Year: 1874

The Jolly Fellow a subject for Pity
Rather than Envy.


Despite q general opinion 70 the con-
| trary, the most miserable and misery


creating of men upon earth is the iovial
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 Tambles


which afteFward cost so dear he pro


dueed and fostered that contempt for


earnest ploddiRg. industry which has


cost too many Of Us 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 the petted darl-


ing of all girls fortunate enough to


know him. COnquering and to conquer,


like a 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 bus gave


him the hearty cheer he looked back for


over the dust of his Whirling wheels. Too


many leaped up 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, aR Immediately fatal one
sometimes, thank God, it is even his
ultimate worldly salvation, and, with
right eye plucked out, or a right arm
cut of, he enters heaven. But this Is q
thing so sadly rare as to b. rot 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 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 I? Who
does not help again and again and again
to drag him out of the sIoughs 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 all, should also become slowly a
nuisance and a thing that we can not
away with, and 60 himself and those
nearest TO him q 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 mocked away, begin to mar |
that genial face. The indeeision about |
the mouth gives place to a fixed weari
ness and even bitterness. Harlequin |
becomes Pantaloon. His occupations |
gone. He begins to be epitied and then
then, the sooner he shuffies off the |
stage, the better, God help him for
iirnseIf and the world. - OUerland |
MOpthly