The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-31 00:00:00

LORD DERBY ON MENTAL CULTURE:

On Friday in last week, the Earl of Derby delivered
the prizes to the pupils of the Liverpool College, of
which his father was one of the founders. After
some local references, his Lordship said :
I am not about to enter on that old controversy, which
has been going on ever since lean remember, and will go on
probably after most of us we in our graves, as to the
ative value of a classical or scientific education. Then Is
no much to be sold iss favour of any kind of human culture,
that I, at least, with to blame no man, be he mathematician,
chemist, Dalmatia, or chemical student, who exalt. his own
favourite pursuits above all the rest. But we live under hard
and lace -ruble zondltions The vast mejorlty of men, in all
ages aid countries, most work before they can eat. Even
thou who are not under that necessity are, in England,
generally impslled by example, by Custom, perhape.hige,sl
is
sense of what is fitted for them, to adopt what
an active pursuit of some sort. Life-long study le possible
only to exceedingly few: and unless such study is to
lead to name result useful to the rest of the world, I don't
know that we ought to desire that those wile follow it
should be more numerous. For, if there Is one thing
more certain than another, it Is this—that every member of
a community is bound to do something for that community
In return for what begets from It; and neither intellectual
cultivation, ner the possession of material wealth, nor any
other plea whatever, except that of physical or mental Inc.
pacity, can sacrum any of as from that plain and penonal
duty, If, thee, active Ire be She duty of moat men—lf It has to
be entered upon at an early age. as Is generally the case—
and If, In these days of competition, it absorbs the whole
energies of body and brain, as is very often the case—l fear
it follows that eystematic devotion to any kind of study is
seldom possible. There have been, and there ere, very
eminent exceptions!. We may find some among public men
either now or lately living; but they undoubtedly are the
exception rather than the rule. It In not time that le want-
lug; you may take It as certain that a man will always And
time for what really interests him. But energy Is In arab of
us a limited quantity ; and we cannot blame or wonder at
the wish to rest altogether after • good day's work. Yet,
knowing all this, and tensible It myself, I do say to every
young man whom I am now addressing, whatever your pur-
suit may be, however active, however absorbing, don't--
unless you are willing to forfeit one of Ws mese
lasting of human enjoyments—don't. If you can possibly
help it, allow yourself to lase your taste for read-
-og. It Is • bad thing to have the brain al-
ways filled with one's own narrow personal concerns,
or, what is one degree worse, with the small per-
sonal concerns of Dues neighboura It is a great gain
putting ills the lowest point of view, to be able to pass at
pleasure out of the eternal round of petty duties and trivial
arrangements, to observe, with however unpractised an eye,
the marvellous arrangements of nature, or to Ilve In the
lives and follow In the thoughts that have interested and
Instructed successive generations of mankind. And though
It may be, Ins community like this, considered by some to
boa heterodox view, twill say that t often appears to me in
the present day that we are a little too apt n all choses to
look upon ouneires as mere machines for what • called
" getting on," and to forget that there are in every human
being many faculties which cannot be employed, and many
wenn which cannot be satisfied, by that occupation. I
have not a word to utter against strenuous devotion to beel-
iness while you are at It. But one of the wisest and most
thoroughly cultivated men whom I ever knew, retired
before the age of fifty from a profession in which he was
making an enormous income, because, he said, he had got as
much as he or anybody belonging to him could want, and he
did not see why he should ncrlece the rest of his ille to
money-getting. Some people thought him very foolish, I
did not. And I believe that the gentleman of wheal I speak
never once repented We decision.
His lordship concluded with the following advice to
young men making their start in the world:-
- • •• -

Let them recollect that the race in which they are engag-
ing is one which will last all their working days, and in
which endurance ta more important than speed. They know
already that intemperance is one form of suicide—let them
remember that all neglect of physical laws Is open to the
lame reproach, and that there may be intemperance in work
al well as In meaner indulgencies. You cannot have
mental efficlency without health : you cannot maintain
heal% in an exciting and exhausting employment, such as
most mental occupations are, when eagerly followed, with-
out some care to preserve it. What I had to tell you about
keeping up literary tuts' has been said already. they are a
great pleasure—a wholesome, and • lasting one. Keep them
up It you can, and as bag as you can. But while you do
that, rememetnber also that there Is one thing as compared
with which not only material health and luxury, but all art,
all literature, all r.clence even, are relatively unimportant,
and in regard to which the poorest labourer may compete
with any of you on equal terms—l mean • steady, untiring
prefonnance by each Individual of his public and private
duty.
Honour and Fame from no condition rise—
Act well your part: there all the honour Ilea."
His lordship resumed hiii seat amidst great applause

