Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-07-16
MONTPELIER, THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1876

rE7-'Dsa
with whom could hold communion about them
I When commenced the study Of man, | saw thu
these abstract sciences arc not fitted for him, an,
| that | wandered farther from my path in dynr in
TO them, than did others in avoiding them; aud
iorgayo them their ignorance. | believed that
should find companions at least, in the stu " o.
mon, because 1t is the knowledge which best bcfts
him. | was deceived; there are yet fewer who
| study man than geometry
While thus speaking, they came TO the bridge
aad the horses taking fright, and refusing all con.
troll, plunged headlung into the river Seine. For.
tunatcly however, the strong conclusion broke hcil
harness, and the carriage remained on the borden
OF the prccpicc, while the horses were hurled be-
/ low. BY this means the life of Pascal was saved
/ liom ins tntancons destruction; but his health re-
I ceYed neycrthelC 8, n severe shock One may en-
silly imagine what effect this sudden righ. aud vi
oicnt motion must have produced in the weakened
state OF his constitution. He fell into ft from
winch he was with great difficulty recovered A
severe illness followed, the effects Of which he ney-
or got quite OYER Yet the gentle and lervcn char
lty Of his nature shone forth all the more brilliantly
Tor his bodily sufGfngs. lie gave aims to I'm cX-
tent which appeared folly to his acquaintauces -
| ono OF them lCctured him one day on his impru-
dent expenditure which, he affirmed, would speed.
ny bring him to poverty, Pascal smcd, and gli-
city repliedy have often remarked, that however
poof n rpan may be when dyinr he always leaves
something behind him."
lie denied himself the comforts AMI even the
ncccssarics of life in ord r to minister moro n
bundantly to the wants Of the poor. He always
preserved the utmost purity Of mind and manners
and he would never suffer the pleasures of the table
to be cNto.ed in his presence romarking, that food
was Simply intended to satisfy the appetite and
nourish The body, and not to pampcr Tie sonsos-
The unfortunate ever found in him a brother Oao
=. 4
Sulpicc, he was acco,tcd by younr and beautiful
peasant girl go, sir" she said, Tor the love OF
G2d give me few sous"
rascai stopped touched at the danger to which
,',' !ou,u "uu oo.uly WoU'u expos "cr' sUiiaIed
~ "",u'I' uuPiOtcc1ed, through inc streets oil IA
rs ne inquired mo her history. My lathcr,"
she said' was a mason, ana lived some leagues
IRON iIe city. a short time since he tcI! from some
scdoldlnT, and was killed on the spot, leaving my
mQther and me alone and inendles5 in the world.
we managed Tor time to support ourselves, till
my Ho'hers health failed; ana, alter struggling
III vain against her illness, she this morning enter
cd the hospital, where, though can visit her, am
not permi'tcd to live SO that, to avoid starvation,
am forced to beg"
My poor child" said Pascal, "yours is a hard
lot; will try what can be done with YOU"
lie Immediately conducted her to the house of a
venerable ccclesustic, to whom without making
himself known, he gave a sum Of money sufficient
for her food and clothing, promising to send next
day charitable lady TO take charge Of her. This
was Madame rcr who entered warmly into her
brothers bonC. .out feelings, and took care of the
grateful young girl until respectable situation
was provided for her. Who can describe the feel
ings of the poor sick mother, when she loald of
the Kindness that had been shown to her daughter
She longcd TO bless her hcnelactor, her guardian
angel, who had saved her child from misery, per.
haps f-~a ruin. Yet Pascal would not suffer his
name to be disclosed, and it was not till after his
death that he was known to have performed this
good action. Truly might 1t be said that he
uDil rood s,,,rt .nlt,,t,i,,c,ti,ru
No.,,i,,5-,n.3;.e. ,'.,.,..', ~.
r, ~ ms iilo''uo s'uIiY' nc hlu
ac,er ma a,l o hoo I. 'i,o o, ,,a
howinr kindlinoss of his nature torbndo II IIo
ono div ro,,or,od 01Tn, o,,l,,r, ,yl,a ora ;
sandy 6nnonncinC, mn boo, n,, bis,ar
mentary. wo,ld t6ey Go do he,tcr io say o,t hal,
o,,. co,n,ortory o,,, Listor,, , Gov I,onoslI i?
inr rLcro Is ,oro i, ,o;: Sl, tt w.
OILERS ihan to themselves
One of Ills mavi,ns yyos oIf Won wish others 70
speoi well If Won do NOT snenk we'll Of vourselCD
Another inst romarl was This. in Droporiion as we
have orr minds nnIarrnd vp discover in the world
greater number of oririnal characters common
place people do NOT Dercoive nnv DISTINGUISHING
difference between mopn
II NAV not be ont of nlnce to cite rcmarl of
PascaIs' alIuding lo tbe stronne poli,ico royolu-
lions of Elrono. and the casting down of crowned
heads which tool, placein his day. Uesavs. "Who
would eyer have supposed that an individual pos
sessinr the fienJshib of the KING of ENGLAND, the
king Of Poland. and the queen Of Sweden, might
be ie0 destitute in the world without an ASYLUM or
rotroat:"
This refers to three revolutions which had &C.
CURED in Europo nearly at the same time.
We will now set down, somowhat at random, a
few Of his remarks breathing a spirit of true phi
lprpDlv
"'Tioro is nothing more common than good
things; all we require is to discern them; and it
is certain they are all natural and within our reach
Yet it is universally the case that we do not know
how to distinguish them. 1t is not among strange
and extraordinary things that we are to loo, for
excellence. In rising to attain it, we but leave it