INTERESTING PEOPLE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 23, 5 January 1878, Page 3

INTERESTING PEOPLE.

(From the Saturday Iteview.) Whenever we see the term "interesting " applied to a character it excites an especial curiosity. Perhaps there «re few epithets so flattering ; butyphen we attempt to define it we find iompossible to treat the subjectapart from oneself, to make it other than a personal question; we cannot say what is interesting m thei abstract part from what is interesting to us. Of course, indeed, it is this alliance between the interesting and the interested that gives the epithet its meaning and constitutes the charm. ■> In all notable public examples the element of mystery carries it over everything else m exciting and sustaining interest. We see thia conspicuously m Swift, so profoundly interesting to the. last century; though m his case the mystery did not admit of resolution m contradictory excellences. Dccending to the domestic and social standards of this quality, we should 4 say that m family life those are mbst interesting who are most fully known to the observer, whose .intricacies of character, have been a long study ; while m social life it is the new and unfamiliar, which has to be guessed at, t that gives the most amusing fjtd exciting^ exercise to this vciix of, observation. The lovers of new

acquaintance are always expectiug to make discoveries of more than meets the eye, of depths unsuspected by the careless and indifferent ; but they are impatient and often miss what they are looking for. The really interesting character grows m interest and only fully reveals itself to the constant, sympathy of a kindred nature. We think it may be observed that the epithet is oftener applied to men than to women, which may be : explained ;by the fact" that women, m their easy, unscientific way, are much oftener students of character than -men ; and as men play the more conspicuous part m the world, they are naturally the objects of this study. But also it may be that mystery, if we may so apply the word, belongs rather to man' s organisation . Those who do not take much pains m the choice of their epithets, but use those m vogue, will call a man interesting; both epithets connect the object of . admiration with the admirer. The man Who calls a woman charming has both felt her charm and believes himself to be the object of an intention to please. The praise of moral and intellectual excellence may be bestowed without this condition, but there is always a subtle affinity between the interesting man and the persons interested, between the charming women and the person charmed.