The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-03-15
ORIGINAL.
The June Bug Letters.
LETTER ".
MADISON, Feb. %. lsl5
March 10, 1874

DEAR NEPHEW.
There IS great fault in
some persons of constantly embeishing o.
eXaggeraling every snecdole which they in.
roduce into conversation. Such persons
are scarcely able 10 tell tale as they hearc
1t, Tor while they were listening to II ,hei
| ingenuity was al work, adding a little il
one place, pairing off a lille in an other, ant
bringing the whole story into such a shape
as might appear most humorous or instruct
i've 10 themselves, The disposition 10 EN-
belsh arises from desire TO please and q
vanity OF appearing smart. Exaggeralior
usually robS an anecdole of its simplicity
and accordance with nature, which are the
very grounds upon which il is pleasing
and surely the reputation Of wit is purchas
ed al too dear rate when uulh is exchang
ed for it. A person Of this habit was once
telling an exaggerated tale to Aristotle ant
thinking the philosopher could not but bt
| pleased with the marathon finished with say
ing, "is mol this wonderful" No. replied
Aristotle, but it is wonderful that any one
having feet would stay 10 hear you through.
am desirous tha! yOu always avoid al
other fault which arises from the same sour
ces, namely canllng kind of conversation
| mean, do not affect sensibii,y land feel
ing in regard TO morality, and religion
which is not real. You will soon be detect
ed, and it cannot fail 10 render you con
Iempllble and ridiculous. If you are devoid
Of feeling On these subjects shane ough
elieclually 10 close your mouth, but if you
really feel, as hope you do, lei thai feeling
itself, keep you from eileclng moro zea
han you possess. But there s another
kind Of cant which you cannot have faliec
10 notice and hope could not hear wilhou
indignation: ii is that OF young men wht
rIdlcule, and pretend 10 despse srlCl chris
Iian morality. while they in reality admire
it. They do 80 probably fro the mistaken
notion lha, they Use IN lhe esteem of those
who hear them,ard laugh and applaud thei
wilIicisms. But the real hardened wicked
who esteem manIll their appreciation cal
be called esteem) Tor rdlcuing these sub
eCls ARE TO few resllicted.' Hundreds
will laugh and applaud such caniing, whit
disapprove Of it, and will remember tht
caneg only to speak evil Of him afcrward,
for it. But | hope you stand in no need o.
being farther admOnlshed on this subject
DR.. franklin in his life written by him
self, says, that vanity should be considered
as one OF the blessings bestowed upon us by
providence, and he insists that we ought Il
thank God for it. II the Doctors view i:
correct, how many young persons have The
greatest reason 10 be ll'anktuIl With wha
heartfelt devotion, should those adore the
giver Of all good, whose walk and motion
whose expression OF cOuntenance, and ton,
of voice all indicate, that in their own estl
nation they are superlallveIy wise, good
aud beautiful! Bnt whatever causes 70
lhanklulness lhev may have, the vain have
never been remarkable for gratitude, ,perhap!
because they are SO much absorbed in lht
contemplation Of thelr uwn eXceItcncIes, ,,ha
they forget every thing else.
But why does FrankIIn think vanity
biessing' 1t is principal Of action, an,
prompts the individual possessed of it, /,
strain every nerve 10 appear as great in tht
eyes OF Others, as lie does IN his own. lg
noranl and silly fellows would do nothing i
they saw themselves as Others see them
but, believing that they are fl for ana Trims
they try ercry thing and 10 find something
that they can do, The less good sense AM
ldiscernmenI man has, the more vanity ht
needs to set him al work Nature has dis
rbn'ed II among mankind in accordanc,
with this maxim, giving but little Of it Il
the man whose knowledge Of himself, snt
Oi society is sufficient 10 make him act, bu
} heSlOwng immense quantities of it Of
hose who have nothing else TO make then
InOve,
For as in bodies, 50 in souls we find,
What wants in blood and spillt,swclls with wind
1t is as it were substitute for sense
Kindly bestowed on all to whom sense il
Idenied;aud although II is blessing 10 lhos
who possess ii, il Is greater blessing To b,
able 10 live without i. Hoping that yot
will be able 10 get along in the world with
OUT the assistance Of vanity.
! remain your UnClP,
AMOS GORDON.
TO JAMES BA0RY.
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