Show THE MODERN CYNIC ills contempt for what ottora do and say the riter arr lom nil domello clr lt ni ail li eort of all ailt every ono it in sp ditc itc ol 01 his name iho cynic Is not altogether a creature of recent growth having by socio process of selection developed into rudimentary lifo very early in the of man but of late years his race has enormously increased and it may be interesting to note some peculiarities of a being elioso usei on earth arc so small and yet his increase so to describe liim generally as a man who admires nothing is loo far bagno to admit of being accepted as a definition like all animae of complot machinery bo ran not be defined in man for instance tho genus to which ho belongs ha been a gnat many times but hitherto not with much success ho has been called a debating animal but rats hold sacred conclaves and a gambling animal but I 1 I 1 lave seen monkeys gambling so with alio different species of man there Is no possible which can at the same timo exclude other species and comprehensively describe one it is tine that tho modern cynic admires nothing which other men have done this however permits him to fafail alv isaid of liam that lio does nothing but then this enables him iho more strongly to respect himself for what ho might have done it may be further said that he attains to nothing but then ho has the power of might have achieved and with aliat superior brilliancy of on had lio chosen to enter the arena his namo is little known to the outer world perhaps little respected by tho circle to which ho bo longs his kind may bo subdivided into several principal and a very largo number of subsidiary classed alio lito iary cynic is of course tho first that attention not because ho Is tho moat important but because lie makes the most noise ho is tu bo found in certain papers daily and weekly in one or two magazines and in few novels ho is not as a rule scholarly nor perhaps lias his thought eo much depth as can bo observed in alio works of tho ancient philosophers but lie makes up for cheso defects by smartness and by an overwhelming anso of superiority which of a possibly kind bicart can not retrain from brcak ins out into sneers lie acts as critic cither on books or on men and women if on book he has one rulo to start with and one method of treatment blo standard is cut up that standard cit excellence which our cynic would reach acro ho to arito and then this boang implied than explained pla ined ho proceeds to show how far iho writer ha fillou this done lio next holds up to pop r scorn any daray bits choro iho author has plunged inlo fallen into genuine fueling or become n victim to virtue and goodness all anro nicked out and paraded labeled as rush to prevent giuili indeed is thu literary cynics chief function care must bo taken to distinguish bo him and another of a race but in somo rui embling him the prig lias lia s it own solf or rather veneration but brigs prigs in each other the see in each other the virtues which they admira in and they gush solemnly over phoui A prig can not contain himself sec ho says speaking of another but looking n the elaas alic while sec how ghou ho 1 how well lio docs his work what an sense of duty lio has what j of responsibility what contempt for the commoner paths of frivolous frivol ons men for iho prig as nothing without his of duty and pitying contempt for other men wo common men anro do too I 1 admit by alio cynic but in a way lie at our follies n ho joins ho despises our virtues boroc of which lio shares he burh his lip at in because we do our autv without an earnest anso of responsibility and yet he has none him f elf tim prig m fact honestly arcs to possess the quality ho admire ant in alie a moni thun mortal share of them clift cynic calls tho attention of iho world to our shameless want 0 these ornaments of alio byul and thinks it to put them on himself tho literary canio on men and women t more at homo than with books tor iro n creal many books which am can not touch at all for want of the necessary scholar ship now everybody can talk of men and bomon aud of vronica vroni cn hero his moat telling af alp the 1 to uy feliu n abe of pr A motive the of men anatoly proceed from so many and complex impulses that it is always possible to afian one which is bad and unworthy ll 11 for instance a public deed is done which invokes the sacrifice ot much money or much labor what more rational than to suppose it dono with the view of getting tho praises of men if tho labor of a life culminates in somo great thing which brings money as well as a name what can ono who reads the soul so well as a cynic attribute it to but a thirst after filthy lucro when there arc several ends to bo attained let us he says always chomio tho least boblo when several may leavo been at work let us says alio llio cynic choose the babst thus society meant a crush at an at homo a dinner party of twenty people to each other