The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-11-15
Criticising Other Peoples
Happiness.

One mans meat is another
mans poison" does not sound
like a very important proverb,
but | often wish most heartily
that more of us could get the
gist of it into our attitude toward
life.
For there are a great many
people in the world who contin-
ually disturb themselves because
other people will not find happi-
ness in just the way they do.
Apparently such people would
ra her see their friends poisoned
by that which is meat to them
selves than fed by that which
happens to be their poison.
One woman in my acquaint-
ance never fails to introduce in.
to every talk l have with her a
petulant criticism Of the way in
which one of her girlhood friends
finds happiness: Il really don't
see how Janet can be happy way
|out in the country out of touch
with everything" is the burden
Iof her plant: 81 think it is out
rageous for her to bury herself
like that
Now Janet is fond of country
life md is undoubtedly very hap
Ipy, and yet / do not doubt that if
her critic had the ordering of
things, she would force the CITY
life, which is meat to herself
upon her friend, to whom it
would probably be poison.
One girl can not understand
how another girl is willing TO
wear cheap and unattract;ve
|clothes and go without ali The
little day to day luxuries for the
lsake of taking some exnensive
trip once a year; and the critics.
ed one in her turn complains be-
cause her critic spends most Of
Iher alary on pretty Clothes and
lesser luxuries and can never af-
ford to indulge in travel
Again Mrs. R. is always telling
anyon. who will listen how fool
ish it is for the SIS To Leen .
maid when it is evident by the
simplicity Of their clothes and
their general manner Of living
that they can not afford it. AS
\ matter of actual fact, the ser.
vices of maid are necessary to
the continued health of the little
house. mother, and commemorative
the family consider the money
well spent, even if it does neces
state Scrlmping in some other
directions.
AS 1T happens, the SIS are not
the KIND Of people who are fret
tea when they see other folks
nndlng hapoines, in some direc.
ton other than their own, and
$50 they do not return the critic
ism, but there are people who
frequently declare that they can
not see how the RS can be hap
py In such a cooped up apart
mentt, even if it is in the most
fashionable part of the city.
Love affairs always bring forth
perfect deluge of such criticism
we can not understand what she
sees in him; or if he happens to
suit us, we can not make out how
ne should be satisfied with her.
And so it goes-we can not be-
content to want what we want
and try to get it: we also want
everyone else to want it and
think they are in some way lack.
ling if they do not.
And yet. stop to think a mo-
ment. If you could, would you
have things different? Would
you want everyone tothink alike?
Wouldn't that soon become mo-
notonous? Of course it would.
And inconvenient into the bar
gain. when the law Of supply ard
demand began to work. Sup
pose you remember this the next
time you feel inclined to criticise
your neighbor's way of being
happy, and try to be content
with choosing your own happi-
ness.