The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-07

them carefully. get a little better acquainted
with them. and you will see persons who de-
mand everything Of the world and circum-
stances but have no sense Of giving anything
much in return.
Perhaps some one has written fable about
the optimistic mole and the pessimistic butt
terhy. II no one has. It might be done. Com
pare the two. The one works forever in the
dark and possibly is happy because 1t knows
no better, but mole-iike men often know
many things. The other is all a thing OF
light and color and freedom to move through
the air or rest on the fairest blossom Per-
haps 1t can remember its change from the
worm which worked almost as obscurely as
the mole, and yet It may be far from con-
tented People who have changed from pow
erty to great riches have often been the most
unhappy Of beings. Circumstances alone do
not make a man happy or miserable. except
on occasion. There Is something within
himself that does that.
q =
Few Can Float Downstream.
II is given to but few men to have the priv
flege or misfortune-it may be either-to float
forever downstream. After a few miles
there must be a return and the circumsta ice
represented by the pull upstream is quite a
different thing from the flowing with. OF
course the philosopher says he has had his
fun, and he Will now take his medicine. He
did not need to go downstream, perhaps but
since he went he now has resolution enough
to pull back without complaint. although he
may puff pretty hard. Some OF the untoward
and uncomfortable circumstances over
which men lament the loudest are Of their
own making. How pitiful il Is then. that
they have not dignity enough to take the
punishment that is truly coming. to them.
mo change Of circumstance can repair q
defect OF character" says Emerson. Some
one else has remarked, perhaps too senten-
tiously and with undue decidedness, that we
never change our characters, only our man
ners We must acknowledge that some IA
vorable trait Of character which may have
been entirely dormant has often been
brought out In a man by change. Those
who believe IN the all-conquering power
of circumstances for good have trust
worthy evidence biological. physiological.
and psychological, that some change of con-
dition Will bring out stores of energy which
ordinary stimuli have not sufficed to reach.
perhaps have inhibited. Unusual combi-
nations OF circumstances" says one of the
Harvard psychologists. radical changes of
environment, often unloose the inhibitions
brought about by the habitual narrow range
of mans interests and surroundings. Such
unloosening OF inhibitions helps to release
fresh supplies Of reserve energyI'
There is an opposite aspect OF what certain
circumstances may do to a man. what they
not infrequently have done. hence the spring
ing up Of such maxims as a man is known by
the company he keeps. evil connections cor
ell says that The rapidly with which the hu-
man mind levels itself to tine standard around
1t gives US the most pertinent warning as TO
the company we keep. It is as hard for moet
characters to stay at their own average point
in all companies as for thermometer TO stay
at sixty-five degrees for twenty-four hours
together"