Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-12-22
PLEA FOR SHAMS.

A late number of Black,cood contains a spi-
cy article with the above title, directed at the
popular writer's of the day, whose universal
cry is, that everything, society Is at present
constituted, is a ssshar." Those authors who
rail at established customs, call them false and
contrary to nature, and prate about ssconven-
tional usage,' are taken in hand in 4 very a
musing and effective style. The writer says:
sour commonest and most innocent habits,
measured by these gentlemen's standard, will
be found exceedingly unveracious. Are ne
all to walk about as in palace of truth, and
repudiate all the recognized courtesies of So
ciety because they are shams !? Am to say
to my good neighbor, Mr.. Tomkins, whenever
l meet him. sTomkins, you are bore, and you
ought to know it l can't waste my precious
time talking to you about the weather, or even
about Mrs. Tomkins l have more important
subjects than these to talk about, and more a.
greeable people to talk to; so l wish you
very good morning, or rather, mean to say,
don't care whether you have a good morning
or a bad one. l don't wish you any harm, but
| want to get rid of your Or when | meet
Smith al the Folkestone station on his autumn
trip-hc in his nautical costume and Mrs. S.
in her round hat-am to accost them in the
sincere language of my heart-'Weil, for two
sensible middle-aged people, you have con-
trived to make the greatest guys of yourselves
l ever saw in my life! - | am sure this would
be yeracity; but would it be an improve
of our actual conversation under the circum-
stances? sGood morning, Mr.. Tomkins; hope
L see you well these easterly windS,' &C., &c.
'How are you, Smith ?-fond of boating ev-
er, l see; and Mrs. Smith looking really
quite &c. It's sham; know it is; per-
haps she knows it is; but if she does, she
knows it to be friendly one. Were to go
back to my veracities, might prefer, being in
company with fastidious friend, to cut the
Smiths altogether. The truth is, we live in a
world of shams and conventional tiles, if you
prefer calling things by ugly names. All civ
liZed life is state of convention; ask the To-
gicIans. There is no reason, in the intrinsic
nature of things, why HAT should spell shat.'
All forms of conversation are pure conven-
tionalitIes. Why do we shake hands What
ceremony can be more absurd The Pacific
islanders rub noses; so do sheep. OF the two,
therefore, the latter may be the more natural.
DR.. Livingstone s friends, the Bakolos, by way
of paying their respects, lay down upon the
ground and slapped their thighs with their
hands loudly and energetically. Unpleasant,
DR.. Livingstone thought it, and so, perhaps,
should we; but You see nature seems to die
tate no universal forms of politeness; the
forms which do suggest themselves to others,
seem to US as unmeaning or ungraceful as ours
may to them. No wise man among Us laughs
at his British ancestors for painting themselves
blue; is it a mark OF such superior wisdom to
ridicule the outer coating of society in this
nineteenth century?
'sBe real, are told-be genuine, be true
say what you will, do what you will, only let
1t be truth, and not falsehood. 1t sounds
very grand not quite so new gospel perhaps
as its apostles fancy; this diving according to
nature was a fayorite dream of old. Only
poor human nature, not being itself perfec-
tion, is forced to be content with a more elas-
tic rule. If we were angels, then to say all
we think would be very we'll. and to act accord
inc N NOpid fallntU NJ hut aS
things in this far from angelic world, there
are great many thoughts which we shall do
well 10 hide if possible even from ourselves,
and good many actions which must dis
guise can with little decent hypocrisy.
There is no more disagreeable person on earth
than the man who always speaks his mind ;
and whose mind. be it observed, is almost al
ways unpleasant
Again he remarks:
'.Skin a Russian,' it is said, sand you will
find the Tartar underneath The proyerb
may be true, in many senses, of the English
man as well as of the Russian. Strip many
of us TO the core, and even most intimate
| friends might fail to recognize But is it
absolutely necessary to go through this miser-
able process Are not all the prettier TO
look at, and quite as good for use, for little
outside Does not nature herself give US q
lesson in this, that she conceals under fair
smooth outside the system of nerves, and
sinews, and bioodvessels, which when uncov
cred, make but CHASTITY show Let US pro-
test. then, in the name of common seflse and
| comfort, against this philosophy of the dis
| secting room. Let US neither anatomise
others, nor submit to be thus operated upon
ourselves. Let the play of life proceed. Let
US lend ourselves with good grace to its illu-
sions; many of them are pretty and pleasant !;
few of them are very mischievous; at any rate
we shall gain little by looking behind the
scenes. That young lady in the silk and
| spangles is not real sylph; granted; but she
looks very nice. Why trace her home to
the coarse beef-steakes and porter of her NOR
tai supper? If the gallant before US is not all
the hero he personates, still less is that a real
! devil who comes in with the red fire. We are
| all worSe-and better-than we seem.''
They SAY.-A more sneaking, cowardly and
| fendish liar than s'They say never existed.
| That parsonage is universal scape goat for
personal gossip, envy and malice; without
| form of flesh and blood xhan invoEad ona