The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-15

have panaceas for all ills on tap
that Is for the ills of others save
our own,
We have advice that is, apparently
infallible for all emergencies-save
those which catch us mapping and
wreak vengeance on us by making
failures of our own cherished schemes
The fact that such failures occur
does not daunt us in our Arm belief
in the value Of our opinion. We think
| we know why other peoples children
are not as well behaved as ours, and
we can set the parents right in the
twinkling of an eye, and with an off
hand zeal which Is irresistible to the
person who takes IN the situation from
the side lines.
We say with emphasis that If such
and such a boy were ours we would
thrash some sense into him-and our
own son does even worse than the one
we deprecate.
We assert that II I'VE had a daugh-
ter who had no more sense than to
ac@ like our neighbours girl we would
shut her up on bread and water" and
perhaps the mother of that girl is for
bidding her to make companion of
our girl because she is so sadly de-
ficient in the right training.
We say that If our husbands did as
does the husband of our neighbor--we
would not live with them for q day.
and our neighbor says to her intimate
friends that sit is no wonder you look
so sad eyed. If she had a husband
who acted like yours she would leave
home and the man across the way
comes and sits on the front porch
and smokes an evening cigar with us,
because "he feels so sorry for old
Blank his wife is such a trial"
We wonder at our public officials
because they allow transgressions of
the law, and when we are elected to
office we are the target for just such
wonderment from others.
We criticise the preacher for his
home life and decide that II does not
harmonize with his preachings and
then outline line of conduct which
is exactly opposite to our own methods
OF life.
Oh, we are amusing creatures--we
humans. We are as many. sided as d
diamond and as variable as its light.
We fash and scintillate in the sun and
are dormant in the shade We display
our little fires for the benefit Of the
public, any shoulder when shut within
our own homes.
What we need Is not SO much iudg
ment and a little more sympathy.
Criticism is not always finding fault
although many seem to regard 1t as a
synonymous term.
We cannot help thinking our way lis
better but we need not offer contrasts
AS / heard a mother In speaking to
her children say, You need not al
ways bring up some fault or virtue
for contrast when praise or blame
you. II / say you do a thing well. /
do not value your performance higher
because you tell me that some one else
does 1t Ill. / find 1t no peasure to
listen to your recital of faults of your
mates, when you wish to emphasize
your own virtues. Try to tell me OF
your good deeds and accomplishments
wishout bringing in the failures and
faults Of others as background. /
love you for many reasons, but you
viii find that love you just as well
IL you leave all that out"
In other words do not try to improve
your virtues by always contrasting
them with somebody's vices. Grey
will look white when contrasted with
black. but 1t will still be grey. Don't
forget that and cultivate tolerance
and moderation In Judging as well as
in giving advice.