Year: 1874

The Jolly Fellow n Subject for Pity


Rather than Envy.


Despite general opinion to the con-


trary, the most miserable and misery


creating of men upon earth is the ioyial


man. We remember him at school his


expressive arch lips, his handsome ever
changing face, his bright swift eye al


ways seeking for the applause they


were so sure TO win. A merry dog, a
sad dog from his mothers knee, he led
us upon all those Jolly truaDt r9mbies


which afteFward cost so dear he pro-
duced and fostered that contempt for
earnest plodding industry which has
cost too many of rs dearer still. Cold
fidelity and patience and ambition
melted like snow under the hot sun
beams of his genial raillery. The youth
was as the boy. His glorious, health
brimming presence, the readiness and
versatility of his talents, made him the
pride and envy of his fellows in the col
lege or in the Office, and epstted dsrl-
ing OF all gizls fortunate enough TO
know him. OOnquering and to conquer,
like q new Apollo. he lashed forward
his horses of the sun so generous, so
open-hearted, there was no one but
wished him God-speed, no one but gave
him the hearty cheer he looked back for
over the dust of his whirling wheels. Too
many leaped mp beside him TO enjoy his
triumph and be in with him at the goal
-and his goal is generally the goal of
Phaeton. For it is about now that the
first crash must come, not always, not
even often, an Immediately fatal one
sometimes, thank God, it is even his
ultimate worldly salvation, and, with a
right eye plucked ont, or right arm
cut off, he enters heaven. But this is a
thing so sadly rare as to b. ot worth
talking of; the fatal gift of PLEASING
and dazzling easily can not be parted
with, and its possessor having lost the
respect of his fellows, picks himself up
from the dust, and begins his race again.
Woe now for all that are connected with
the dazzling fellow by ties of blood or
marriage seven woes for her whose
bond is the latter He, he loves her
well-he hates none but him he can not
make laugh he loves her with a big
hearted love, as he loves all the world
he only loves her a little less than he
loves his ease, and the laughter and ap-
plau of his admirers. And who does
not still admire-ay, love him-beauti-
full and kind and radiant as he is a.? Who
does not help again and again and again
TO drag him out of the sloughs into
which his fascinating carelessness of all
earthly things and duties beguiles him ?
Gods what hard and bitter world it
is, that this bright creature, who is Joy
TO us ali, should also become slowly a
nuisance and a thing that we can not
away with, and to himself and those
nearest to him a shame and a cause of
For the end approaches
slowly and surely, and the earnest pitt
less laws of the universe grind into his
soul. The laugh becomes more and
more infrequent: lines of care, care that
will not be Knocked away, begin to mar
that genial face. The indecision about
the mouth gives place to a fixed weari-
ness and even bitterness. Harlequin
becomes Pantaloon. His occupations
gone. He begins to bepitied; {; and then
then, the sooner he shuffles off the
stage, the better, God help him ! for
himself and the world. = Overland
= l..