Evening star., 1912-11-06
Just Human.
By DIR. FRANK CRANE.

What does it mean to be-just human?
1t means to love folks; to be drawn
instinctively to any human being; to
gaze on the face of every passer-by with
curiosity: to feel the heart warm little
even when looking at an old portrait in
book Of one who lived 500 years ago;
to have a sense of uneasiness in solitude,
so that one wants to hunt up the sewing
maid or the janitor for bit of talk: to
find pleasure in watching from the VIM
dow the people in the street: to have
every man and woman tempt to ac-
quaintanceship: to see in every room
where people live, something to pique the
imagination: to follow with the eyes
every schoolboy and wonder what home
he comes from. what companionship he
goes to. and what dreams occupy his
soul; to feel awe at every old house, de-
serted and desolate, because human
laughter has rung there; to reverence
every chuch because men have worship
ed there; to feel touch upon the soul
at the sight of name carved on tree,
because human feeling is traced there;
to hate war, because it means the ex-
terrnina tion of men and the spelling OF
mems handiwork; to love human quail
ties in birds, beasts and things, as the
fidelity Of the dog. the playfulness and
affection of the cat, the Whimslca1ty
of the parrot, the dOcility of the horse
and cow. the water that babbles, the
fire that talks and dances, the wind that
sobs
1t means to be touched with pity at all
human misfortune: to have pang shoot
through you when another's finger is
crushed; to shed tears when anothers
heart is broken; to feel saddened at the
thought of the many lives that are dull
and hopeless: to take in ones own mouth
the misery of the multitude; to be shat
tered and rocked in the depths of the
soul at the sight of a prison or mad
house; to seek in ones least words ana
ways to cheer and help any human be-
ing one may meet; to smile against ones
grain for another's sake; to have an un-
conquerable aversion to causing pa1n or
even embarrassment: to avoid drawing
attention to ones own success before the
unsuccessful. to ones own talent De1ore
the ungifted, to ones own health or
beauty before the diseased or ugly; to be
insincere rather than unfeeling, so that
one pretends nightly to enjoy the box
of sweets little child has given, though
one inwardly detests them: to spare the
feelings of the washerwoman as readily
as the feelings of the banker: to seek to
set any one at ease who approaches with
shyness: when one asks the road TO go
with him little way; to treat with
respect all who wish to become acqua1nt-
ed; to be gracious even when In surly
mood; to listen patiently and interested
ly to the egotist. the domineering and the
opinionated and to encourage the hesi-
tant and diffident; to try to find some
points upon which we can agree with
every one; to shun all conflicts and to
seek all fe.lowships; to take some part
in movements for the protection Of the
weak, so that one helps do something In
an organized way for the rights of chill
dren, of laDorers. Of criminals. of the
crippled and the defective. of the COM
mon citizen against systematic plans to
prey upon him.
To respect every human being and to
despise none: to shrink from spelling any
mans ideal or hope; to shun power and
control over people and seek to serve
and help people; to value human soul
above all moralities. religions or laws;
and to esteem life greater than all insti-
tutions.
This it Is to be-just human.