ENVY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 46

ENVY.

I once read somewhere : " There is nothing more universally commended than a fine day. One reason is the people can commend it without envy." And it struck me how true a remark it was.

If any human being could be made accountable for the state of the weather, there are some people in the world who would find something disparaging to cay of the most perfect day, not because they really in their inmost hearts found fault, but because they were envious of the power possessed by a fellow creature of producing something that could be commended by other?.

This feeling of envy, although not confined to women, is certainly more predominant among women than men, perhaps because the former, as a class, are naturally more desirous of admiration than are tbe latter. It may be said of each, however, that it is invariably of his or her own sex that each is envioue. A man may have good looks, talent, position, charming manners all together, and he only excites the envy of men. Tin higher the degree in which he possesses any of the qualities the greater the admiration bestowed upon him by women. But let a woman possess but one of them sufficient to attract attention, there are some of her own sex who eat oat their hearts with Envy, and who will seek for blemishes in one direction in the vain hope of detracting from the excellence in another.

Beauty, intellect, wealth, tbe possession of luxurious homes, and even of costly wearing apparel — all excite envy in the hearts of the ill-natured. And yet, why should they ? For it is given to the very few to hold all these attributes together, and though lacking one, we may possess another equally as valuable. Many beautiful women would willingly sacrifice some of their good looks for the ready wit, talent for music, painting, &c , of their fellow women less forturjate in point of beauty ; and there are hundreds of women, beautiful to look upon, struggling to earn a miserable livelihood, who look with longing eyes upon the thoughtless squandering of money by the rich, and would gladly barter all their beauty for that which would keep the wolf from the door, and place themselves and

those near and dear to them oat of reach of the cold, cruel fingers of Want. So tbat although it is doubtless a pleasant sensation to see a beautiful face reflected back to one as one looks in one's mirror, it does not follow that that same beautiful face should be a contented one.

Those to whom Nature has not been kind in point of beauty need not envy those who have been more fortunate, for they have it in their power to cultivate the art of pleasing without beauty. A courteous manner, graciousness to poor and rich alike, a ready, willing hand held out to those in distress, and a true, sympathetic heart bring their own reward in tbe lasting love of those with whom the owner comes in contact, which mere beauty alone could never inspire. Envy of the talent of others is even more common than the envy of beauty. Beauty fades, but talent grows more and more evident as it is exercised. But nearly everyone has some particular gift, if he or she only have the energy and perseverance to develop it. It may not be for any of the finer arts, but for something practical and useful, which to the painter, writer, or musician would b3 simply impossible. A woman with a decided taste for domestic duties, and with tbe power of making home beautiful, in longing to siog well or to be an artist, author, &G-, forgets tbat her own particular talent gives her the power of exciting an appreciation which the singer, paiuter, or writer may be quite incapable of doing, and she should consider, also, that it does not follow that a man or woman with a gift for music or painting can stand up and siDg or take brashes and colours and paint rightaway. They each have to go through all the drudgery and hard work and |failures and disappointments of practice before they can hope to gain the applause of the critical world.

Wealth, and all the luxuries that wealth can buy, perhaps excite more envy than either talent or beauty, and yet, if one could bring oneself to take a philosophisal view of it", it should arouse less envy than either, for wealth brings in its train a host of evils unknown in comparative impecaniosity. To be rich means, as [a rule, to be idle, and to be idle is to be discontented. Then there is all the bad health brought about by dissipation, too good living, late hoars, want of proper exercise which thejpoor know not ; there are all the responsibilities, losses, scheming, the pet by jealousies, and heart-burnings and temptations of " society," that are altogether beyond the ken of those in less affluent circumstances. So the happiness of the wealthy is not to be gauged by the magnitude of their possessions, but by how much they enjoy of them.

The most pardonable of all envies is the envy of health, for without health all other good things are as meat without salt. Talent with no strength to develop it, wealth with no energy to make the most of it — what are they worth? No, we can scarcely blame the weak and infirm for looking upon the healthy and robust with only envious eyes. Some people actually go out of their way to arouse the envy of their fellow beings, especially of those with whom they are not on very good terms, and it is wonderful with what complaisance and satisfaction even the best of as regard the envy of oar enemies. Oolton, I think it was, who wrote, " The hate whioh we all endure with the most Christian patience is the hate of those who envy us."

Envy certainly grows upon one, and if indulged in may in time twist and distort what might have been a lovable nature into one of bitterness and discontent. The man or woman who allows the growth of this noxious weed in his or her heart will live to feel all the flowers of good feeling crowded out, aod instead of beiDg able to look upon the brightest side of things, will become in time that most miserable of mortals — a pessimist. Spade Guinea.