OCR Text |
Show good pecpievcry good people. Often they are of the salt of the earth. They are found in all ranks of society. The philosopher knew them weil. The highest in the land are of their households. house-holds. There are readers amongst them, readers; and "Lord bless you ma'am!" writers. The people whose aggressive goodness good-ness makes thorn painful to live with do not occupy ail of the woods. There are also found familiar beings who persist per-sist in giving presents to people who don't want them, but who are obliged to be grateful. A goodly portion of the crowd consists of thoso who know much more of our all'airs and the best method of arranging them than we do ourselves. our-selves. Some of them are "candid" souls, who think it right we should hear all lbs disagreeable speeches others are making about us. Many of them cau always cap onr calalnity by reciting re-citing the much worse one they bave themselves endured. Of this species are the people who have had every disease dis-ease ever known, besides many which are nameless. And there are numerous groups about the outskirts of the woods ceaselessly chanting, "I told you so!" The list might be lengthened, but who cannot add to it with an iustunl's thougut ot his own? And then must follow the thought that he may bave been, at some time, himself a resident there. For the people in the woods we must occasionally feel a sympathy. .Many of them have worked hard to make the world happier, in their own way, and when the world stoutly refused to be happy in any way but its own, have passed the rest of their days in wondering won-dering lamentation over the world's mibbornuess. 'The pity of it!" For these people of many virtues yet lack the one quality which seems the chief needful thing after godliness tact. 1'hey mean well, but they do not know how to show it; and they are never able or willing to learn. - THE PEOPLE IN THE WOODS- I'aopla Whoa KvcrAMtve Ooodnvsi Makea Thaui Tiresome. Harper's Bazaar. Ellen was a philosopher who worked early and late at the laundry business, spending her time and strength mainly for unthankful relations, who little deserved de-served all she diil for them. "Klleu," said her wiseyoung mistress, with careful exactness, lest she should concede too much, "you know there are some people who are very good people indeed, but who somehow don't seem easy to live with. I have seen such people" -thoughtfully. The philosopher drew a set of towels through the wringer, and shook them out with vigor. "Lord bless you, ma'am," she laughed, "sure the woods are full of 'em." Ellen's ready acceptance of a universal univer-sal truth will call up a smile, and the smile broadens into a laugh as we reflect re-flect on the niotly character of the crowd which throngs these same woods. "The people in the wood" are connected with all of us by a thousand ties. We respect them oh, so much! We speak of them in guarded tones, with a little sigh, a suppressed smile, ami a big "but" at the end of the sentences. Their shadows never grow lesj. We wish them a long life elsewhere. These people in the woods ars all |