The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-07-17
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trua.blue natives of this island went
naked, painted with woad?'
Il "Upopmyword, sir, said Mr.. Blcnk-
insop, "afier the observations ,hat Ihave
: heard from you this night, I ncknowl-.
edge that do feel myself rather at a
loss 10 assign a precise period to the
times in question"
..Shall do it for you?' asked The
statue.
"Ifyou please sir. should be very
much obliged to YOU replied tho be-
wiidered Blenkinsop, greatly relieved.
rs "I'he best times, Mr.. Blenkinsop,"
said the statue, "arc the oldest. They
are tho wisest; for the older the world
ssrows, the more experience it acquires.
1t is older now than il ever was. The
oldest and best times the world has yet
seen are the present. These, so far as
we have yet gone, are tho genuine good
old times, SIR
Indeed, sir!' calculated the astonsh.
cd alderman.
"Ycs, my good friend. Those are
the best times that we know Of bad rs
The best may be. But fn proportion 10
their defects, they afIor,! room for
amendment. Mind that, sir, in the
future exercise Of your municipal and
{ political wisdom. Dou't continue to
sland in the light which is gradually il.
Eliminating human darkness. The Flu.
1nre is the date of that happy period
which your imagination has fixed in the
Past. |. will arrive when all shall do
what is right; hence none shall suffer
what is wrong. The true good old
times are yet TO come
Have you any idea when, sir?' Mr..
Benkinsop inquired, modcslly.
"Thal is little beyond me, the sta.
tue answered. 81 cannot say how long
Twill take to CONVERT the Blcnkinsops.
deSouily wish you may live TO see
them. And with that, I wisi, ,ou syvL
night, Mr.. Blenliinsop.'
ASir, returned Mr.. l,ienkinsop, with
Il profound bow, 81 have thc honor 10
wish you the same
Mr.. l'lcnkinsop returned home an
altered man. In few days he aston,
ished the corporation by proposing the
appointment Of an officer Of health to
preside over the sanitary affairs Of
Bee,lobury. 1t had already been tran.
spircd that he had consented to the in.
PRODUCTION Of lucifer matches into his
domestic establishment. in which, pre-.
riously, he had Insisted on sticking to
the old tindcr-bo Next, TO the Won
der Of all Beetlebury, he was the frs, to
propose great, new school, and to sign
arequisition that county penitenliary
might be established for the reformation
oFjuyenile offenders. The last account
of him is, that he has not only become
aisubscriber 10 the mechanics institute,
but that he actually presided thcreut,
lately on the occasion Of lecture on
geology.
The remarkable change which has
occurred in MIR. Blenkinsop's view, and
principles, he llirnaelf rotor. to his con.
versation with the statue, as above RI.
lated. That narrative, however, his
fellow townmcn receive with incredul- |
Gus expressions, accompanied Jy ges
tnres and grimnccs Of like import.
They hint, that Mr.. Blenkcnsop had
been thinking for himself a little, and
only wanted plausible excuse for re.
cuning his errors. hlcs: his fellow.
alderman believe him mad; no, less on
account Of his new moral and political
sentiments, SO very different from, their
own, than of his statue story. When
i has been suggested to them that he
has onl y had his spectaclcs cleaned and
has been looking about him, they shake
their heads, and say that he had better
hive left his speclacies alone, and that
litlle knowledge is n dangerous thing,
and good deal Of dir, quite the con-
trary. Their spectaclcs have never
been cleaned, they say, and any one
may see they don't want cleaning
The truth seems to be, that Mr..
Blenkinsop has found altogether new
set Of spectacles, which enable him to
sec in the right direction. Formerly,
he could only look backward; he now
looks forward 10 the grand object that
all human eyes should have in view
progressive Improvement