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.
There is to be a very grand wedding at Christ Church,
New York, on the evening of the 4th of January, in
which women's righta will prevail. There will be twelve
bridesmaids and no groomsmen.
A traveller at a hotel in Omaha saw an old grey.
headed flea crawling over the page on which he had
just registered his name! He went away alarmed, as
it was, he said, the first place he was ever in where the
fleas looked over the hotel register to find out where
your room was.
• •

There is a man in Decorah. lowa, so penurious, that
when shelling corn, a kernel flew into a wood pile, and
he removed several cords if wood to find it. A neigh-
bour, standing near, dropped a kernel near where the
searcher was looking, but when he found it he said :
"You can't foal me with that small kernel; the one I
lost was a larger one."
A gentleman had a little marble statuette of Cupid
in the parlour of his conntry•house—bow, arrow,
wings, and all complete. A Yankee visitor looking
pensively at the figure asked the lady of the hones" if
that was a statoo of her deceased infant."
-

---- --
Premium awarded to a velocipede rider in 1870.—
"To Abram Parsons, a premium of tbirtpthree and
one third dollars, for riding a velosipede down the
back stairs ova gimnazium, and knocking out eighteen
of hiz front teeth, and distorting hit none."

A REPRESENTATIVE WOMAN.
They have • queer woman orator in San Francine°.
Here is a portion of a speech she made recently:—
They say man wu created lint. Sposhf he was ! Mei
first experimenta always failures? If I was a betting man I'd
bet two dollars and a half they are. The only decent thing
about him, any how, was • rib, and that went to make some-
thing better. And then they throw it in our face about Eve
taking that apple. 11l bet five dollars Adam boosted her up
In the tree and then only gave her the core. And what did
he do when he we. found out? True to his masculine in-
stinct, he sneaked behind Eve's Grecian bend, and " Teams'
me, lwas her" Bring up your little daughters to love and
caress the ballot, and when they are old and scrawny they
will not depart from it Teach them that man occupies no posi-
tion that woman cannot fill, even to • pair of pante Teach them
that without the ballot woman Is simply a cooking nod 'rush-
ing machine that with it, she can just rule her little romt.
We have plenty of ballet girls, but what we want is ballot
women. I am astonished there ain't more interest manifested
In this absorbing topic. This hall ought to be filled from
dome to ceiling. Our speakers don't lack brains or influence,
but there is one thing 1 wish they end lack, and that is their
desire for a husband. 1.0 matter how rabid • woman is on
thla question, or how much she talks against the man on the
platform, she'd grab the drat one that offered himself, and
turn right straight round and that's where we're weak. Most
women think they're made for a purpose, and that was to
have Mrs. on their tombstone. They'd better be /WIWI all
their lives. I am commander-in-chief of • large army of
female woman's b.llota, and am cleaning out everything
that looks like male sex. whilst the band plays, "Seethe
conquering here cometh.. Come with me to the
worst portion of our great city. After naceuding thirty-one
flights of rickety stain, what do we find? A miserable base-
ment. In one corner sits a wretched woman, once the belle
of the city. She =OM vests. Not • morsel of food has
passed her lipe since fall. Around her are fourteen children
crying for bread. But, alas! she ain't got no bread. Have I
overdrawn ttils picture? No, dr. And If any man dares Loony I
have, I'll guarantee to send him home on a shutter in less than
ten minutes. But, my dear sisters, lam not here simply to touch
your pockets also. A thing of this kind can't go on without
money, and I hereby call upon four of the most able-bodied
sisters, who feel Its sweet to be on the muscle, to paw
round the hat Think of the greatness of our Mlle. Think
of your altered firesides, where mothers, with dissipated
huabands, press their children to their bosoms. [ After this
• ms]ority of the audience moved towards the door. About
seven dollars and a half was collected. After putting the
amount in her reticule, and planting her light foot drmi
upon It, she proceeded.] "My dear Mends, I must now bid
you adieu, bull will be with you again when amen are better,
for I intend to agitate this question till we get our rights
and whatever we can sponge Wilda!, will agitate It MI
my breath gives out."

BOYRTHING LIZI A COMPLMILIWT I—A Writer
in an American paper (the Hartford Post) thus rums
up his opinions of Mdlle. Christine Nilason :
line la Like a Railroad Train at Highest Speed, with. Lead
of Hearts—She Sails, Also, and open • Yull Tkie—She imd•
denly Reserves Her Steam, Stops Short, Comes Out, Strong
In her Soft Paresis, and Goes Leon.. High Bridge Over •
Torrent hrm on its Foundations, the Hushed Atmospiielt
Meantime Being Highly Charged with Romance.

. -
HOW iR that for high ? appropriatxly inquires the
Phileddpitta Evoing City Iton, which quota' Q.
ceiticius,