbles, often ending IN tears of rage
when hand il lost and It would be more than
human endurance that could remain unmoved un-
der the accusations OF incompetence, 10 put it
mildly, that are hurled across the table
This is rather funny. and rather pa
thetic, too. when one comes TO think of
it. The idea Of two rational, adult
human beings getting into a fuss and
fret over so trivial matter as a game
Of cards makes one inclined to be
ashamed Of the species. Yet these things
undoubtedly do happen. 4 recent book
on whist warns its readers sOIennly
against losing their tempers or abusing
their partners.
But, after all, Quarrels frequently do
begin with small mishaps and disagree
frettiug over things not worth moments
thought. and who make a whole house
hold miserable for half day if some
tiny matter Of detail goes wrong. The
queer part Of fl is that they usually seem
70 consider their temperament particu-
larry admirable. Sometimes they put il
on religious grounds, asseverating that
the little things are most important and
sometimes they claim TO have a sensitive,
artistic temperament which makes them
suffer more than other mortals when
anything is not right. The suffering of
/ other people under the whirlwind of
wrath. grief, or contempt which emanates
from the aforesaid sensitive and tor
mented soul is something which is appar-
emily not worth considering. There is no
barometer by which the comparative
misery Of human beings can be measured
and it will probably never be known.
this side Of the Judgment day. which
suffered most from the artistic tempera-
ment, the person who had it or those who
were obliged 10 live with that person and
were so unfortunate perhaps as to
love him.
There is a shrewd suspicion in the
minds Of some canny observers, however,
that the trouble is not with the general
crookedness Of things and the sensitive
ness Of certain souls, so much as with a
general lack Of larPeness Of soul and
vision. II is possible If one so desires
to attain to a calmness and generosity
Of nature which Will be above all these
small annoyances. or viii recognize them
for what they are, things which may
cause momeutary irritability. but are not
worth permanent disquiet Moreover If
one really cannot control himsr-r in play
ing whist, or doing any other thing not
absolutely necessary, if he finds that
every time ne INDUCES iu # his temper
is so aroused by trivial happening as
60 bc practically uncomfortable, the only
wise course for him TO pursue is
TO avoid the occupation. There is no
virtue in doing a thing which makes one
cross, when there are so many things 10
do which do not have that effect 1t
would be just as sensible to eat a piece
Of mince pie with the full knowledge that
fit Of dyspepsia would be the conse-
quence as TO place ones self in position
where irritability was the inevitable and
necessary state Of mind. There are
plenty Of things which are unpleasant in
this world without anyone hunting for
them. it is not necessary either 10 dodge
pain or to seek It: ~ne Fates generally
take care that one has as much as is
good for health. The theory that one
should court unpleasantness for some
fancied moral effect Is responsible for
more bad temper than most other mis-
chievous theories in the world Morbid
people have refused to remove themselves
from unpleasant circumstances; thought
less or cail0us persons have refused to
remove unpleasantness, all because OF
this mistaken notion that irritability,