Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-31
From Chambers Journal.
WHAT TO DO IN THE MEANTIME

1t has been frequently remarked by a
only fault is impracticability, that in life
there is but one real difficulty this is sim
ply-what to do in the meantime 1t
comes home to the experience of every
man who hears it uttered. From the
chimney tops to the cellars Of society,
great and small, scholars and clowns, all
classes of struggling humanity are pain
fully alive to its truth.
The men to whom the question is pre-
Ominently embarrassing are those who
have either pecuniary expectations or pos
sess talents Of some particular kind, on
whose recognition by others their material
prosperity depends. 1t may be laid down
as a general axiom, in such cases, that the
worst thing a man can do is to tCait, and
the best thing a man can do ia to acork )
that is to say that in nine cases out of ten
doing something has great advan-
tage over doing nothing.
"Work man !" said the philosopher;
"haSt thou not all eternity to rest in p
And to work, according to Mills Politi-
cal Economy" 10 to moVe /; therefore per-
petual motion is the great ideal problem
Of mechanicisns.
The first case in our museum is that Of
n German officer. He was sent to the
coast of Africa on an exploring expedition,
through the agency of the part Pretrs, or
Jesuit party in France, with whose mach
nations against Louis PhilipPe's govern
ment he had become accidentally acquain-
ted. The Jssuits, finding him opposed to
their plans. determined to move him from
the scene of action. In consequence Of
this determination, it so happened that the
captain of the vessel in which he went
out, set sail one fine morning, leaving our
friend ON shore to the society and care of
the native negro population. His black
acquaintanees for some time treated him
with marked civility but as the return OF
the ship became more and more problem
stical, familiarity began to breed the usu-
al progeny, and the unhappy German
found himself in most painful position.
Hitherto he had not been treated with Ac-
tual disrespect; but when King Bocca-
Bocca one day cut him in the most une-
quivocal manner, he found himself so ut
terly neglected, that the sensation of be-
ing a nobody nobody too amongst ne
proes for the moment completely over
came him. A feeble ray of hope was e1'
cited shortly afterwards in his despondent
heart by a hint gathered from the signs
made by the negro in whose hut he lived,
that q project was entertained IN high
quarters Of giving him coat of lamp
black, and selling him as slave but this
idea was abandoned by its originators, pos
sibly for want of opportunity to carry it
out. Now our adventurer had observed
that so long as he had charge of powder
20 give away. theblack men had almost
worshipped him as an incarnation of Mum
bo-Jumbe adored by their fathers. Re-
flectinp. on this, it occurred to him that if,
by any possibility, he could contrive to
manufacture a fresh supply of the valued
commodity, his fortune would be compar-
ativsly secure.
No sooner had this idea arisen in his
brain, than, with prodigious perseverance.
I he proceeded to work towards its realiEa-
ton. The worst Of it was, that he knew
the native names neither of charcoal, sui
phur, nor nitre. No matter his stern
yolition was proof against all difficulties.
Having once conveyed his design to the
negroes, he found them eager to assist
him, though as difficulty after difficulty
arose, it required all the confidence
of courage and hopeful energy to control
their savage impotence. The first batch
WAS a failure, and it was only by pretend
inc that It was vet unfinished he was ena-
bIs 70 try second, in which he triumph
ed over Ill obstacles When the negroes