The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-05
says UNCLE CIV

Pity him that Is "touchy," for he
is a perambulating tragedy. In point
of good, everyday, dividend-paying,
| cheer-producing serviceableness, the
virtues of forbearance and self-control
are the most valuable in the category.
Ry the same token, he that is without
them is Door, indeed. For though he
have goods and lands, and high place
and many honors, he takes no pleas
ure in them. There is for him no
ointment without a fly, no gem with
out flaw. And the Ioucny pefsOn
lacks both.
Ordinarily the "touchy'' person is
suffering from inffamed ego. He can
not forget himself long enough to be
happy. He is the prey of fancied
sights and imaginary affronts, which
destroy his peace of mind. He is
given to worrying over trif1es and 1t
is his habit to find the earth filled with
weeds rather than flowers, men given
to vice rather than virtue. His neigh
Dor may do him a thousand kindnesses,
which would bring happiness to the
normal being, but a moments thought
lessness, an hours seeming ind1ner-
ence, or an accidental injury is trans
lated by the supersensitive mind into
a wrong that wipes out the score of
friendship.
Thus, in a world that is full of hap
piness and possibilities of happiness,
the "touchy" one lives in an atmos-
phere of perpetual, feverish gloom His
golden apples turn to dust because his
perpetually infiamed egotiSm has
learned neither to bear nor forbear.
He is as unstable as nitroglycerin and
a good deal more deadly. His mind is
a breeding place for blue devils, which
are constantly injecting the minds of
his healthier associates. He does not
know the meaning of sympathy, except
when it is expressed for him. and even
then he finds somewhere in it an ir-
ritant. He is considerate of others only
by fits and starts, and If their graft
tude be not constant and overwheln-
ing he is presently unhappy because he
can find no gratitude in the world
Happiness, except of a hystertcal char
acter, Is impossible to h1m-he's a traS-
edy.
If you are "touchy'' your first and
most important business in life is to
find a cure for it. In your present
condition you are your own worst
enemy and a menace to society. You
daily undo the work of those who
are trying to make the world better
and happier. You'd better be a walk
ing typhoid culture and infect every
thing with which you come into con-
tact with the germs of death. You'd
do less harm in the long run
What you need is to think Of 9TH
ers for awhile and forget yourself.
There's nothing so good for an in
famed ego as to be forgotten. Con-
slant introspection is a most danger
Gus kind of irritant. Remember that
others have rights-and feelings.
little sympathy and consideration for
your neighbors is as good a poultice
as you can apply to your own sore
spots. When you become concerned
about your duty to your neighbors, you
will begin to understand that not ev
cry one who appears careless or in
different, or even inimical. is bent upon
doing you an injury. You forget to
pay feverish attention to trif1es and
develop the virtues of forbearance.
With forbearance, her sister virtue,
self-control. goes hand in hand, and
he that possesses both is well on the
road to misunderstanding 1912,
by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate-)