The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-10
Sympathy
A Test of Character
By Virginia Terhune Van De
Water.
uTM LOTS more sorry for peo-
pie In t'ouble than ] am
glad for people in good
luck.' declared blunt

Eou uou IeJoice Wltn tueIu 50
thoroughly.
No. y was the honest reply.
1t g because | alwavs, away
down in my heart. contrast the for
tunate chaps condition with mine.
and that prevents my loy for him
being as wholesome and big as
would be my pity for him were he
In trouble | suppose. after all,
1T is because iDstinetively one
draws comparisons between ones
own luck and that of the other
fellow
The remark was painfully true
with regard to human nature in
general.
"'I never knew" said one
woman. how much good there
was in human nature until / was
in trouble.
and L." said another, "never
appreciated how much mean and
petty envy there was in human
nature until ] had a stroke Of
good luck. -
The last speaker had had more
than her share of hard times. fl
nancial straits and wearing disap-
pointments, and through them al
her friends had been glad to help
her when they could. But now
she was smarting under the first
appreciation OF the fact that there
are some people who find it easier
to mourn with those who mourn
than TO rejoice with those who re-
loice. The friends who had felt
a pleasure, glow of selfright.
eous content in helping her over
her difficulties and in playing
Lady Bountiful TO her in her neces-
sites found it not altogether
pleasant to see her fortunes soar
ing above their own.
''Don t. lei your head he turned
by your success. a friend warned
one who, after Il quarter century Of
patient. unrecognlzed labor. was
beginning 10 come into his own.
There is no danger was the
grave reply. "There are always
some people standing ready with
lamps of mud 10 hit that same head
if il rises too high above the stag
Dant sea Of the commonplace.
This is not al pessimism or
cynicism. In the nature of the
average person there is for mis-
fortune pity that is almost Ill
vine. and sorrow aud suffering
draw it forth II speaks we'll for
MS men and women that the trou
bic of our ncighbors actually mars
our own happiness, coming between
us and our pleasant occupations,
giving us a genuine heart ache
when We remember the friend who
sits in the shadow while we revei
IN the sunlight. And vet. when we
look at the other side oF the pie
ture, we cannot denv that there are
persons who do not sympatbi2e as
generously with those who are hanpy
as with those who are sad The
very Joy and light heartedness OF
the carc.free sometimes brings into
sharper relief our less fortunate
estate. their freedom from heavy
burdens reminds us of the weight
Of those we must bear. II takes n
nature of unusual generosity aph
nobility 10 he glad for the friend
who is passing one on one s up
ward climb. Somehow, we saw. il
is not fair. Havo WE not worked,
have WE pot toilod. have WE not
fought?
Yes, and so has the other person,
We mav never have seen the strug-
gle, but it was there. Nobody in
this world ever gets anything that
is worth while for nothing; ono
must always pay some price for
one S success. We need not fear
that thu successful woman Will not
GET call that is coming 20 her OF
diSappoiniments and dlsillusion'
menis. n may not core in one way,
but ii comes IN another.
! heard woman whose lie has
been a series of sorrows sympathy
ing with ono who had inst been
through what seemeu Ia me rath
er light afTliutiou. Later ] asked
my friend how she. with all her
own suffering. could be so sweetly
compa ssionate for the other woman
whose trouble was triflipg com
pared with her own woes.
"Mv dear. she said. try A..
always tu,remember that cach hut
man beings own sorrow i luSt as
much as she feels she can scar Mt
that particular time When YOU
appreciate that fact You will never
say 10 any one; Ny troubles are
ureater than YOURS.
She had learned great truth.
And since there is so much disap'
Iointment that each of MS mus
bear. why let feeling Of petty
envy, OF of unfulflled longing,
make Us so small that we knowing
lv put briar in the way ot the
friend who rs running IN tine PAIN
along which we are stumbling
Il suppose you are rather
proud. - said one artist 10 another,
'hecmse the Blank msgaziue has
niNcn you so much illustrating To
do. For my part there is 20 much
Indifferent stuff in that publication
that | should hate 10 have any
thing of mine there. Blu, ! suppose
troy rsy You enough to reconcile
YOU TO tho bad company yon re
IN
What was the usp of the speech
Some Of MS who heard it suspected
that " was prompted by the Tact
tha, the speakers work had been
turned down bV that particular
periodical. But we did not say il,
That. TOO. would have hcen an un-
uccesssry. unkindrcss.
Thank heaven. rhere are people
who are az big and broad that they
rejoice in the good fortunes nt oth'
crs, They arC The mca and women
who make life worth living. we
all know tie difference between the
sympathy that is forced and inat
" vhich comes from tbe heart. we
THINK We recognize II Wn'n We
are In sorrow; wc KNOW the true
ring when we are subjects Tor con
oratplstions. There is 10 n',staR
ing the cordial haudc'asp, thc pon