THAT SUPERIOR FEELING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3128, 31 July 1922, Page 2

THAT SUPERIOR FEELING.

(By Robert Erstone Forbes).

An old gentleman is taking the air. He is a stoutish old gentleman in tall hat and frock-coat. A pleasant old hoy with a jolly red face. You imagine—correctly —that he possesses an income of more than Clooo a. year. He is walking along at peace with the world. The day is fine, but there are clouds about, and an occasional gust from the south sweeps up the street. Rather violent gusts. Indeed, the old boy is not too easy in his mind. That tall hat of his is new, and does not fit nearly so well as the old one at home. And if he were not engaged to a smart luncheon-party, he would not have sallied forth in the new one. Rut old gentlemen are not very different from tney sex they adore; they like to look at their best. And so pur old boy ambles along, and presses the hat well down on to his bald dome of a head. But an extra strong gust comes unexpectedly fast, and that shining new hat mischievously attempts to fly to its old home in a Mend street shop. It gives a great lea]), bounds down to the pavement, indicts a slight wound on its side, is borne up aloft, and careers madly away. For a startled moment the old gentleman stands where he is, and en. deavors to understand what has happened. He is hatless. And there, already 30 yards off, is his property. A snort of indignation comes fro mhis lips. 'Wiat he of all people should be treated* in ibis way! It is monstrous. The new hat. moreover! it is not to hi.' borne. But the hat must he recovered somehow —let us hope not in both senses—and the old gentleman begins his chase. He waddles. He runs. And the bat is obviously enjoying the fun ; it increases its pace. So does the old hov. And every man, (lonian, and child jn the street begins to smile. More, they hurst into laughter. It is apparently the funniest affair in the world. . . . Now —why ? I admit that it is a tree entertainment. 'I here is nothing whatever to pay. On the contrary, it is just possible that one of the audience, that small hoy with the basket who is manfully striving t ocapturc the hat. will be rewarded for bis pains. It is all free, and the public, not unnaturally, takes any opportunity it can to obtain something for nothing. But why do they laugh at this poor old boy doing precisely what' they would be doing themselves had Fate been equally unkind to them? The answer is simple. For a few moments they are, when compared with the old gentleman, in a superior position. For all his fine clothes and large income, they can for a while view his troubles from those Olympian heights, to reach which is everybody's unconscious ambition. And their laughter is no more than the most natural expression of such superiority. They are not being cruel, or even insensible of another’s discomfort. They just, cannot help experiencing that, superior feeling, and show it in the easiest way. You see, it is not their hat.