The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-02-03
CHARACTER IN THE POCKET.
Lazy People Use Il For Their Hands
While others. as Receptacle.

The use made of the pocket is a
sure indication of character. The man
or woman who confounds its functions
with the domestic tidy Is not more
serio isly at fault than the eccentric
being who mates 1t play the part of
q kit or saddle bag. There are indi-
vidua who seem to carry about in
their pockets all the appliances OF or
binary life and vicissitude; relays OF
handerchiefs. cigar cases, nail scis-
sors, knives. combs, locking glass,
ever pointed pencils, apparatus for ex-
tracing stones from horses shoes,
dictionaries, mariners compasses,
toothpiclts, waterproof coats, travel
ing caps, balls of string. boxes of
matches, telescopes, penny postage
stamps, and, most wonderful of all,
pocket umbrellas.
It is the playful boast of such COM
rlete furnishers that they can go any
where without change of raiment. and
it is easy to believe them. But they
are people TO be admired rather than
initiated. Useful to know, they are
| unpleasant to deal with. One or two
of these human caravans attached to a
party bound for a. foreign cline may
be all very well, but anything In ex-
cess of that proportion is a nuisance.
more particularly as everything the
pedestrian pocket lends or bestows is
doled out with a supercilious courtesy
| which implies as plainly as possible
| that he thinks you ought to carry 1t
yourself.
The primary and only proper pur-
pose of the pocket is to put things in,
not to serve as a receptacle for ilde
hands. A somewhat laborious attempt
| has been made to prove that the boy
who goes about with his hands in his
pockets must needs grow up a dolt.
| II is to be feared that this theory will
| not stand the test of experience. II
all the grown up boys who go about
hands in pockets we're efficient in
point of intellect, the number OF idiots
in the world would be very large in
deed. II is, however, a fact that with
| in moderate limits, and with a certain
| amount of reserve. the habit of using
the pockets as gloves, hand baskets or
warmers. bespeaks an absence of earn
| est business purpose and industry,
which Is not promising quality.
Some people appear to use their
pockets as mufTlers to keep their
hands out of mischief.
Public speakers of certain type.
are much addicted to this practice,
probably an intuitive eXpedient to
save themselves from the danger of
having their attention diverted from
what they are saying by anything
which their unruly extremeties may be
doing. TO Judge from the ungainly
fashion in which the hands of unac-
customed or timid speakers are wont
u crush hats-not always the proper
ty of their masters-and come down
| heavily in the shape of impassioned
pounding on what are familiarly known
as "crow pitches" on the heads of un-
offending auditors, the precaution is
not altogether needless. Particularly
laboriously minded people seem to
| carry their hands in their pockets
whenever they are doing nothing, as
a demonstrative intimation to the
world in general that they have moth
ing to do. The habit has grown up
among sailors, possibly on this princi'
pie. We are all children, and indi-
cate our moods and states of being
and feeling by mannerisms of act and
bearing. Persons of great importance
and conscious wisdom, great authori-
ties, and consulting sort of people,
carry their hands in their pockets, as
who should say, Look at me, my days
of doing are past, am enjoying the
fruits of my labors. am person OF
experience" The elementary idea is
rest from labor.-Golden Penny.