Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-12-29

er2'-Who has not read the charming
story2
lf"Ugly Ducks" were confined 10 the
farmyard, we might drop passing tear
upon The page and forget it, but they
may be found everywhere among men
and women. We are too ap, to think
that that only is right and desirable
which conforms 10 the standard we have
created from our own peculiar character
and circumstances; in other words, vir-
iuflly TO say. What is like me and mine
is good and trne; what is unlike is poor
ami false And if, like the duck in the
,iury, the one who is thus judged VEN
lures 10 say. s.But you do not understand
me, 1--WE are ready to answer with the cat
and hen. Understand you indeed
Who in the world should understand You
At We do Motive who are 50 clever?'
There is no,hing which reveals our
finite, imp-rfcct ns-ure more plainly,
ihan This inabilny 10 look al others ex
cept through the medium of our own ex-
p=sience anu surroundings. Such an
eternal | as so,ue f us see in ali books
and people! There mus, of necessity be
ciileEious aud standards of Judgment, but
they are not worthy oi liie name unless
hey are deep enough and broad enough
10 Apply TO every form Of life. That is
the noblest soul, which without loosing
us balance aud integrity, can take ia The
personality Of others 30 As 10 Judge them
from lheir center and point Of view, as
we'll as from ITS own.
II all Ibe Ualy Ducks that have ever
lived could ,sIl their s,ory, what revela-
tons We should have. How many OF
tho IIuest and and The best have had to
endure a long winter Of persecution and
neglect TIL al last the spring morning
came when they gained theirswan wings,
[ perhaps i. was ouly in dying) and flew
10 some realm of delight, How macy
children there are whose parents do mol
IN the least understand Them; (it is
strange how swans eggs get into ducks
nests, and; what is ofener the case, ii is
almost as strange, (though this st cond
wonder is hardly relevant) how ducks
eggs get into swans nesIs-bui these
are questions for philosnrhers) who are
'ormenied by their brothers aud sisters
and called ''oda" and ''queer" by auu,s
aud ulclts, until H. an over burdened
day they escape out of the parental yard,
and find in another sphere The sympathy
which they have always lacked at home
And in the larger family the neighbor-
hood and the community, how many men
aud women there are who suffer from
ike injustice.
What an absurdiiy it would be thought
if We treated ihmgs, in this respect; as
We ir-at people. Imagine a naturalist
making such an entry as this in his jour-
nal:
This morIins in my rambles ! found
4 curious flower 1t had, believe,
beauty of torm aad color, snd possessed
certain olor which was not dissgreea-
b'e; buI inasnldch as none of my books
have mentioned il, and il was CONFIRMED
tn 10 known species; as il had neither
he fragrance of The iily nor The hue of
the rose; a il did n, dro ,p like the vio
e, nor open wide like the daisy, |
haughi it 20: worti mp while 10 preserve
and describe it," Or.
'In the depths ofihe forest l saw a new
and singular birt Il was of graceful
proportions aud pleasant snng; bu, as no
urnilhologi>t has spoken OF it. aud a in
voice and Plumsge i, was wholly unlike
he nighiingale or tie thrush or The oriolc,
or any OF the birds with which ne are
familiar, did not take the trouble 10
make drawing of ii, or 10 trace il To lis
Hesi and learn its habis"
No. We shall never read such notes
as lhese. a new variety iii plants or
lc E,, of,.r.l,st ha1f 4
with j1y, and every peculiarly is studied
aud portrayed with utmost care. Ii is
Only when in human society al individu.
al appears whose faculties are in unusual
combinations, and who lives in some
-sense new and original life, that we
look on with Indifferent wonder, or grow
antac ori,tic and blame and despise.-
W. are christian to nature, but heaihen
10 man. .
This is not plea for sipgularity IN
itself-much less for the sffeciaiion of il:
1t is only desire that all may be leii
upmolested, nay, may be assisted 10 be-
come that which God in their creation
intended they should be. The era
through which the world has been and is
sill passing, is the Era Of National and
Political Liberty. The npbler era which
is drawing near. and for witch the first was
but preparation. is the Era of The Lib
eny of the Individual. And when that
day appears-as in summer, under The
common conditions Of growtb-light and
heat and moisture, all the plants of the