The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1939-09-15
Character in figures

For q long time i have medita&ed
writing u sketch on Character ia
Figures" Not those bullying numerals
by which the millionaire measures his
accumulation of filthy hucre. Neither
am j thinking Of that feminine display
OF anatomy which finds its chief Vol
VERNE setting ON the stage of the Cap
itOI Square. The figures j have in
mind are the plain digns-
IL 3 . u Z 90
first experienced u personal re-
gard for numerals while setting type
On the Lansing Journal. by reason of
special adeptness in that line of
work, or for some other cause, it fell
| 10 my lot to do most of the tabular
| composition which came 10 the estab
| EShment Frequently it was necessary
| u labor far into the night. As ] sat
perched OH Il STOOL, labOriUusly picking
the types from their respective boxes,
| one III time, and assembling them in
| columns Oh galley j gradually
came 10 feel y species of affection for
certain numerals, Indifference as 10
others and an absolute aversion touch
Ing 0ue. l donI kn0w whether anyone
| else has ever experienced the same
feeling. As for myself, try as / would
| 10 convince myself that il Was some
| thing wholly faIciful and unreal, i
have never to this day been able 10
| diveSt the numerals of certain human
attributes. Every persons intuition
leads HIM TO admire some forms I'D the
manimate world, and TO deteSt others.
Why may not the same process uf the
mind guide him in his visual rela ton
with the numerals
The figure ] never created any spe-
cial interest in me 1t is symmetrical
enough, but lacking III virility-one of
those e4sy-gOing fellows that Will nev
| er have to answer a charge of arson
BECAUSE somebody 's'wOods was burned.
Take He il Il brisk one, up TO
SNUFF, a. we Say and ready for any
venture But neither is he cut out for
Il statesman, soldier or business man.
a gay gallant, rather, without serious
aim in life.
MIR 3 is more husine>s-like and
should have no tnauble III making
| Joan DIT any bank Meth0dia,al, careful,
| conservative, in him the commercial
| instinct PredOminateS.
Nobody with half An eye could fail to
perceive that is 4 soldier. Look III his
| military bearing. ever standing at at
| tentiOn. lie is born for the field-the
| blaEe of uumpetS, rhe cannon's roar
| and will never be happy III any other
walk in life
Gentle reader. d0tf your ,chapeau il
| gallant style when EOn meet Miss ..
| Feminine gender, certainly Summer
girl. TOO. / never could gaze ON the
cOmely form IF Miss = withOu, conjur-
| ing up i'll uaad a pleasant vision. See
Il girl in pink muslin, with rosy
| cheeks, fetching smile and the most
bewitcbing of sailor hafs perched Oh
| her daXen lts;ks May the Gyes in
crease,
You have doubtless among ycIr ac-
/ quainta1ceS some religious friend
honest, sincere. yOdly-lmiJd in manner
! and meek in spirit. You can trust him,
always Such friend is Mr.. q. Throw
! al the searchlightS in t1lristendOm up
on him aud YOU .:aunot detect single
| mean trait.
CCme J.! Spruce. natty, even dudlsh.
Good enough fellow He has some sub
stantial qualities, too. But no great
individuality
Here we have another recruit for
the .army-S Well proportional. shout
tJers squarelS set, pilitary air
-ATaunt. scOundre3 See now 4
SEaeaking cur. without "a single redeem
ing trait. al ,Dutcast from reputable
society, yet al too frequently encOun-
tered in the journey Of life. How any
Intelligent, honest bupan being can
ha 70 u ~ having
aroused all the cQnteInptuous aversion
his soul is capable of, Is more than l
can understand. ] have always felt a.
personal hatred f0r the despised mum
cral An6 yet the villain 3 is but the
saint u upside dUwEt What "A field for
human analogy opens here Who does
not know Some person gifted with i'll
telligence. .:Vmely form- favoripg family
relations. WHOM IA crisis in life has con-
Verified into ! Satyr. He has gotten out
of bed ''wroAg side To. as the saying
is and has never been able 10 regain
his mental and spiritual equilibrium.
Apd now, Last and least when COM
PEELED 10 stand by himself. we meet
the figure D. Naught, nothing. But
muster that insignificant Dumeral un
der tue leadership of his more gifted
fellows, and see what Importance he
assumes! Enough Of him will build the
pyramids, SOlOmOn's temple, ~ the
other seyen wonders Of the world, So il
is in life. We are accustomed TO u nd
ing princes, generals and men OF
wealth. Yet, of what good are they M
less backed up by the plain. common
people, the ejpherS Of humanity The
Herald of S6DIembpr \ 1899