The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-09-30
THE CAL EDO n | A N.
THE APPARENT AND THE REAL.

Ii We had no past history to guide us; if
hope whispered no assurances of better things;
if revelation spoke no prophecies of millennl-
al peace we might we'll he rardoned for
believing that human progress is a delusion.
The detached circumstances, TRANSPORTING cv-
cry hour, have each retrogradc tendency.
Each particular event, considered separately,
almost invariably seems to lead back ward. All
the little occurrences of lite arc so many fin
gcr-posts pointing out the ''wav Of the wilder
NESS beyond Jor,lon." Appearances would
seem to justify dependency. knaves fill all
honorable stations. Honest men are driven
from posts of influence because they will not
compete for them with the srorcs of rogucs
who throns every door leading to power or
honor. Society seems to bc banded about,
like foot ball, first trod,lcn under foot aud
kicked at by one band of rascals and then by
another. Were nothing considered but the
daily acts of government, we might say with
poor Stephen Blackpool. in Nu,d Tme<,-
"a middle. Aw a nluddlc."
But somehow the world gets on: gets on,
too, towards something better every day. 1t
is very different sort OF world now, from
the world the old Grccian geographcr, Strabo,
wrote about 1t has made immense strides in
the uphill way leading to knowledge and
virtue, if we may believe the accounts whicl.
have come down 10 Us from antiquity. The
generalization which a familiarity with hui
man history during a long period of time rem
dcrs possible, has clearly shown how great has
been the distance gained. Hope has proved
4 prophet. and revelation is fulfilled.
From all this, if from nothing else, let a
man learn to discover TIE undercurrcnt which
lrrcsI>titly sweeps onward through and over
every evil accnry.IIc may see the institutions
he Ea:, been accustomed to revere most, and
the men in whose virtue he has placed i'm
phcit confidence, DISAPPEAR with no promise
OF future existence. Eu, if they are what he
tfN tItIIi IOI, I.O waves OF SttTI!i> ttIt tIONIi
them. Like good swimmers they will reap
pear IN time, purified and >troLg. He may
see, too events forced on by the insocnt arm
OF power. which seem to turn back the his;o-
~ of the world Tut somehow the result is
.cnciiccnt The world is elastic. ant, the
evils, the crimes, the rl>crics impressed into
it, make only sight in,lcnta,;ons in It's sur
tacc. HE tendency OF things towards good
ness j. controlled by too strong Iowe. TO be
TURNED ASIDE l.. the mutations which seem 10
men 50 Irresistible. Time hi;nc, nearer OILY
o!.r !v>''iI. aid ALTHOUGH c,n,ufi,, NAV clause
uc.0rc the result is manifest. al Ill, baut!c>
ah,i t!IuAr.> winch are low 80 Amusing. v II.
moi hasten OF sc'nd i'y a >;l-ic nomcnt he
c',rt, ordered !y al. Et,.naI Cause.
e.. HE Musical Convention held il. thu
place, Oh Tuesday. "Wednesday. and Thurs
ia, OF III" rrc>,.t week. passed OF 10 the sat
i>l1ctlon OF All. The ai,r!.Iancc was lar-c.
c>pc'Ia.is DARN. the la>. TWO DAYS. Tie
Weather ~a> IN, cc,i:ngy favorable The cN-
crci>r> were conducted by Prof.. Lowc! Ma
son. a>>I,',i y M,>>l>. augustus kr,i>>nlann
and W :!iiam Il. E.h. X of Eu>.on \ l..rrc
number i tie Professional aId ;,.i...cjlr uu-
>!cianS oi Tie State were present. Mr kr!c>>-
man ciltcrtainc,! the audience Il. various times
La. 4