The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-26
EVENING CHIT
By RUTH CAMERON

If anyone who had a physical deformity
knew that by a reasonable degree OF SELF
control and government he could
cause that bIemish to grow less and per
haps finally disappear, so that he could
be just like other people, wouldn't ne
make every effort to bring about that
happy result?
But how many people there are, marked
out from their fellow beings by menta.
deformities as ugly and as evident as any
physical malformations, who do not
make the slightest effort to become nor
NAL but even deliberately feed and aS-
gravate their deformitiesi
And vet the physical deformity seldom
seriously saddens more than one life,
while the mental deformity almost always
binders the happiness, not only OF the
one who is afflicted with 1t, but OF all
who have to live with him.
1 am thinking of woman VINO mas a
hideously overgroWn bump OF caulioh
She was born with it, just as IL she had
been born with six fingers on one mana OF a
physical defornity. But, whereas, II she
had the physical defect L am sure she
would willingly undergo the most painful
operation, or give every cent she mad 10
be rid of it, l don't think she has ever
made the slightest attempt to reduce her
mental deformity. And Tar from DelnS
such a comparatively unimportant thing
&c a sllnerfIIlity of fingers this malformS-
ton continually interferes with the happ;-
ness and ease and comfort. not only OF It's
victim, but of her whole 1aInlly. II naS
spoiled innumerable pleasure excursions
by the obstacles and precautions with
which it strews the path OF every plan
1t has kept her husband from many ny
fused to allow the daughter to nave hsr
dearest wish of going away to college,
because 1 should be worried Tor rear
something was the matter with you all
the time YOU were gone 1t has denied
her son half the normal pleasures or BOY
hood during his minority, and caused per .
petuaI discord in tine family as soon as
he was old enough to defy this UNJUST
and calling parental restraint =
This woman knows that other people 90
not feel about these things as she does
She knows that her point of view is ao-
normal just as she would know that 70
have six fingers when other people nave
five is not normal And yet she reels no
sensitiveness in regard to her mental de-
formity no desire to hide 1t, no longing
to be like other people. On the contrary,
she apparently thinks the rest OF inc
Notwithstanding effort to force her
standards on all with whom she comes
in contact.
admitted in her youth that this override
velopment bump of caution was a de-
formity, and had deliberately tried to con-
uuer it. she could have at least gotten it
under control Instead she has never put
up the slightest fight against 1t. and this
hideous happiness-spoiling mental de-
formity has increased steadily, every year
of her life spelling more happiness and
making more trouble.
A great many of us-I might almost say
the majOr1ty-are born with some IeIlu-
encv far in excess of what it should be-
1t may be love of admiration, it may be
sensuousness. it may be caution, 1T may
be impulsiveness but whatever it is, this
incipient abnormality has within itself
the possibility of spelling infinite happi-
ness-our own and others.
Now if parents would only look at such
an excess as an actual deformity, to over
come which no sacrifice is too great, and
would teach their children as
they are old enough, to feel the same.
how much unhappiness the world might
be saved.