The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-03-18

he has weakness in the optic nerve of
his minds eye which prevents him, in re-
garding the future from seeing beyond the
nose of the present moment. The chem
istry of events, which figures out ulterior
results from immediate combination and
instant action, is science as yet unknown
/ to Durberly Doubtington! He cannot
tell what to think; he knows not what to
dc. The situations in which he is placed
have never occurred to him before; the
flights of experience are wanting and he
is therefore perplexed in the labyrinth.
Like the tabled coffin of Mahommed,
he is always in state of 'betweenity.
/ He is, in short, as forcible writer
we'll observes, one of tLo e unfortunate
people who seldom experience the sweet
slumber of decided opinion
/ Such is the moral man of Duberly
Doubtington, and his physical man betrays
traits of indecision equally as strong
He tries to encourage his heart by cock
ing his beaver la mtlitaire, but its furry
l6erceness cannot contradict the impression
of the features it surmounts. His eye-
brows form an uncertain arch, raising
nearly an inch above the right line of de-,
Termination, and the button, of his nose
4 is so large and blunt as to lend anything
but penetrating look to his countepance.
His under lip droops as afraid to clench
resolutely with its antagonist: and his
whiskers hang dejectly down, instead of
brisling like ckeUaur de Jrrse towards
the outer angle of the eye The hands
lofsMr. Doubtington always repose in his
pockets, unwilling to trust to their own
means of support, and he invariably leans
back against the nearest sustaining object.
When he walks his feet shuttle here and
there SO obviously that one may swear
they have no specific orders where to go;
and so indefinite are the motions of his
lbody, that even the tales of his coat have
mo characteristic swing. They look, not
like Mr.. Donbtington's coat tails, but like
coat tails in the abstract---undecided coat
tails, that have not yet GOETHE hang of any
lbody,s back and have acquired no more
| Individuality than those which dangle at
the shop doors in Water street.
Duberly Doubtington was at one time
tolerably comfortable in his pecuniary cir
cumstances. His father had been sue.
cessful in trade, and, of course, thought
/ it unnecessary to teach his children to
! make up their minds about anything but
enjoying themselves. This neglect, how
ever proved fatal to the elder Doubling.
ton
i That worthy individual being taken
one warm summer afternoon with an ap.
]poletic fit, the younger Doubtington was
3sso perplexed whether or not to send for Q
i physician, and II he did what physician
should be called in-whether he should OIL
should not try to bleed him with a pen,
knife, and whether it was most advisable
to have him put to bed up stairs or tt
leave him upon the sofa down stairs
that the old gentleman, being rather pres
4 sed for time, could not wait the end O
the debate and quietly slipped cut of tn
world before his son could make up hi
mind as to the best method of keeping hin
) in it; in fact, it was almost chance tina
the senior Doubtington obtained a sepul
ture at all, as Duberly could not make u
his mind where that necessary bushes
/ should take place; and he would hav
been balancing the pros and cons of th
s question to this day, if some other person
more prompt of decision, had not settle
i the matter.
Duberly Doubtington was now his ow
master.
There were none entitled to direct, t
: stcontrol, or to advise him. He was tn
Phaeten of his own fortunes, and coul
..tdriye the chariot where he pleased. Bu
. although he had often looked forward t
this important period with much satisfac
tion, and he theorized upon it with grea
!. delight, yet in practice he found it nc
quite SO well adapted to his peculis
: abilities as he thought it would be.
!, A share of decision is required even b
: those who are placed beyond the neces
:. lsity of toiling for bread. The dispositio
!. of his means frequently called upo
; him to resolve upon definite course.
Il regard it as a very fair investmen
!. Mr.. Doubtington,' said his brother, 'yor
money is useless where it is.'
But, what do you advise: under th
> circumstances, what should / do? replie
Duberly.
;, of course, I don't pretend to direc
! / want no unnecessary responsibility.
There's no knowing what may happe
J these slippery times. I think the chant
:, q good one, bnt make up your mind abol
: it, -.
!. There are people who talk about MI
' king up ones mind, as if, it were tas
' as easy as to eat a dinner, or as if
were as purely mechanical as driving
: nail, or putting on o pair of old famili;
!. boots.
ISL i pay that fellow for attending to N
+ business mnttered Duberly, 'and yet |
e has the impudence to tell me to make U
|e my mind! That's the very thing I wal
e him to do for me. The tailors makes n
a clothes. Sally makes my bed-natu
!! makaa nv whie korc ond John makeS m