The Washington herald., 1915-09-04

~ JOHN D. BARRY.

III.
~ JOHN D. BARRY.
The instinct to initiate eagerly, responds to
wholesome influences. know woman who, after
a long life spent in education work, frankly de-
clares that she believes education is failure Her
reason is that it cannot compete with the instinct
to initiate, develop by the everyday influences
IN the home. She expresses pessimistic and
ideas in regard to that sacred institution
In its very sacredness she finds the greatest of all
obstacles to reform. She says that we speak of
home as if il were the abiding place of all the
virtues whereas it is, at present established,
place where many of the evils of our society orig-
nate and develop. Reform the home" she says,
'and most other reforms will take care of them
selves"
What is it that this woman educator finds in
most home life that is so harmful? l once asked
her and she replied with perfect frankness: "The
home is the place where self-assertion finds its
freest expression. Nearly every home contains at
least one tyrant And the influence of one tyrant
expresses itself in all kinds of petty but far-reach
ing evils. In many homes every member of the
family is self-assertive So we find there the most
shocking disorder. There comparatively few
homes in the world where there is self-eontrol
qualities that make for peace and happiness"
Several years ago l spent few days in very
attractive City in the Middle West. l met there
many ladies of charming appearance, of excep-
tona taste in Dress and of delightful social graces
But among them l noticed one characteristic that
struck me curious and contradictory 1t showed
itself in the way they held themselves, in the way
they talked both in their loud tones and in their
vigorously expressed opinions.
spoke with some astonshment of this charac-
teristic friend who had lived there all her life
asked her how she could explain it. "It's very
simple" she replied ats the direct result Of the
example of woman who came here from New
York several years ago." She then mentioned the
name of the woman, the wife of very rich man.
"She became leader here and toward every one
she adopted arrogant manner that consid
cred very smart. The result that many of
the other women here initiated it, even those who
were at first most bitter in their resentment. 1t
became the thing. And it has gone on ever since.
Many people who come here notice it."
The instinct to initiate is, like most other in
stincts highly serviceable. But it has to be kept
under control Before we yield to it we ought to
be that what initiate is good. One of the
most pitiful things in the world is to see people
initiating what is unworthy under the impression
that such imitation seems creditable.
know very clever girl who takes pride in
showing her cleverness by ridiculing. She even
ridicucs those about her to their faces. Her vic
tins. through courtesy through dislike of max
ing scene, usually suffer in silence. Some of them
take great pains to avoid her. Others punish her
enjoy the expressions of her cleverness, both be-
cause these amusing and because they put
people at disadvantage For it is pitiful truth
that some OF U.s. those, too, who may be most con-
cerned about dignity, like to others
made absurd.
This girl has so long INDUCED herself in the
habit of ridcule that it has become fixed. 1t would
be almost impossible for any one to convince her
that it is disagreeable and that it does her HARM
She is simply acting up to what She believes to
be delightful expression of herself. In other
words she is initiating wholly false ideal.
1t is curious to note how differently we may
be affected by another. With one person
we behave in way and with another person
consciously. we are initiating the qualities that
we think will appeal to the person
In other words, one person brings out in us
certain set of qualities and another person
brings out in US another set of qualities. Often
ment on our friends. Those we fall into the
gossiping habit with we judge as gossips Those
we try to appear at best with we honor as
superior to our everyday selves. 1t is the im-
Eating instinct that directs us and often it is
fairly reliable guide, keener than we may sus-
pect making US do things that to our sober
reason, may seem extraordinary.
1t is by initiating that we finally make our
selves over that we recreate not merely the
mansion of the soul, but the soul itself.
And vet, however persistently may indulge
the initiating instinct however we may act IN our
everyday life, it is the truth that we inevitably
reveal For what we long to be we essentially are.
And here, perhaps, is the most powerful attribute
in our struggling human nature. We may go
wrong in our choice of qualities to initiate, we
NAV follow false ideals and where we follow good
ideals we may repeatedly fail Nevertheless IN
our striving we tend to express our nobest selves
our truest selves. Even where we go wrong there
may be something of good in the aninating spirit
Perhaps through the generations this striving
works an influence greater than we calculate
Surely it provides US with our greatest hope for
the future of the race.
Things We Could Spare.
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