The Nevada journal. [volume] (Nevada City, Calif.) 1851-18??, 1857-11-13

DIAMOND Dust FROM SIDNEY SMITH,
Change Of MStiact-'fhe most curious
instance of a change of instinct is mea-
toned bv Darwin The tee, carried
over to Barbadoes and the Western Is
lands, ceased to lay up any honey after
the first year. They found the weather
so fine, and materials for honey so plen-
tiful, that they quilted their grave, pru
dent, aud mercantile character, became
exceedingly proHigate and debauched,
ate up their capital, resolved to work no
more, and amused themselves by flying
about the sugar-houses, and singing the
negroes.
Lndestructi6ility Of Enjoyment-Man-
kind are always happier for having been
happy; so that if you make them happy
twenty years hence, by the memory of
it. A childhood passed with due mix
ture of rational indulgence, under fond
and wise parents, diffuses over the whole
of life feeling of cal-1 pleasure; and
in extreme old age, is the very last re-
membrance which time can erase from
the mind of man. No enjoyment, how
ever inconsiderable, is confined to the
present moment. A man is the happier
for life, from having made once an agree
able tour, or lived for any length of time
with pleasant people, or enjoyed any
considerable interval of innocent plea
sure, which contributes to render old
men so inattentive to the scenes before
them; and carries them back to a world
that is past, aud to scenes never to be
renewed again.
The faror If lie Mind-Almost all
the great poets, orators, and statesmen
of all times, have been witty. Caesar,
Alexander, Aristotle, Descartes and
Lord Bacon, were witty men; so were
Cicero, Shakespeare, Demosthenes, Boz
leau, Pope, Dryden, Fontenelle, Jonson,
Waller, Cowley, Scion, Socrates, Dr..
johnson, and almost every man who has
made distinguished figure in the House
of Commons | have talked of the dur
ger of wit do not mean by that to ell
ter into common place defamation a
gainst faculties because they are danger
Gus /; wit is dangerous eloqueaCe Is
dangerous, a talent for observation is
dangerous, erery thing is dangerous that
has efficacy and vigor for its charac-
teristics: nothing IS safe but mediocritv.
The business is, in conducting the un-
Outstanding well, to risk something to
aim at uniting things that are commonly
Incompatible. The meaning Of an ex-
traordinary man is, that he is eight meu
not one man that he has as much wit
as if he had no sense, and As much sense
as if he had no wit that hi, cpnducl is
as judicious as if he was the duitcst If
human beings. and his ina agitation as
brilliant as if he were irretj,eyabiy rll-
ined. But when wit is combined with
sense and information when it is soft
ened by benevolence, and restrained 10y
strong principle when it is the hands
of a man who can use it and deSpise It,
who can be witty, and something much
better than witty. who loves honor, JUS
tice. decency, good nature, morality,
and religion, ten thousand times bette.
than wit; wit is then beautiful and de-
lightful part of our nature. There is ao
more interesting spectacle than to see
tuO CLOSto VI VII UPON thC hthOiOilt
characters of men; than to observe it eX-
panding caution, relaxing dignity, un-
freezing coldness,-teaching age, and
care, and pain, to smile,-extortiug re-
luctant CLEANS of pleasure from melan-
eholy, and charming even the pangs of
grief. 1t is pleasant to observe how it
penetrates through the GOODNESS and
awkwardness Of society, gradually hrlng-
ing men nearer together, and IKE the
combined force of wine and oil, giving
every man a glad heart and a shining
countenance. Genuine and Innocent
wit like this, is surely the .faror Of tie
mind! Man could direct his ways by
plain reason, and support his life by
tasteless food; but God has given us wit,
and flavor, and brightness, aud laughter,
and perfumes, to enliven the days of
mans pilgrimage, and to "charm his