The Washington herald., 1913-06-26
THE REAL COST OF
ONES POPULARITY
A Bit of Time Given Here, a Bit Of
Sympathy There, and Lot Of I'm
selfish Thought Everywhere.
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

"A woman sat idly wondering why 1t
was that some fortunate folk made
friends spontaneously, without a bit of
apparent effort, and she thought it must
be that nature had been particularly
spendthrift in her gifts of the title graces
that make for easy popularity.
And she said to herself that. like a
great many other things in life, it seemed
scar ,ly fair that some should come to
earth with an endowment like that, a
rich legacy in itself, while others almost
repealed the friends they tried to make
But the nature-riddle proved much too
big and hard for her to solve and she
picked up a newspaper for a look at
some of the human documents opened
there.
An the very first thing she ran across
was the story of a policeman mighty pop
ular with the Riddles on the line OF his
pos
II seems. so the story ran, that he
had reported i'll a few weeks ago, and the
very next day two little girls from the
district he guarded came to the station
house to ask where he was and what
had happened. When told that the police
man was i'll, they turned away and no.
body guessed what they had in their
heads. for they did not tell.
But. bright and early. the following
morning a whole delegation of boys and
girls from his post appeared with 10
cent bunch OF flowers TO be sent to his
homeland be sure TO tell MIN they hoped
he'd soon be we'll
The next day, again the next and for
all the days that followed until the
patrolman was back on duty, there was
the little delegation of Riddles bearing
their floral offering and sending their
messages of hope.
And of course the inspector in charge
made it his pleasure to find out what was
lack of the nosies and why the boys and
girls were so solicitous of an ordinary
guardian Of the peace, fol he must be
more than popular to create such stir
among the little folk on his beat
Investigation showed that he was the
children's best friend. but his popularity
among them was all made up of little
things.
He carries a huge jack knife in his
pocket. and the boys for blocks around
know that he is ready TO whisk it out
just when they need it the most Then
he has a key with which he tightens
wabbly roller skates; he mends hockey
clubs, whites out old cats'-whatever
they may be-gathers broomsticks for
what he calls his kids. and when they get
in trouble he has a way of arbitrating
childish disputes for the whole neighbor-
hood and sending all away quite satisfied.
You understand?
Not at all in the line of a patrolnnan's
duty but altogether by way of mis- pop
ularity.
Riddle Was Answered.
And the woman decided that her riddle
was answered; indeed, that it was not .
riddle at ali. For she made up her
mind as many have done before her,
that popularity, when it is the genuine
kind, the kind that never steals away.
is bought at some personal cost, a bit
of time given here. A bit Of sympathy
there and a lot OF selfiess thought every
where.
Some OF Us may say-but that police
man loved the Riddles and delighted in
making them happy. and it was nothing
at all tor him to mend old toys, to whit
tle new and to figure in all their joys
and troubles: it was just a pastime for
him. Perhaps. But, you know, it is one
thing to protest A love for the the frol-
licking children. quite another TO take the |
trouble to serve them. And, down in our
hearts. all Of US know that some will go
out Of their way to give pleasure, while
10 others, that way is much too hard
and long. and they will not bother their
cheap little sophistry that what is trou-
blesome for some is quite easy and |
pleasant for others. It is not always
easy and pleasant but you see, they !
want the fruits of the trouble, and they
are willing TO pay the price.
And some folks say they want friends, |
but they are more ready to accept than to |
rake the little sacrifices that friendships |
often require.
Yes. the real brand of popularity that |
is not dependent upon the measure of
possessions or other superficial advan- |
tages. comes a bit high; for it means |
that one stands ready to do a great many |
things that are not easy to do, not easy |
al al. :
And folk who want to start themselves. |
their sons. and their daughters on the
lasting popularity road must make up
their minds that popularity generally
comes by way of something more mean
ingful than a gracious manner and the
pleasant trick of gracious talk. For there
is goodly share of taking trouble in the
background.
The patrolman. his pains with the chill
dren. their posies. their interest and all
easily tell us that.
Washing Brass.