OCR Text |
Show MAN IN HIS HOME MR. QRI8TLETON PHILOSOPHIZES ON SUBJECT. Thinks There Are Few Who Ara Sweat Abroad and Sour When In the Bosom of Their Family. "You know," said Mr. Grlatleton, "when I hear ft said of a man that he's good as pie to everybody olae. but you ought to boo how he treats hla folks, I don't sot It down right away that the man so described. must be necessarily a brute or a sneak. You see, It he la going to show peevishness peev-ishness anywhere, home Is the proper place for it; there It can do hla family and himself the least harm. It Is essential es-sential to his success In lite that ho should put up a good front and show a Binding face to the world. "As a matter of fact the terms are contradictory, for a man can scarcely be permanently 111 tem pored at homo and yet present even a veneer ot grace sufficient to deceive abroad. A man Is likely to reveal himself at all times for what ho really Is; to be, In the main, either good or bad everywhere; every-where; but It he have a streak of weakness in him, why, that 1 would prefer he should keep for home, and o, I think would his family. "They want hlm to make a good Impression In tho world, to appear everywhere to advantage, and they are ready to put up with his shortcomings, shortcom-ings, to mako allowances, and after all hey don't have to make so many, and they know his ways and they can charm away his crossness easily enough. "The truth Ib that while there may bo men who are saints abroad and savages at home thero are not many uch; most men are pretty decent, and these stories we hear about men who are so good tp other people find so mean to their own are likely to be without any real foundation or greatly great-ly exaggerated or born out ot a chance disclosure. m "Jones' family, for Instance, know him for what he Is, a strong, vigorous, able man who keeps his temper and behaves himself admirably in the world, though there he has much to contond with; and they aro willing, more than willing, that he Bhould forget for-get his troubles and even lose his temper occasionally at home It he wants to. It gives them an opportunity opportuni-ty to soothe and comfort him and be good to him and strengthen him. They not only don't mind, but they really like him to be natural and human; they are not disturbed because he has some fallings like the rest ot us, and they know he'll be serene and strong again in a mtnute. "So I take little stock in the stories we hear occasionally ot this man or that who Is said to be good as pie to strangers but a sour chap with his own. You can set In. down for a fact that the man who has the strength and courage and Belf-control to bear himself like a man abroad through the day is, as a rule, and despite any transient pettinesses that he may there reveal, pretty sure to be a man whom they Aro right glad to see at night at home." |