Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-22
Study Your
Own Ruling
Inner Self
Trying to Be Better Is
Way to Create
Worthy Picture.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

bI ANNEAO EA4hAs
NEAR BOYS AND GIRLS: What
~ sort Of person are you? Do you
know how TO look at yourself and see?
The mirror shows only the picture Of
your exterior, the lesser part of you.
The important part, the self that Is
you, does not show itself there to any
great degree. 1t speaks, it appears,
it shows itself accurately in your ac-
lions. What you do, that you are.
You, like all humanity, are q mix
ture Of good and not so good, with
some Indifferent spots thrown In to
complete the idea. You are certain to
do some good deeds daily, bound to
do some that are not so good, while
most of your behavior is In routine,
Indifferent and ordinary enough
That is how human beings behave.
Nobody is perfect oftener than frac-
ton Of each day. Few people are
bad to even that degree. But the best
people-and you want to be classed
among them-try to have the balance
of their behavior on the perfect side,
at least good.
How good are you? First, how
much honest work have you done to-
day2 Perhaps you begin to make
excuses and say: II didn't feel SO
good; the teacher didn't call on me
when I raised my hand, and then
when I didn't she called on me;
didn't think it would do any harm II
I didn't do my homework just for
| this once; I couldn't help trippini
Jimmie. He fell over my foot.
meant to go to church, but I had q
little headache and I thought q walk
would do me more good. I didn't
know I would meet those boys and
girls and thought we would be right
back anyhow, so I went along, and We
couldn't get back in time"
If you have q string like that tc
tell, look at yourself-take q good
long look-and remember that what
you do you do. Nobody on earth can
move you to do single thing with
| out your consent. It is you that mis-
| behaves and makes excuses.
When you do not get up on time
delay beginning your work, listen II
a radio program when your lessons
are waiting, go to the movie when
your mother Is waiting for you tc
come home, slap your little brother
| and push him around, talk down any
body who is talking when you feel you
want to talk-look at yourself. That
selfish, domineering pleasure hound L
you. Do you like the picture? No
body else does either.
As said, none Of US is perfect, but
every one can be q little better thar
he was yesterday simply by trying
It we make an effort to shift some Of
your deeds from the Indifferent, or
| binary class to the nearly perfect
standard, the picture would be finer
II we cut down on the number Of
downright low deeds 1t would make
considerable improvement In the pic
ture.
II It hurts you to think Of pruning
yourself in this way, Just remember
that picture Of yourself when you last
looked at 1t. Remember that what
you saw was only hint Of what other
people saw, for we are always kind Il
ourselves and pet them q lot. Their
be q little determined about It and
take yourself in hand. Speak kindly,
do something that pleases mother and
father; help little brother for q few
minutes, stop by your grandmother
chair and tell her pleasant little
story or q bit of school gossip: visit
the sick chum; put your own things
in order; do your homework con-
scientiously. Do the good things you
have been dreaming. and before you
know it they will all come true. Be-
gin today. A good beginning Is q
strong drive toward the good ending.
Cordially,
ANGELO PATRI. '
(copyright. 1850