South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-29

Have you an Anti in your home?
You may be sure you have even
though you don't see him unless you
happen TO be looking into the mir
ror. There is no home without one.
The Anti is as sure as taxes, surer
than babies, grimly inevitable as
death itself.
The Anti is against whatever any
one else proposes. II is interesting
to watch him i'm action. He gets into
action slowly because he waits to
learn what others believe. He
doesn't believe it. He waits 20 see
what others want to do. Whatever
ii is he doesn't want TO do it. If
others urged rushing out of burn
ing house he would be for watching
the progress of the fire from the in
side. If his household favored an
immediate trip to heaven he would
hang back until his heels were
scorched by his proximity to the
other place.
A man of that kind furnishes
amusement to all who know him,
except when he exasperates them TO
the point of explosion.
A gentle, beautiful woman at
whose home he dimes now and then
told me with a twinkle in her eye
that she played a game with him.
If she wants to know the weak
points of a woman with whom she
has been assigned TO do war work,
she mentions the woman's name and
says, Il have heard very good things
about her" Ensues an avalanche of
abuse of that woman. Had she
wanted to know the good points of
her associate she would have said
that she heard she was careless and
inaccurate. Then would the woman
have been lauded. His lovely hostess.
knowing her guest is an Anti, di-
reefs his thoughts and speech as
she wills.
Being an Anti is a constitutional
disorder. He or she is born for
ninst," is an argumentative figure in
any age, in any cline, in any group,
in any family.
There is a slight excuse for his
ceaseless arguments. 1t is always in
teresting to consider the other side.
Charles Reade and others have ad-
vised us to put yourself in his
place" You have heard the story of
the sweet natured old woman OF
whom it was said she had never
spoken any word save praise of any
one.
What would you do if the devil
were walking around on earth!" her
son asked, could you find anything
good TO say of him, mother"
Well. my dear" was the answer
after reflection, I'VE must all admit
that he has a great deal of perser-
verance."
1t is a god habit TO speak we'll or
not at all Of a person, though by
unanimous consent that rule OF good
form is waived in regard TO murder
Gus pOtentates Of mid Europe.
Another slight excuse for the Anti
is that there is a pleasurable intel
lectual exercise in viewing the ques-
ton from the other side. II begets
an after glow Of qualification on our
part, a deepened belief that We are
clever. "A serene consciousness that
We are "broadminded." Although /
haven't even intimated that l pos
sessed latitude or view. since 1 heard
woman waspishly pray that she
might never become so broadmind-
ed that she was fat-headed.' Very
apt in some cases that you and !
know isn't IL?
But despite the Christian charity
we are endeavoring 10 show him the
Anti Is a nuisance. IN the club. in
business. in society. and most OF all
in the home, he is either a bore or
an irritant
Anything that is new enrages him
as a red flag a bull. He loathes auto
mobiles ostensibly because they
smelled OF gasoline. Attempts at
aviation made him frantic. A change
OF party is always bad. even though
the change is 70 his own. The wom-
an is always against the new styles.