The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-07-25
The Greatness of Little Things.


Physical Geography of the Seas, he give
: the result of microscopic examination
of some shells drawn up from the bottom
of the Atlantic ocean, where it is NOR,
than two miles in depth. These shell
: are SO minute that to the naked eye
they appear like common dust or clay
although not a grain of sand is among
them; and yet are so preserved that
their most delicate edges arc all perfect
It would require a larger grave to hold
all the coral insects of the world than
all the elephants. The smallest tenants
of the ocean, not the largest, are its
most important occupants, and the mi
croscopic shell fish create more impor-
tant changes than the whales. It
has been the great error Of historians,
statesmen, and politicians, to lose sight
of this truth. They look only at the
whales, tile big fish, and seem to consid-
er these are the monarchs of the deep
sea politics, and they alone have to swim
there If the French Emperor foun-
ders, or the Russian Autocrat turns over
on his side and dies, each contortion is
duly chroniclcd But in the meantime,
what do we hear of the progress of the
people, the Industrious classes, the small
fish ? They are the true monarchs of
the great and wide sea of politics after
all. They form the Strata by which
geologists Of history will hereafter mark
tho progress of this age, and classify all
its products; and upon the basis of
which all future society will develop it.
self Take care of the poor, and the
rich will take care of themselves. Edu-
cate the masses, and there will arise
from the number sufficiently large class
to generalize their ideas, and carry out
their principles Reform the people,
make them truthful and Yirtuous; for
they give tone and temper to the age
and to the country, determiRing the
character Of its leaders far more than
the leaders that of the masses.
And so of individual life and charac-
ter. It is little things that make and
unmake US all There are thousands of
young men of genius and enterprise at
this moment wbn-dF of fame and dis
tinction, and who, $ if if il ii 6aRiy required
some act of great daring or sacrifice
within the scope of human possibility to
become distinguished, would be heroes
but because true eminence is only to be
attained by a perscvering application in
a number of daily virtues, are constantly
at war with the whole scheme of things,
and esteem it a very badly governed
world, in which they find no higher
place.
It is mans little habits of dress,
demeanor and conversation, that makes |
or unmakes the friends on which his sue |
cess and happiness depend. 1t is on a
mans little habits of eating and drink
ing, of lettering over trifles, or knowing
how to brush them aside, that his char
acter for idleness and industry, and the
occupation of the largest part of his
time depend. tits way in which man
takes care of the pennies in his pecunia-
ry transactions that determines whether
be will ever take care of pounds.
Littlo habits drive nails into our cef
fms. They more than make up by their
number, what they seem to lack in indi-
vidual Importance. They are true seeds
of character. We might as well plant
acorns, and not expect them to grow, as
cherish small vices and not calculate on
heir increase; or as reasonably hope
10 see the firm and noble oak where no
lcorns were ever planted, as true great
less and success in life, where the seed
ings of thousand little habits of in
lustry and virtue had not been first care
ully cherished.
In word, character is sum of little
hings, rather than great ones. The
rue estimate of an Individual is not as I
ertained by his accidental or occasional
but his everyday habits.
| nations character is not determined
y its famous men, but by the habits of :,
s masses, and the character of the ages 6
y the vices and virtues that were so in =,
erent as to be unnoticed. PhiZadcl-
Kin Ledger. /
MIsERIEs.-To joke about lady whom I
ou secretly dislike.