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VOL UJII TWO
KUJIVER TWENTY-HINE
WHAT WE THINK OF WHA\\ WE SEE
By A. E. RAMS AUK, Managing Editor.
An amusing story is related in a correspondent’s
letter to a contemporary, of an incident which oc
curred while the Duke of Abercorn was Governor
of Australia. A reception was given at the execu
tive residence, to which blue and white cards for
different doors were sent, according to the social
status of the invited.
A certain man received a white card, his wife a
blue one; but on presenting themselves, arm in arm,
the Duke’s aide-de-camp objected, saying: “White
and blue can’t go together.” ‘“Heavens!” ex
claimed the wife, “do you take us for a seidlitz
powder?” They were admitted.
R *
It is interesting to speculate upon the origin of
certain expressions which, beginning as slang, have
by constant use almost graduated into accepted
parts of our language. Every one is familiar with
the saying: “Tell your troubles to the police
man.” There is nothing more trying than the
friend who persists in telling you his troubles on
every occasion. It is hard to sit and listen to an
itemized statement of the worries of some one else
w’hen you have troubles of your own twice as large
and as dark as his that you are trying to carry
along uncomplainingly. No wonder the phrase,
“Tell it to the policeman,” came into being. But
under the surface there are principles involved
of real importance to the welfare and happiness
of mankind. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, in discussing
the habit people grow into of talking their troubles,
says:
“There is nothing in the world so common and
cheap as the habit of talking about nerves and
life’s burdens and physical ailments and mental
depressions to every casual acquaintance.
“Yet it is almost impossible .to receive a caller
or to attend a social function without listening
to this kind of depressing conversation. Where a
friend has been through great trouble and is broken
on the wheel of sickness or sorrow we should be
willing to listen at times and comfort and soothe.
But I have observed that it is not the people who go
through the Gethsemanes of life who are the com
plaining pessimists.
“It is usually those who have five blessings to
each annoyance, and who have health and wealth
to brighten their ways, who go about in the guise
of human wet blankets.
“If you stop for one moment and count over
your friends who leave you with new cheer and
courage and hope after a call, you will be aston
ished to find how few they are.
“And after you have made this count then ask •
yourself hew you are affecting your friends.
“What do you talk about when you meet them?
Your ailments? Your misfortunes? Your disillu-
ATLANTA, GA., SEPTEMBER 12. 190/*
sionments with life 1 ? Do you leave a question mark
after the words happiness, loyalty, truth, goodness,
and even God? Do you leave your friends with less
faith in humanity and Divine love, after you go
out, and with less courage to go on with the battle
of life ?
“If sc, keep away from people until you get con
trol of your better self.
“Everywhere you go, wherever you call, what
ever you say in conversation, even the most casual,
you are leaving an influence for good or ill, for hope
or despair, for faith or skepticism. Which is it?”
Come to think of it, nearly every party of people
one sees assembled together are busy telling their
troubles. It is rare that they are engaged in “count
ing their blessings.” Especially is this true of a
party of women. There may be two reasons for
this being true: first, they may have more troubles
to talk about than men; and second, they are kinder
and more encouraging listeners to one another than
the men are under similar circumstances. Recall
the conversations you have listened to wherever a
party of women were gathered together; it was the
servant problem; the ailments of the baby, and the
meanness of the dressmaker. What better resolu
tion could be made, now that the heat of Summer
is past, and the baseball question is almost settled,
than that of talking sunshine and cheerfulness in
stead of the old line of ailments and worries? Ap
plications for membership in a Club of that kind
will be received at this office. Everybody is eligi
ble.
R R
It is amazing how much interest is taken by
all people in the problem which confronts our un
fortunate rich in an attempt to get nd of their
wealth. Uncle Andy Carnegie is in some ways a
pioneer in the ranks of those who have promised
themselves to die poor. We have never considered
dying poor in the light of a luxury or a blessing.
We have not worried ab mt it for the reason that
we have felt sure that the privilege would be
graciously vouchsafed unto us in due season if we
persevere and faint not. But Uncle Andy’s situa
tion has begun to cause worry in certain quarters.
The Washington Post recently came forward with
a suggestion as to getting rid of his money. The
inspiration, as was to be expected, had its origin
in the researches of a stmetime Professor of the
University of Chicago. It is sweet to contem
plate the benefits mankind has received from that
institution, not the least of its wonderful works
is the boon the researches of its scientists has been
to newspaper writers. But here is the solution of
Uncle Andy’s troubles:
‘ ‘ The careful but liberal employment of some
of Andrew Carnegie’s money by a brilliant psychol
ogist has resulted in the discovery that sea gulls
talk and think, and hold political caucuses and
conventions. The man who made the discovery is
Prof. John B. Watson, sometime of the University
of Chicago, recently returned from a sea-gull ex
periment station at Dry Tortugas, Fla.
“Rightly considered, there is much meat in this
latest triumph of science: It is not necessary to
speak of the information to humankind that may
be gleaned by a study of the language and political
philosophy of the gulls. That work will be attend
ed to. A sea-gull dictionary and primer of politi
cal science will be forthcoming, unless the peculiar
influence of the Chicago University has departed,
leaving its alumni and faculty bereft of the kind
ling imagination that distinguishes them from mere
mortals. But the benefit of the new discovery i*
not the point. It is the relation of the discovery
to Andrew Carnegie’s fortune that we wish to
consider.
“Andrew Carnegie wishes to die a poor man,
believing that it is an immoral thing to do othei
wise. His income is $1,250,000 a month. He has
exerted himself with remarkable energy and skill
in the disbursement of much of this income through
institutions endowed with self-perpetuating appe
tites. But in the face of enormous expenditures
on countless worthy objects, Mr. Carnegie finds him
self older and richer than ever. Matters cannot
continue as they have been going. Either he must
begin to grow poorer or cease to grow older.’ Oth
erwise his dream of years will be shattered. The
lucky discovery of a system of sea-gull politics
opens away for Mr. Carnegie. He need not die
poor, after all. Let him take up the limitless, and
intensely interesting, field of nature study. Let
him pour out his millions for the sake of getting
at the truth and stopping the tongues of nature
fakirs. It would require millions to accomplish
either branch of this stupendous task. The search
of truth is the most useful and sublime task that
man can impose upon himself. The destruction
of fakirs is a close second. The Carnegie millions
could not be better employed than in investigating
the politics of birds and animals. In fact, if Mr.
Carnegie should lop off some of his other dazzling
benefices and concentrate his expenditures on polit
ical research in the animal and vegetable kingdoms,
his wealth would melt more rapidly, with less dan
ger to society.”
We are not prepared either to endorse or con
demn the suggestion made by the Post, but we do
know how Mr. Carnegie can get quick action with
his money and accomplish his desire to pass away
in the very midst of the rankest kind of poverty.
He can do it either by trying to run a farm or by
financing a newspaper. Either of these roads is
s-.re, and leads to the goal with quickness and dis
paten. Let Uncle Andy start a paper,
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