The Springfield herald., 1913-01-31
GRoUcHY MAN is ISOLATED
Ono Should Lay Aside PreIudices and
Distastes and Seek Him Out In
Spirit Of FriendIiness.

Every community has the ofiish, 81
lent, non-communicative. apparently
grouchy man. He IL Stunned by his
neighbors until he gradually becomes
almost as isolated as one left on a
desert Island. SO far as intercourse
with his fellowman is concerned.
You know such a man, perhaps sew
eral. I've known hundreds of that
sort, and l, too, In the long ago left
him alone. But years. experience and
little of the milk of human kindness
long since made me change that pol
icy.
Did you ever try laying aside your
prejudices and distaste for that ST.
lent. grouchy neighbor and seek him
out in spirit of real friendliness.
showing him that you had human in
terest in him and his affairs. to find
to your establishment that he wasn't
bad sort by any means?
Were you amazed and gratified to
find that he warmed under your ad-
vances and you found him a pretty
good chap, eager to talk and anxious
to show that he could be and wanted
to be real neighbor and friend? You
were also more or less upset to find
that he was man of ideas, of worth
while opinions and you wondered why
anybody could have thought him a
crouch. And then you told your neigh
bors that you had found out that old
Bill Jones was a good fellow and you
were 30 glad that you had talked with
him and become his friend,
The world Is full of lionel, mem
men shy and retiring by nature. who
respond to proper approach from 9TH
ers, but have none of the art of seek
Ing and communicating with his fell
bowman Many a man literally starves
for human companionship and friend
ship because you and are too selfish.
too deeply rooted in our predjudices,
too self-centered to hunt him out
and the kink in his own makeup pre-
vents him seeking you.
Did you ever stop to think what q
friendly hand-clasp, a kindly word
might mean to some man? have
seen man broken, discouraged.
thinking the hand of every man
against him. break into happy smile
at cheerful greeting and go away
head uplifted and with renewed cour-
age and faith and hope after a few
friendly words. Human friendliness
and neighborliness are about the
cheapest of human assets. but are
functions too seldom invoked in this
day of rush and hurry and unthink-
ing selfishness.
still believe there is more human
friendliness in the world than Is man
tfest, because we are too much
wrapped up in our selfish purposes
and aims. But 1t is a quality that can
die of the breast by lack Of exercise.
Hunt for the lonely and offish neigh
Dor. You will help him and in help
ing him perhaps help yourself most.
The farmer is often by nature and
environment silent, uncommunicative,
because, unlike his city neighbor, he
is isolated and must of necessity live
much of his life shut OF from others.
Yet there are exaggerated types of
even this sort. and this is the one
have in mind-the loneliest OF the
lonely men.
want you to make one New Year
resolution. and that is to seek this
man out. Show him you are really
and humanity interested in him. his
family, his farm, his horses, cows,
pigs, all the things that go to make
up the life of the tiller Of the soil.
You are going to be amazed to find
often that you have good neighbor
and a friend worth while in that man.
Just remember you are pretty sci.
fish and ofiish yourself. and the job
won't be 80 unpleasant after all. And
the glow you will feel over a deed we'll
done will more than repay you.
C. 8. BARRETT.
Union, City, Ga.