Other People's Feelings And Failings

Most of us have a very tender regard for our own feelings. We do not lik e to have them injured. We are amazed that people can be so rude and elumsy as to tread upon our toes, or roughly exposé to the air our searcely healed wound. But so weak is human nature and so prone are we to think less genercusly of others than of ourselves, that we often sin in the very way which we would be swifte J, to oondemn in our neighbors. It is a great delight to meet. a man or womanwho is al ways considérate, geiitle and polite in his treatment of those he or she meets in daily life. This topic came up around the breakfast-table in a city house one morning lately. You, happy readers, who lire in the country, know comparatively little of the persistent annoy anees which city folks undergo from the contin ual rappingsandringings, andshoutings and screamings, of people who go from door to door to buy, to sell, or to beg. The room in which the breakf ast alluded to was being taken was a front basement, on a pleasant street, intersecting a busy thoroughfare. Ooffee was poured, biscuits had been passed, egge were beiag broken, fruit was being pared. N. B. - Those who think it preferable to say eggs were breaking and fruit was paring, are at liberty to do so. InterruptionNo. 1 - "Anyr-a-a ags?" The speaker darkened the window with his head and dimmed the "shimng glass with his breath, as he hurled this remark, ascending, interrogative, and declamatory, at our shivering e ars. Somebody shook her curls at him pleusantly, aad he departed, with a jingiiag of bells at the hand-'art he was wheeling along, and a fainter cry of "Any r a-a-gs ? " gradually lessening in the air as he went his way. InterruptionNo. 2 - "Please ma'am, any cold meat and bread ? " It is a little, looking, pinchcdlooking mite of a boy, with a basket nearly as big as himself. "Don't oncourage professional beggars," says the gentleman of the house. "Oh ! my dear," returns the lady, as she sweeps the contents of the breadplate into the not fastidiously-clean receptacle. "I can't refuse a child when he looks as hungry as that little fellow does. Just think. It might be our own Harryl" Interruption No. 3 - Man rings the door-bell violently. Domesticresponds. Presently she enters and mquires if the mistress can step out and look at some prize packages of stationery, etc. "Nol" cries paterfamilias, loud enough to be heard ontside. " Teil him to be off with his trash !" " My dear," the lady urges, seriously, having dismissed the children first, "I do wish you would not be so impolite in your manner to tramps and peddlers. It is their only way of earning a livelihood, and I think Ohristians ought to be kindto them." "Ifully agree with you. Your sentiments and mine perfectly correspond, but your patience is greater than mine, you see. How you endure it, staying nere all day, too, is quite beyond me to comprehend. I believe in politeness to one's equals and superiors - but I won't take my bat off to inferiora." "A tramp is not necessarily your inferior, my friend," obeerved the Philosopher, who happened to be staying at the house, and who was giving lectures in the lyceum course. " I have heard of tramps who had at one time been millionaires, and of others who had received the education of a university." "I shouldn't wonder," said madame, meditatively balancing her spoon on tbe transparent edge of her Sevres teacup - " I shouldn't wonder if you called Homer a tramp, or Diogenes, if either of tnem were living now." "Very likely," replied monsieur, taking up the newspaper to find out whether our representatives in Congress had been giving any more national object-lessons on good manners. And then the talk drifted to the affairs of the day, what engagements each had, what visits were to be made, what shopping done, which closets cleaned, etc, etc. One person only remembered the morning's discussion, and sat down to think upon this matter of courtesy. And she came to the conclusión that courtesy is a word of very wide meaninf. It is an index-finger to character. You observe a trae lady, a true gentleman, anywhere. They cannot commit a rudeness. It would hurt them and jar them to wound the feelings of the lowest and the farthest below them. To be truly polite implies that one shail be thoughtful of the feelings of everybody, and of inferiors most of all. When are we to begin our training in this regard? With our little children, at once. Do not permit Susy or Jennie, unroproved, to bother or tease et annoy Bridget iu the kitchen. Never let them allude to her as the " servant-girl," or speak of " servant-girls " in her presence. The phrase may define her position, but she does not like to hear it, and it takes off the bloom of their refinement every time they use it. Do not jump to piek up your own thimble which has rolled away when Charlie is in the room. Let him bring it to you, and say "Thank you " to him for the kindness. Do not encourage in yourself the habit of criticising and commenting upoH the foibles or faults of any memba of your own family. There is nothing gained by it, and a great deal is lost. Love itself is often choked back and hmdered in its growth by the rank sturdiness of weeds which spring up against it, unchecked, in houses where people say all manner of ungcntlc npecches to oach other. If yon want to cultívate real happiness, cultívate goodnees, Think more of otliers" excellent quahties than of their failings, and be gentle and amiable to all.- i Christían at Work.