a attempt not to appear bored a perfectly transparent now tolerably devoid of meaning clergymen are by tho nature of profession fes sion humburgs humbugs hum bugs all political men laivo ono dinglo aim and no other to pet or to keep and alio llio little things that wo were taught to recard as among the most pleasant in life the gathering of families alic talking over old jimca with brothers nod cousins and oin public festivities arc tho saddest ol 01 modem civilization tho things that poison our cup of happiness with these katims and omo ton others the literary cynic makes out pretty wall the art cynic lias i narrower sphere of action you may lind him about the picture galleries lie slonius before a the whole coul a poor thing perhaps pei haps but all ho has of the artist has been poured out women looking at tho fixed thought on the canvas arc moved to tears ho however is unmoved alter mature consideration be turns to his friend and whispers audibly ah yes pretty well alio llio old trick you see ho the country folks dry their eyes ashamed to be scon cry ing over a picture that is dono by tho old trick nud go on to tho next all their pleasure sometimes he gets an opportunity of speaking out in some review then taking tho in detail ho lias a chauca to sneer at every one the cynic lio never laughs and never cries needless tl add that ho never applauds his lincol opportunity is when tho whole house is in tears ho s wont then to turn round to alic man with him whose throat is perhaps at alio moment with n suppressed sob and to whisper loudly very badly done all tills I 1 say a worse piece so that iho people all round leave off crying and try not to feel interested in alio llio liero inoa sufferings in the samo way when faco anro broadened with grin boxes and pit and gallery arc istl 1 k unmoved it bear me this is very melancholy which lia i an upon iho audience jimdar to thai of oil upon tho unnumbered smiles of ocean somo nights ago I 1 saw two of critics at a now 1 ork theater they not greatly advanced in years alio llio elder being apparently about twenty one they listened with grave faces at the funny part keening I 1 thought a furtive cc ono on the oilier to detect and derido any accidental lurking smile but when wo came to misfortunes the of alio heroine and alio agony was piled ap higher than wo could well boar these two young heroes with whom and an appreciation of art altogether conquered out sympathy and with whom the critical faculty so far mastered the emotional that the feeling iho thought in watching for the expression of the poet suddenly roc moved by a common impulse ball said the younger with an infallible air of disdain what rot it Is let us get out of here so they got out tho two boys were after all only boys As tor alic rust ot us wo cried and laughed at tho foolish picco till our sides ached I 1 saw a young but very promising cynic the other day in an episcopal church three boys sitting together ho in tho middle but I 1 think lie had come alone the other two out their and followed tho culled esons joined in the chants sang the hymna knelt for the prayer and generally comported themselves with be coining reference and propriety lie however my cynic regarded them to right and left with an air of the most sublime contempt lie would look around the church as if to call attention to this preposterous humbug and his own superiority in deference to tho service he stood up for the hymns and fat down for the lessons but lo 10 neither knelt nor joined in alio singing nor nu anything but tho most boredom at alie whole thing religion ho scorned to say prayer piety dear dear what absurdity ot inferior quality but perhaps more in his small way Is tho domestic cynic it is who takes care that nono of his household shall bo possessed of any foolish notions of admiration mi ration toward friend or acquaintances quain ho knows the of 1 friends liquor alio reason sordid and selli sli of course of another frienda kindness to him alio untrustworthy character of ft third and so on much a wo may admire the other kinds of 1 that toward this one I 1 feel a repugnance owing chiefly chi elly I 1 suppose to some detect in my organization that forbids to arilo about bilm calm but these threat and noble men choso whoso aim it is to shiow iho world aliat it really Is and not what it pretends or hones to bo to put down sentiment and all alio things which foster absurd excessive admiration fa natio principle devotion to 1 cause loyalty and the like passions which hive produced such great to tho worlds who have discovered alio llio real roots of love and now hold them up to abo of mistaken humanity who tear h n honor from min and her imaginary modesty from woman what thang ahau be ald n their nud what aowad aha I 1 bo upon them from a graam people Iott crity will perhaps when no i left and of alio old world for afy dignity nd award lo 10 tho modern cynko his p merd of glory elt |