Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1818-12-08
MISCELLANY.
From the Connecticut Courant.
THE BRIEF REMARKER.

l. Ii D1b115E AlkA
There is happy medium betwixt the
heartless disposition to please nobody, and
the absurd aim to please every body ard
fortunate are they who find this middle
line, and keep it SO steadily as seldom to
run into the extreme OH the one side or
The other.
1t is no good sign TO be indifferent with
respect to what the world thinks or says Of
us, since it would argue either fulness OF
pride, or total lack ofsensibility. This
would be the character OF such indifference,
were it real but in truth it is mere afIec-
tation or pretence. II we except those
that are at the very bottom of the scale of
human life, and only small proportion
even of them, it may be fairly concluded
that no man or woman is altogether indif-
ferent about the good or bad opinion Of
their fellow beings. SO far from it, the
few who lay claim to this unamiabIe dis
tinciion have been found, generally speak
ing, peculiarly rancorous and vindctive
towards such as made free with their
characters, or had merely spoken disre-
spectfully of their talents. No authors,
& for example, have writhed with more ago.
by under the merited lash Of criticism, or
been more jealous and vindictive, than
some of those who pretend TO look down
with cold scorn upon the whole fraternity
of critics.
Social qualities and feelings are among
the primitive. ingredients of our nature,
and to divest ourselves of them would be
to divest ourselves of humanity itself.
They are rather to be cherished and cul.
tivated, every way, and by all lawful
means. 1t is not only right but laudable,
to wish to be generally esteemed and be-
loved--to cultivate friendships-to avoid
giving uneasy offences-and to conform to
The feelings and customs of those about us,
SO far forth as may be done with good
conscience aud consistently with ones per-
sonal circumstances. tits not only right
but laudabIe TO make it part Of our own
{ pleasure to please others; aud wherein we
I are compelled to differ with them, to do it,
! If possible without rancour or bitterness.
There is such thing as union of
condescension and firmness and happy
thing it is. To condescend in things in
different, in things trivial, in things that
touch not the conscience, nor seriously en-
Damage or endanger ones earthly interest
and welfare; and mean while to go not a
step farther for any persuasion whatever,
no not to please ones nearest friends-that
is the golden mean.
AS some pretend to care for none, there
are those who, on the other hand, try to
please all, by becoming-not in its best
sense" all things to all men," Some do
it from selfish disigns altogether; and 9TH
ers from a too great persuadableness Of
temper and yieldingness of heart. These
last can't bear in any case to be opposed
or to oppose; and so they readily fall il
with the sentiments and views of their
present company, and side with every
man they meet with. Often this pliabili.
~ of mind or temper is owing to sort Of
amiable weakness, but ii is destructive oil
all responsibility Of character.
| know not how to illustrate this point
better than by the following story, which
as TO substance and pith, may be regarded
as undoubtedly true.
81 Some very long while since, Parson
y M, of the then colony Of Massachu-
sets, happening at Boston, bought HIM
wig there, and returning home, wore 1t al
church the next sabbath. AS wigs of such
a size and shape were quite novelty u
that obscure place, il gave offence to al
most the whole congregation, who, boil
male aud female, repaired the next day tt
their minister's house and stated their com
plant, the burden Of which was that thu
wig was one of the Boston notions and liat
the look Of fashion and pride. The goo'
natur'd minister thereupon brought it forth
and babe them fashion it to their own liking
IL This task they set about in good earnes
aud with the help Of scissors, cropped q