The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1908-04-30
DESIRE OF DISTINCTION.
Quaint Illustration of Peculi ar
Phase of Human Nature.

Fnase OF truman Nature.
In doc Gordon" BIZ Mary E. vii.
kins- Freeman. is quaint illustration
of peculiar phase of human nature.
1t develops with the visits Of the two !.
doctors to their poorer patients:
James drove all the morning with
DR.. Gordon about the New Jersey
country. The country people We're
either saturnine with an odd shyness.
which hnd something almost hostile in
it. or they were effusively hospita Bile
forcing apple jack upon the two doc
tors. James was much struck by the
curious unconcern shown by the ren-
tives of the patients and even by the
patients themselves. In only one case.
that of child suffering from n bad
case of measles, was much interest
evinced. The majority of the patients
were the very old and middle aged.
and they discussed and heard discussed
their symptoms with much the same
attitude as they might have discussed
the mechanism of a wooden doll. If
any emotion was shown, it was that
of a singular inverted pride, Il had a
terrible night. doctor" said one Old
woman. and q smirll of self conceit
was over her ancient face. Yes, moth
er did have an awful night" said her
married daughter. with triumphant
expression. Even the children cluster
ing about the doctor looked uncon-
sciously proud because their Old grand
mother had had an awful night. The
call of the two doctors at the house
was positively hilarious. Quantities of
old apple jack were forced upon them.
The Old woman in the adjoining bed
room. although she was evidently suf
| fering, kept calling out a feeble joke in
her cackling old voice.
"Those people seem positively elated
| because that old soul is sick" said
James when he and the doctor were
again in the buggy.
"They are" said DR.. Gordon; "even
the old woman herself. who knows well
enough that she has not long to live.
Did you ever think that the desire of
distinction was one of the most. per-
haps the most, intense purely spiritual
emotion of the human soul? Look at
the way these people live here. grub
bling away at the soil like ants. The
most of them have in their lives just
three ways of attracting notice, the
momentary consideration of their kind
birth. marriage. sickness and death
With the first they are hardly actively
concerned; even with the second many
have nothing to do. There are more
women than men. rs usual and. al
though the women want to marry. oil
the men do not There remains only
sickness and death for a standby. so tC
speak. If one Of them is really sick
and dies. the people are aroused tC
take notice. The sick person and tn,
corpse have Il certain state and dignity
which they have never attained before
Why. bless you. man. have one pa
tient. middle aged woman. who has
been laid up for years with rheuma
tism. and she is fairly vainglorious. an(
so is her mother. She brags of her in
valid daughter. If she had been mere
~ an old maid on her hands. she would
have been ashamed of her. and the wo
man herself would have been sour anG
discontinued. But she has fairly mar
ried rheumatism. 1t has been to her as
a husband and children. ! tell YOU
young man, one has to have his little
footstool of elevation among his fel
lows. even If 1t is a mighty queer one
or he loses his self respect. and sell
t respect Is the best jewel we have"