Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-29
the PERSON WITH a CROUCH

f
when any body stops 10 SPEAK u HIM.
/ instantly begins unfolding tue Tale OF
+ his wfonss ~ the hands - cruel
world, We used Ia call such a one
the person with a glie ante Now We
are apr 10 say the person with
Crouch. Tins sermade word hayi'-
brszsniy forced ~ way into the BIT
society Whichever word Ne use. Ne
All know the Kind Of creature me, ~
Perhaps the person with a grol 81
is a more OF less fictitious chaTtf
tsr. or rather there aren't really q
mans OF him as We have been led to
believe. since some of those We ans
take tot him do not deserve the ute
az an Most uf lis have reasons :.
thinking ourselves MI used. and then
after while We get tired of posing
as martyr and 20 off and forget all
about IT, We nave no right to call
any hody a person with a crouch
m OF gloom. Next time We meet him
he NAV he a. gay as lark. thereby
proving thar W. were all wrong about
HIM II * only when VT lind an un
happy individual who makes a grisy-
ance Of everything that We are lusll-
fiedan turning down a side street TO
get I'D of him He is genuine ex
ample of the person with Crouch
and belongs in the same class with
east winds. mosquitoes. dosdsys. the
grippe and other similar evils With
regard to him our only problem is
one of avoidance
The question We should concern
ourselves with is whether Or not We.
TOO. are in danger OF slipping into
that pestferous class. Are VT on our
way TO becoming persons with q
grouCh3 IL SO. it is time 20 stop and
consider what this continual burning
sense of lluSage IA going TO do 10
our character ard lives.
OF course. grievances are not al
WAYS imaginary. On our way thru
sometimes in wavs which we cannot
bat know are really cruel And OF
all the troubles We have 10 bear IN
the whole course OF our pilgrimage
about the sorest one is sense OF
wrong. TO know that We are being
blamed uniustly. perhaps even op
pressed and ill-treated in ways that
hurt and humllate this is the kind
Of trouble that wrecks the mind and
soul of the sufferer unless he IS both
strong and wise. Bropding over in
ju,ies is natural TO the undisciplned
mird, but it is spiritual death to in
dulge in IT, That sense of illusase is
n stubborn thing 10 struggle with and
the sensitive soul is apt TO cry out that
il cannot thrust the evil thing away
and forget it. Yet it has been done
and can be done again, tho the suffer'
er will need all his powers OF mind
10 accomplish il.
When YOU understand that this
dreadful sense Of wrong is eating
away all the good IN YOU, as canker'
worm eats up the life Of The plant
YOU will have strength to cast the ugly
thing out. Whatever your oppressof
does YOU cant afford to destroy your
sslf with rage over it. Il is madness
10 poison yourself by chewing that bit
rer cud night ami day You must get
rid of it. resolving that your life snail
not be emhttered. You will let the
sun in on these dark broodlngs over
rour WRONGS You will find some useful
and absorbing work to do and forget
= those things which have driven all the
wholesome pleasure out Of your life
The world will grow bright again, the
sting will be easeG, and YOU will find
that YOU can breathe and laugh and
live once more, tho YOU have been mis-
understood and ill-treated, Fortunate
1 ". eyery body has within him the
wholesome impulse towards happl-
ness. so when he finds he cant brood
over his wrongs and be happy, too,
he begins TO forget his injuries. IL
he has the proper spirit, the wrons
done him NAV become like the lrrltat
ing spnck inside the oysters shell-it
may cause pearl TO grow.
G<ouches are like worries they look
quite different out Of doors in the sun.
Who would have supposed that great
]
would show SO small and spindling and
/ sieklv under the wholesome light OF
| dav? Let il lie there while in the
strong sunshine and you may find It
will curl up and return to dust IKE an
insignificant weed thrown Out on the
I grass.
We mus remember that the soil or
the human mind is none TOO deep ana
the garden space more limited tnan
we could wish. SO why give room TO
nettles when We could root them out
and plant potatoes In that corner
where we tried TO kill out a singing
and useless intruder, stalk OF corn
may be induced to set up in bust
ness.
If we could keep a crouch with any
comfort 10 ourselves we should hate
/ TO see our friends and acquaintance
I all scooting down a side street 70
avoid hearing the recital OF our
wrongs. The Ancient Mariner who
held his victims with glittering eye
and made them listen to him was not
popular character, you remember, IN
/ the neighborhood where he tarried
And he was only confessing his own