Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-02-27
Reliance on Oneself for Happiness.

There Is no want OF self esteem among US, vet
there is little power ofself entertainment Almost
all appear fonder of anybody's company than their
own. Ones own society, indeed to great many,
is no company at all. They can never be more
completely abandoned than to be left to themselves
One is as uneasy on being left alone, as if he
had seen ghost of somebody, when he is only in
troduced to a communion with his own spirit
How is this strange phenomenon to be accounted
for! From herding together, more especially in
cities, from youth to age. In this way, person
becomes much better acquainted with others than
himself and grows dependent on them for the
means of happiness. Thus educated, he leans on
some one for support; when that is taken away,
he falls or wthers. What is needed for happiness,
as we'll as usefulness, is more self reliance, and
ability to stand alone A habit of doing this gives
efficiency to talent and happiness to life. Where
people stand thick together, this cannot be expect
ed. A tree growing in a pasture by itself strikes
its roots deep, sends up strong stem, throws out
sturdy branches on every side. Place it in dense
forest and it dwindles almost to a vine. There is
a boy five years of age in the next garden. He
runs and rides and talks and sings there all the
day long, without a soul to help him to be happy.
Nobody is ever seen near him, but some elderly
members of the family, and they but rarely. Yet
he enjoys himself from morn to night His resour-
ces have grown to be immense. Another child
would probably be an obstacle in his way at first
No real comrade could equal the reflections ofhim-
self with which he is forever holding dialogues
He is not one of your sedate, quiet boys but he Is
as great talker as a thinker. Such a boy can
never want amusement; he is an entertainment to
himself; at once author, actor and audience COM
bined and all his exhibitions arc certain to be
crowned with unanimous applause. We cannot
learn that he ever had playmate but latterly
he enjoyed such taste of one as blind child
might possess. He converses without seeing, with
little girl on the other side of ten-feet fence
When he does so, he is seen looking upwards to the
sky as if he supposed the voice of his child COM
panion dropped down from the heavens, or perhaps
only because it drops over the top OF the fence
But he looks while he is talking as II converslng
with an impersonality. He appears to regard this
friend of his very much as a seeing child does the
reflection of himself IN pond OF water-nelther
surprised at his absence wondering at his pres
ence. That such boy so trained, will become an
individual when man, there is no room at all to
question That he will have abundance of resour-
ces, will admit as little doubt What else he has
grown to be, we shall probably not live to see.--
The sequel somebody else must write Perhaps
the Coroner will do it, perhaps the States attorney.
We hope that neither will but that his own indie
pendent germ of character may be expanded, till
genuine self relying man may be fully brought out
and developed in this vivacious specimen of child
hood.-NeWark Aduertser