The Washington herald., 1909-06-20
SERMON ON TRIFLES
By THE SOCIAL ARBITER

them suited the spoiled child at the head
/ of the table. and all Of them met the
same fate as did the coffee. with the re-
suit that the complaining Benedict was
| forced TO betake himself 10 the club and
I breakfast alone. The next morning peace
| reigned at the breakfast table In that
/ household, everything was delicious. and
everything pleased the master. Indeed,
/ there was never a speedier cure effected,
/ and whenever the converted grumbler
gave signs OF lapsing into his old habits.
his wife had only 10 call Jane" and he
would Immediately become good again.
! That Is what I mean by disturbing one
self and everybody else about one in
railing at triies. Suppose the coffee is
not quite as clear as il might be: sup
pose the toast Is bit too brown: suppose
I the eggs were IN the water a second or
| two longer than they should have been.
/ Is that any reason for stirring up the
whole family. driving the servants 10
mutiny. and your wife to despair? A
word aside to the housekeeper Is a much
saner and more efficacious way OF deal
/ ing with such trifes, for Il you are the
] only one Inconvenience Il is a trifie. II
| is only when you inconvenience others
| that matters become grave. Do not for
a moment imagine that am advocating
| such self-abnegation as the wearing or
a haircioth shirt or a lnOtted rope.
/ Every one should get everything he can
out OF life. but he has no right to fuss
and fume and put others in a stew over
I insignificant things that make no very
/ great difference anyway, and are not to
/ be weighed against the comfort OF peo-
pie who are dependent upon him for their
happiness
II is as bad 10 belittle great things as
/ II is 10 make trihes assume the proper
tions Of great things. I overheard a
mother the other day demonstrating with
her sixteen-year-old daughter because she
had not risen from her chair when her
grandmother came into the room The
girl was indignant at the lecture. why.
mamma" she asked, why are you max
ing such a fuss over a mere trihe?"
Now such disreSpect 10 an older person.
above all, when that person held the dig
nified relation Of grandmother TO the sin
ner. was not a mere trife." on the con-
trary. il was a grave affair, for there is
nothing more reprehensible in the young
than lack OF consideration for their elders
nothing more beautiful than difference 70
them. Some of the other things that this
young girl classed as trifies were 20 be
only a little late" for an engagement,
10 break an engagement without giving
due notice and for insufficient reasons. to
/ neglect TO say good morning when first
/ appearing for the day and 10 omit the
gracious please" and thank you" In
asking or accepting a service. These are
all matters OF Importance, just as the oil
on the wheels OF machinery is important,
without which there would be such frlc-
ton that the machinery could not per
| form its function. SO in life, there IS the
greatest friction. discomfort 70 oneself.
and discomfort 10 others when these lit
tie courtesies are brushed aside as triies.
Not long ago a little grill say little
{ girl. for I have known her since kinder
garten days. but she has already passed
/ her twentieth birthday-lost the diamond
| setting from a ring a gift from her
mother. who had worn II as a girl. A
/ dnigent search failed TO discover the
stone. and when she found that II was
/ irrecoverably lost that child set up such
! a weeping and wailing that her mother
I was shocked by her lack OF self-controL
/ Nellie, how can you make such a
scene over a trife?' she asked
- trife2" shrieked Nellie. a trihe?
/ A
that you wore before I was born, a
| triheg"
Yes, a triie," replied her mother, "a
mere trifle when compared 70 your hys-
terra Il is most unfortunate that you
have lost the diamond. but there are
other diamonds, and. after all. diamonds
/ are not absolutely necessary for right liv-
/ ing, but dignity and self-control are. and
/ I would much rather lose every jewel
/ have than to see you lose command
OF yourself That is a painful tragedy
and disappointment TO me before which
the loss OF any material thing would
! seem Insignificant"
! Her mothers obvious pain and indig-
nation sobered the girl and calm was
soon restored, although the diamond was
not found. but If its loss has taught its
owner a lesson in self-control. It IS well
lost. And so the sermon ends with this
admonition: make light Of trihes, but be
sure you understand Just what a trifie is.
To lose diamond Is a triae even II you
never expect 70 be so fortunate as 10
possess another. but TO lose your temper
and your self-control are mighty matter
that you should pay instant heed 20, for
| ''Vincit qui Sc vincit."