The freeman. (Fremont [Ohio]) 1849-1850, 1850-04-20
Selections from Emerson.
The following extracts from Emerson's Es
saws will be found worth reading:


The following extracts from Emerson's Es-
says will be found worth reading:
The STuDENT-1t becomes him to feel all
confidence in himself, and to defer never to
the popular cry. Let him not quit his belief
that a pop gun is a pop gun, though the an
cient and honorable of the earth affirm it to
be the crack of doom. In silence, in steadi-
ness in severe abstraction, let him hold by
himself; add observation to observation, pa
tient of neglect, patient reproach; and blde
his own time' -. Free should the scholar
be- free and braveh - 1t is a shame to him,
if his tranquility amid dangerous times arise
from the presumtion that like children and
woman, his is protected class; or if he seek
a temporary peace by the diversion OF his
thoughts from politics or vexed questions, hid
ing his head like an ostrich in the towering
bushes, peeping into microscopes and turning
rhymes, as boy whistles to keep his courage
up
The PuRTTANs.-'What a debt is ours to
that old religion, which, in the childhood of
most of us, still dwelt like sabbath morning
in the country of New England, teaching pri-
walton, self denial and sorrow A man was
born not for prosperity, but to suffer for the
benefit of others like the noble rock maple,
which all around our villages bleeds for the
service of man. Not praise, not mems accept
ance of our doing, but the spirits holy errand
through u.s. absorbed the thought How Dig
nified was this How all that is called talents
and success in our noisy capitals, becomes
buzz and din before this man worthiness i
And what is to replace for us the piety of that
race? We cannot have theirs: it glides away
from us day BY day, but we also can bask in
the great morning which rises forever out of
the eastern sea, and be ourselves the children
of the light
WoRsH1P.-'I once heard preacher who
sorely tempted me to say l would GO to
church no more. Men CO. thought |, where
they are wont to go, else had no soul entered
the temple in the afternoon. A snow storm
was falling around u.s. The snow-storm was
real; the preacher merely spectral ;and the eye
felt the sad contrast in looking. at him and
then out of the window behind him, into the
beautiful meteor of the snow. He had lived
in vain. He had no one word intimating that
he had laughed or wept; was married or in
love; had been commended, or cheated, or
chagrined. If he ever lived and acted we
are none the wiser tor it. The capital secret
of his profession, namely, TO convert life into
truth. he had not learned. 1t seemed strange
that the people should come to church 1t
seemed as if their houses were very unenter-
tanning, that they should prefer this thought
less clamor. It shows that there is com
manding attraction in the moral sentiment that
can lend faint tint of light to dullness and
ignorance coming in its name and place.
HoUsEKEEPIHa-Is our ouse-keeping sa-
cred and honorableb Does it raise and in
spire us, or does it cripple us instead?
Our expense is almost all for conformity
1t is for cake we run in debt; tits not the in
tellect, not the heart, not beauty. not worship,
that costs so much. We are first sensual,
and then must be rich. We dare not trust
our wit for making our house pleasant to our
friend. and so we buy ice-creams As soon
as there is faith, as soon as there is society,
comfits and cushions viii be left for slaves
Expense will be inventive and heroic Let
us learn the meaning of economy. Economy
is high, humane Office, or sacrament, when
its aim is grand: when it is the prudence of
simple tastes; when it is practised for freedom
or love, or devotion Much of the economy we
see in houses is of a base origin, and is best
kept out of sight. Parched corn eaten to-day,
that may have roast fowl for my dinner on
Sunday, is baseness; but parehed corn and
house with one apartment, that | may be
free of all purturhations; that may be serene
docile to what the mind shall speak, and girt
and road ready for the lowest mission of ofknowl-
edge or good will, is frugalhy for gods and
heroes