The copper era., 1904-06-23
IRREVERENCE.
Written for the ETA.

the very soul or things. It renQeFs
 them ridiculous and ignominiou-. It
 is not al ways d mark O. illiteracy. l
 have known many persons Of obscure
 and humble bree ling who were as free
 whose inner ligh: shone as brilliantly as the effervescing shafts Of 4 great
 crystal chalicc illumining the shadows.
 On the other hand women from differ- ent grades Of more pretentious society are guilty Of small offen5es toward their fellowbeings, though quite un- consciously. The manner and meth ods employed by which they break the ethical laws condemning themselves to the rank, Of the vulgar are legion would be difficult to enumerate or 70 classify, though all are bad.
 One of the most o1ious is the habit oi dissecting each acquaintance and dragging forth into the glarin2 light. every Oddity, mannerism. peculiarity of dress and style, real, or fancied. In this respect, young women, particu- larly are indiscreet and should learn early in life that d complaint of any undue levtv which makes indeljble auother's idiosyncrasies is always Ob
 noxious to the cultivated mind. and q social crime sure to be punished hy
 ostracism.
 prize among mY acquaintances
 that of a dear old lady, one Of unusual
 mental brilliancy, but best Of all she is noble and sell sacrificing and has marked an epoch in the live. Of scores of young people. Among her youth ful admirers-being also an envied favorite-was certain young lady who was almost inse eperable om her. In the harness Of q busy caree" likely the old lady had not found time to preserve her physical attraction or perhaps had unfortunately met with an accident. Howsoever, our young wig. This fact she made food To" jocular conversation when ever the old ladv's name was mentioned.
 am sure she did not mean to be un- kind yet she typefies an eddy in the l. great maelstrom of humanity who judge entirely by appearances one whose heart cannot be warned by the . undying glow of a great soul nor the ] stimulee Of d powerful intellect before l. whom all physical defects should van ish as the dews dissolve in the sun light.
 It is in losing si9ht Of strict conven- tionalitiss and turning ones attention to the inner forces that are tireleseiy crushing and refining the gold in lifc's machinery to be spun in the looms Of the master which shall make Us all akin in the eternal fabric of love and sympathy, and the richness of its pat tern shall determine whether We have contributed the best We had to give.
 I have said "conventiOnalities' ad | visedly for we should always be con ventiOnal enough to prevent ourselves ! eccentric md gro l tesque and to dignity all sense of | and attractive the great attributes | with which we have been endowed, thus promoting the happiness of others. And revealing secrets. the sacred trusts of friendship and the brutalities of extreme candor, and never letting opportunities slip that can be utilized for the purpose of ap- prisiug another of something disagree able, au unkind criticism, or perhaps some occurrence not intended for them to know, and which could not possibly benefit, could only cause annovances and III feeling. No lie has been so barren that it has not been coloured by the friendships characterized by loyalty and simple truth. These are its oasis. How we revere their memory, What flood of indcsc~ib- able emotions bcseige Us when We re- call them.
 Nor do nanimatc objects escape these sacrilegious methods. Library books receive their share of ill usage. Books that should be reverend, the fruits Of genuis are often scared from contact with hot curling irons, and whole pages are underlined and re- destroying ali scmblance of the authors igiual inte ption.
 When once irreverences-of what ever varietv-are permitted to thrive, they destroy the charm of personality and social facinations steal the dignity ot individuality and bars the gates to charming, self respecting woman hood.
 There are few Of Us if any, but what possess some quality which reduces the valuation of true merit. Heredi tary may be the cause. It Is no eX- cuse, whether it shall drag us into the mire of degeneracy or whether We shall race ahead in the process of evolution is the problem which deter mines the happy, useful career.
 To eradicate these short comings it requires unceasing effort on our part. And how can we accomplish this di- vine regeneration or set an example for those who offend our sensibilities if we continue to live on the surface and never delve into the surging un- dercurreuts, the motive power of all