Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-11-30
LOCAL NEWS


nanclal condition OF the Association, and that
Lectures would be given in that hall, during the
coming winter, alternate weeks, before the Ly-
ceum and Mechanics associations, each body
engsginging its own lecturers, who could thus
appear before the same audiences, united The
first lecture before the Mechanics Association,
he stated would be given one week from nexl
Thursday evening, by Bayard Taylor, and the
second lecture before the Lyceum two weeks from
next Thursday evening by Wendell Phillips
Judge Barton then introduced the Rev. II. W.
Beecber. who was received with applause, when
that gentleman proceeded to announce as the
subject Of his lecture, 1.-THE law Of Sympathy and
Repul'ion as applied to Common Life" and it
was marked throughout by that originality Of
thought, sloQuence # manner, and beauty ofillus-
tTation, which characterize all OF Mr.. Beechers
public efforts
There is nothing on earth, said Mr.. Beecher, of
which mankind are 50 supremsly ignorant, as Of
their own nsture--of the laws Of their life health,
and happiness. I, was more important that chill
dren should understand the Law Of digestion, than
the rule Of three, 1t is more important that
girl should understand the structure of her
lungs, the properties OF air, and the necessity
poFtsnt the latter may be. There are thou.
sand girls who know how to paint roses on pa.
per, where there is one who knows how to paint
on her own cheeks, where they are surely
more handsome. We teach our children geog-
raphy, and all the thousand matters Of very de.
sirable information relating thereto, in distant
countries, whereas their own bodies the knowl-
edge and control Of which SO SO far to determine
the virtue and vice OF their lives, are seldom al
lueed to in the ordinary processes OF education,
except in the most general way. Evil springs
from physical, as we'll as from moral causes. The
laws Of food, Of digestion, Of circulation of the
blood Of secretion, the brains, the lungs, the
stomach, and their relations to the natural world
are yelled from the common school We are
taught all about the Atlantic Gull Stream, but Of
that red gulf strsam in our own bodies, upon
the condition OF which all our life, health. and
happiness. depend, NOT ono word may be said.
But if the physical system is 80 neglected, the
fact1 Of which address themselves to conscious
ness, the knowledge Of which is usually confined
to books, what shall be said Of the knowledge
Of the human soul, OF which even books are SO
empty, and those the most empty, usually which
Of the human mind must ascertain the right ele
ments upon which to build up reform. The ex-
perisnce Of good and evil shall yet bring back to
the world that paradise which its immature state
banished, when the forbidden fruit was plucked.
Moved By such considerations, Mr. b. said he
WAS induced to speak of the relations of the law
OF sympathy and repulsion TO common life,
Every faculty OF the human mind tends, when
acting strongly, said Mr.. B., to excite the same
\ faculty in another mind. This was a simple
statement Of a law whose action pervades all
| life, and might almost be said to determine our
| happiness in our social relations The intellect
tends to excite the intellect the sentiments tend
I alphabetically TO excite the sentiments, the
| emotions arouse the emotions, the passions ad-
dress the passions, and SO on. This general
statement was, however, susceptible OF more par
ticular illustration. For instance, il the faculty
of calculation is active. il will arouse the arith-
NAUTICAL or mathematical faculty in the hearer,
if we employ the musical faculty, it will appeal
to the musical faculty in others if wit flashes in
US, gloom will not receive it, when it is seeking
entrance there if we exercise logic, we excite
the logical faculty in those who hear us if we
reason anslogically, or by comparison, the facul-
| ty of comparison in others will stand to hear
what We say Whatever faculty inspires us to
speak. if we speak with power, will inspire the
listener in hearing So in regard 10 the emo.
tiens benevoence awAkens benevolenoe. good
nature makes men good natured, generation
tends to reproduce veneration, conscientousness
exciies conscien tiousness in Others hope appeals
to hope, fear awakens fear, love inspires love
pride, in its normal form of self respect, appeals
to self respect; in its perverted form Of haughti
ness it rouses the same feelings in others. So,
likewise, down lower in the scale evil passions
excite the like passions; cruelty begets cruelty,
cunning awakens cunning, pride fosters pride.
and so on. Corrupt men appeal to the corrupt
elements in mans nature, and even the innocent
and pure cannot but feel the reaction in them
selves Of the animal appetites of strong men in
whose presence they continually are.
1t was plain that il this law were without lin.
itation, it would be full of mischief, and every
man would be more or less in the power of the
company which acted upon him. But we find
that this law exists with the fullest force and the
most beneficial results in the realm Of the intel
ectual and moral faculties whereas, as we de.
scend the scale of mind. the sympathy tends to
assume an antagonistio form, and begets repul.
sion When you go below the benevolent facul.
ties, though the Law stands, and the same faculty
responds, it responds in repulsive form; sci.
hshness in man rouses selfshness in another. but
opposing selishness, not sympathizing SO with
pride, fear, hatred, and the like
Our joy or our trouble depend much more upon i,
ourselves than upon any other circumstance. A
man stands underneath tree just after shower
and by hitting the tree brings down copious
shower upon himself He did not make the rain
nor the laaves that hung in ambush charged with
mischief, but be hit the tree, and thus brought
on his head the rain drops ready for the fall. So
neither do men create the dispositions that are
In other men, but 1t is oflentimes by their un-
lucky conduct that they bring down the DISPOSE.
tion' Of men that affect them. A dissatisfied,
peeVish man projects an atmosphere all about
him that makes US delight to annoy him. We
catch his humor he seems to want trouble. and
we are inclined to crafty him. 1t is almost
miracle to find a cheerful, good natured kind
hearted man i'll treated, in the ordinary flow Of
ahsirs.
In conclusion, the lecturer alluded to the inau
ence Of the principles he had laid down on love
and friendship. People, said he, come together
with the most amiable intentions Admiration
and kindness call forth the same feelings. and
love calls and echoes bravely through all the hap
py days Of eourtship. Marriage, which should
be To oouftshfn what Tho rfna ,Ir,,or 4. 4. A.