The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-09-01
THE STANDARD


THE STANDARD
Ore day Socrates, having met a selfimnor-
tant young gentleman, named Glaucon. syou
nave, they tell me- said the sage, "a passinn
ate desire to govern the republic EThev saw
true,' replied Glaucon. fThe design is splen-
did resumed the other If YOU succeed, YOU
VIII be IN condition to serve your friends.
aggrandlze your family, and extend the bounds
OF your country. You will be known not only
IN Athens: but IN all Greece; and perhaps your
Irenown vii. reach even barbarous nations. like
that OF Themistocles. You will be the subject
OF all eyes; and you will attract to yourself
the respect and the admiration of the world ,
An address so nslnuating, so fiatterinr, de-
! lighted the young man, who imm ediately sue
cumbed under his besetting weakness lie re-
NAMED in silent rapture and the other contin-
| ued, since you desire esteem and honor it is
clear, that you think, also, of rendering YOUR
sell useful to the public 'Assuredly TELL
me then, pray you, what is the first service
which you propose TO render the state2 AS
Glaucon appeared embarrassed, and was medi-
tatlng what reply he should make, apparently
resumed Socrates, it will be to enrich, that is
TO augment the revenues 'The very same.
Ano without doubt you know, in what the
revenues consist, and how much can be raised !?
! 1ou cannot fail to have made that a particular
study that, if any great resource should sud
IL
another 4" swear to you, that this is the
very point, upon which never thought Point
| out TO me, at least the expenditures of the re-
pubic tor you know of what Importance it is
to retrench all that surperfuous' am
oonged TO aVow to you, that am no better in
structed upon this article than the other
fou must then put off. to some other time,
the purpose which you have to enrich The re.
public; for it is impossible for YOU to do if. if
you are ignorant both Of its revenues and ex-
penses'
The conversation had begun not to be alto
gether SO pleasant for the young politician be-
cause it compelled him to the humliating ayow
al OF ignorance upon those very points, where
ne ought to have been best Informed. Hone.
however, sustained his vanity and profitins Of
an idea, which appeared TO him unanswerable.
4: seems TO me, said he, that you pass in ST.
fence mean, as efticacious, as that of which
you have been speaking. Can we not enrich
the state by the ruin gifts enemies ? Exact
ly so. But to avail of this mean, we must be
the stronger party. Otherwise we run the risk
OF loosing our own, instead of gaining theirs
hhus he, who speaks abnnt ~--HSf'"Nt''s :" al
eer; that, should ne Ind his party the stronger,
he may boldly counsel war and if he find it
the weaker, fIssuade the people from engaging
IN 1t. Do You know what are the forces of
your republic, by land and sea; and what those
OF your enemies: Have you this information
reduced TO writing? You will do me the pleas
ure to communicate it to me- Il have not
done 1t yet | see then we must not be in
haste TO make war, if they assign to you the
charge OF the government. 1t seems, then.
there are many things for you yet to know, and
much care OF preparation yet to be bestowed
lie thus led the young man over many other
articles, upon which he found himself equally
new, and caused him to touch, with his own
finger, the righteousness of those who have
the temerity tie intermeddie with government,
without bringing to it any other preparation
than a great esteem for themselves, and a
measureless ambition to mount to the first
places.
Fear, my dear Glaucon, added he, in con-
clusion, lest too vehement desire of honor
should blind you, and cause you 10 assume a
part which would cover you with shame. in
bringing to the fullest light your incapacity
and experimentation Rerieic.
PHILOSOPHY. Going into bookstore the
other day accidentally took up new pubIica-
ton called "The Frugal Housewife" Turn
ing over the leaves, my attention was caught
by the following story, which | thought was
worth five shillings, the price of the book ac-
cOrdngly bought it, and now send the extract
for publication.
Philosophy is rarely found The most per-
feet sample ever met was an old woman, who
was apparently the poorest and most forlorn of
the human species; so true is the maxim which
all profess to believe, and none act upon inva-
rlably, viz that happiness does not depend on
outward circumstances. The wise woman, to
whom have alluded, walks 20 Boston, from
distance Of twenty or thirty miles, to sell bag
of brown thread and stockings, and then pa
tienty walks back again with her little gains.
Her dress, though tidy, is grotesque collec-
ton of shrods and patches, coarse in the ex-
treme
Why don't you come down IN a wagon ?
said |, when | observed she was evidently wea-
ried with hor long journey.
We hant got any horse, replied she the
neghbors are very kind to me, but they can't
spare theirn and it would cost as much to
hire one, as all my thread will come to-
You have husband, don't he do any thing
J for you"
he's a cripple and an invalid. He reels my
yarn, and specks the childrens shoes. He's as
kind husband as a woman need TO have
! But his being cripple is heavy mlsfor-
! tune to you, said /.
! why ma am don't look upon it in that
/ light replied the thread woman consider
that I've great reason to be thankful he's ney or
took to any bad habits
How many children have you ?
Six sons and five darters, Ina'am
! Six sons and five daughters What fam
/ lily Tor poor woman to support!
It's family surely, ma'Om; but there ant
one of 'em I'd be wiling to lose. They are as
good children as need to be-all willing to work,
and all clever to me. Even the llllest boy,
when he gets cent now and then for doing a
chore, will be sure and bring it to ma'am
do your daughters spin your thread ?
/ mo ma'am, as soon as they arc big enough
I they go out to servica don't want to keep
them always delving for mo; they are always
willing to give mo what they can; but it is
right and fair they should do a little for them
selves. do all my spinning after the folks are
abed.'
Don't you think you should bo better off, i
you had no one but yoursofto provide for ?