Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-08

( Believe are Just as true TO life, and
far more numerous than Nora, or
| Hedda Gabler, or Ann karanina. Yet,
| because Dora and Molly are dears and
sweets that you would love TO have
around the house, and you'd loathe
morbid creatures like Nora and Media
and Anna, who were always indeccntly
exposing their souls, and wouldn't
have them about at any price. one set
OF characters is despised as the out
pourings Of vapid sentimentalism,
and the other is exalted as triumph
OF realism.
Indeed it almost seems that II a
novelist wishes to get the reputation
of being strong" and 'virile," all that
he has to do is to be sufficiently nasty
and TO discuss with perfect frankness
phases of life that decent people shy
away from as they would from a cess
pool. Why refined people should wish
to associate in books with the sort Of
men and women that they wouldn't
speak to in real life, is another of
the mysteries that keeps me guess
ing.
However, this theory that there
must be some sort of occult virtue in
anything that is particularly obnoxious
runs all through life. Take the mat
ter of truth. We all have a sort of
latent superstitious belief that the
truth is only true when it is I'M
pleasant
We all believe evil more readily
than good. Scandal is credited on its
mere say so, while praise has to be
backed up by we'll attested affidavit.
Any man who goes about habitually
praising his fellow men and calling
attention to their god qualities, soon
gets the reputation of being flat
terer, a jollier, and is suspected Of
having some Interior ends of his own
to further. On the contrary, the man
who is a brute and a knocker, and
who never has a good thing to say
of any human being, may be hated
and feared, but he is universally
spoken of as being so truthful and
honest and sincere. We are always
little suspicious of the people who
pay us compliments, no matter how
much we enjoy them.
Why We should take this attitude,
heaven alone knows. None of US can
explain it. We know that at its worst
human nature is a mixture of good
and bad, with the good largely in the
pfedominanee. We know that even
If, Brown occasionally drinks a little
too much, he is the kindest hearted
and most generous fellow on earth
and an adoring and adored husband
and father. We know that even if
Mrs. Smith has a high temper, she is
also a perfect marvel of a worker
and manager and that she is the very
backbone of her husbands success.
Why isn't It just as true to speak
Of Brown as a good citizen and hus-
band and father as to speak Of him
as a drinking man? Why isn't it as
true to speak of Mrs. Smith as a |
woman who is an example of what a |
helpmeet a wife can be to a husband |
as to speak of her as q shrew?
One set of facts are just as anthem
tic az the other, yet if you recited |
the pleasant ones you would be es-
teemed guilty of fulsome flattery, |
while If you related the other you |
would qualify as Truthful Jane.
The reason that family life is the !
failure that it is and that practically |
everybody's idea of having an enjoy
able time consists in getting away |
from home and their near relations, |
is because those of our own house |
hold so seldom feel that they are do |
ing their duty towards us unless they |
are making things as unpleasant for
us as they possibly can. 4
For some inscrutable reason even