The Washington herald., 1915-11-17

We all leave trails behind us, good or bad OF
both. Observe the quarrelsome people, for ex'
ample Wherever they go they stir up dscord
1t makes no difference whether they are well or
i'll, poor rich, they sure to keep repeating
expressions of quarrelsomeness.
Then there the malicious people. Behind
them they leave trails Of malice They are al
ways creating mischief for themselves and for
others There are certain phrases that frequently
They include: Now, there's something that l
ought to tell you" and What have you ever
done TO him that he hates you sou and II heard
something. about you the other day" Usually,
these trailmakcrs known and feared. But
what they say is to the thoughtless:: at any rate,
so interesting that they seldom lack audi
ence eager to cooperate in their mischief and to
carry it
Then there arc the trailmakers of punishment.
Though they are full of weaknesses themselves,
being human, they have no patience with the
weaknesses of others. The others ought to be
punished. They themselves, however, show great
skill in lodging punishment. When punishment
falls them, it frequently does, as result
Of their own Iunlshng they The feel terribly in
who are in favor OF our prisons, as at present
conducted, and who are bitter against law
breakers.
They, too, have their phrases. Some of the
more familiar are: Hanging is too good for
him." HE ought to be boiled in OIL" and Hes
got his. just deserts" They talk great deal
identify with punishment If their trails could
be followed with our eyes VIC should find long
lines of havoc.
Fortunately there arc other trails, far more
beautiful And, it should be borne in mind, that
even the trails of the malicious and of the pun
shing people not all ugly. They, too, have
their beauty The furnishing people are often
kind. Behind their cruelty there may be a de-
votion to an ideal none the less sincere because
the ideal itself is false and hidcous. And, for
malice, it is often accompanied by generous
qualities, well as by certain Christening expert
ences that at moments, tend to make the mali
cious realize their unhappy state. Perhaps to be
malicious brings its own torment. Far greater
than the pain they cause others may be the pain
they bring to themselves.
On this subject of trails in some ways so de-
pressing, in other ways inspiring, there is one
supremacy consoling thought. Most of the peo-
pie who pass along the great highway of life,
showing the everyday qualities hold pretty stead
lastly to what orthodoxy calls the Straight and
the trials of life. The common duties they per-
form modestly, without any consciousness Of do
ing anything remarkable. As rule they receive
little credit. They are not celebrated as heroes.
And yet most of them repeatedly do heroic deeds
Perhaps what is hardest for all of US is the
realization that keep repeating ourselves If
we could only be someone else for a time What
relief, both to ourselves and to those about usl
As we look back we can that the trail each of
US has made bears apparently the same character
istc marks. And yet know that such is not
really the truth The change may not be apparent
and yet it is unquestionably real change Every
day we become different, either better or worse
What the trail does not show is our longing our
striving, humiliation in the thought Of our
failures, spirit which may, indeed, Be the only
reality