Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-11
THE GAZETTE.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. MAY II. 1859
No. 3-From Hodge-Podge Papers.

There is, after all, right good well OF
common sense, in human nature, though, TO
speak charitably, it does seem, sometimes,
almost too deep for us, and we have to pump
hard to get ut the contents. Yet, it is there.
A deep vein of perception and appreciation
running quietly along under many hard
old clod, of human form! So we need never
be afraid of not having water enough into
which to drop our sounding line. Many
man who could not, for his life, point two
ideas in as many apropos and concise SEN
fences, has, surprisingly, often the power Of
Judging with wonderful accuracy Of that
ability in others. There is scarcely child,
or a servant. who docs not intuitiyely see
the difference between clear, summary. in
telligent order, and one of those shilly-shally
bung Cling sort-better called disorder-and
the consecutive opinion they form of the
character from these impalpable signs, pre-
sents often curious little speculum of truth.
There are, to be sure, in the world. some
unqualified and incorporating cases, who
seem to take fOolishness Gin the natural
way'-who, though they may carry conside-
rabie sweep in society, might really be shut
up in their fine houses for Jail, laced in their
fine clothes for straight jackets, and left to
themselves with folly for their keeper. We
never expect more than shape and color from
bubble-and these are the bubbles of So
ciety Yet, all underneath. there are depths
as well as shadows depths which may not
be fathomed with the cords Of vanity and
fashion; depths that can hold in their bosom
the vast blue heavens, and send back beauti-
full reflections. though they be broken; depths
too into which, through the noisy babbling
surface it shows to the world, We gaze with
so much pleasure; diving after its golden
sands, wondering over its precious pebbles,
admiring it's heaven-touched images.
It's a sin. this thinking so lightly of hui
man nature. Say what you will, there is an
immense amount of Divinity in it, though
in its gross alliances it may sadly verify
the old fable of Venus and Vulcan. Some
times, indeed, this Divinity never seems to
come out, but goes cropping round the walls
of its prison all the days of its mortal life.
But it is there, nevertheless, as we see now
and then, when disease, distress, or any of
truths stern landmarks, batter down the
bulwarks of nonsense, which idle folly has
run up for pastime. Then, many brain,
that we suspected not of such thing, sends
forth its Minerva full grown and armed;
and many heart, which we thought hard
and cold, gives out its charity and loving
kindness redolent of humanity. Circum-
stances make us all and few, even of our
wisest ones, have an opportunity, or rather
temptation, to play the fool, of which they
do not, to greater or less extent, avail them
selves Foolishness may or may not be an
inherent element of mans nature; he GER
rainly has himself and his fellows to thank
for its immense preponderance. Society ia a
sort of competitorship of vanity, whose non
sense is coined and circulated at compound
interest And If man keeps always to its
conventionalities he is drilled and fettered
in parade armor, under which it is not
possible his proportions can grow to true
size. But his parts are not dead, only ham,
pered and when he has the independence.
now and then, to exercise himself without
this coat of mail, we see what he is, and
what he can do vast deal we find in him
to be proud of; vast deal which has the
stamp of God ON it; goodness and wisdom
down in the depths of his being into which
the iron could not enter. Wherever 1.-TWO or
three" are gathered together. there "auld
Nickey-ben" seems, by some means or other,
to get in the midst and play off his spitetul
jokes ny putluS 10 Wy w GA SUN" Va Ao0A'"''
and ridiculous capers.
And it's this 1.-TWO or three" and two or
three multiplied many times, which makes
that polygenous mass, called society. But
the COMPONENT part is still man---apprecia-
tive man who in the midst of all this trip
perry and humbug of social compact can see
through the gauzes and mazes, and laugh in
his sleeve lust as you or l, only he wont
tell tales out o'school''-that is all. But
rest assured, for such great big school as it
il, there are marvelously few who have on
the genuine "dunce cap"-the real "com'
az it were, which they like good brother
Calvin, in another sense,) are born with and
cannot put of. There are. we grant, divers
sorts of caps here. None Of them much,
whereof to boast ourselves. Caps (some OF
them which may be called regular vanes of
vanity-setting every way to catch the pun
of praise. And wishing caps oh. so
many, which only ~ of in useless, some
times dangerous explosion on the luckless
head that wears them. And skull caps
the poor beggar's sky-light through which
he gets as much of Gods sunshine and
bright sky as ever come to him in this world.
Then studying cap" into which the child,
Wisdom, is born, with the darker brood OF
'musing melancholy" And Liberty caps"
which fits mans brow better than oppres-
sion's jeweled crown. Then "day caps"
with their eager sweating thoughts; and "to
cap the climax" might caps" those bless
ed little angels 'kerchiefs that bind up the
brow of tired care. Yet none of these is
exactly the fools cap" we would be fur
making it. And if we could only look into
the busy brains beneath, at the thought and
struggle and plot, We would be startled at
our intidel distrust of mans intelligence.
lie ha. more sense than we give him credit
for: and the idea of not being appreciated,
keeping any man from saying or doing the
very best thing in the very best way, is one
of those ll-grounded fears which every days
experience undermines. What he does, let
it be we'll done. What he says, let it be we'll
said. And if the reflex influence on his
own character be not enough to satisfy and
encourage, he may rest assured it is not lost
Somebody in the crowd is tressuring up the
arrows Of his wit and points of his deeds
receiving the benefit, whilst he is also put
ting the performer at his true value. Not a
bit of it is lost The real good word or
work bears with it the precious spices to EN-
balm itself