The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1860-09-26
The World al Wrong.


''THIs is very poor sort Of world TO live En-,
after all No end to the trials and troubles,
and very little solid satisfaction Old Father
Solomon wasn't FAR wrong on the whole, when
he made that famous observation Of his about
vanity az vanitiesr And to think how different
things looked when was boyl Nothing ike
experience to knock the nonsense ont Of a body
and teach him what miserable world this Is 7"
We wonder who was that first set the exam
pie Of finding fault with the worldl Did he
gather any inward pleasure from charging all
his own follies and ihprulence to the beautiful
blossoinins. genial woTlds Did he ever imagine
what host of followers md disciples he would
have, eycnas FAR down as the nineteenth centu.
ry? $500
And our philosopher hcaycs 4 sigh that might
have come from under Mount Vesuyius, and
looks at his ponderons gold watch, and concludes
it is time to leave his brown stone mansion for
his white marble Office. "Dinncr at six O'clock
my dear, as usual. I'll send home some game
and anice roastins-picce Of mutton, and perhaps
two or three Holsters. Iwish you'd see that the
that the coffee il strong and hot when it comes
on the table. The least thing is sufficient to
oyerturn my appetite a-days--that tough
pie-crust spoiled my dinner last night Things
didn't use to be so when was a boyp
When you were a bcy! DO you remember
the bowl Of backborries and milk that your
mother used to set by for your supper, on the
''milk-room shelf" and how delicious Il was eat.
on on the old door-stonc, with the moon rising
above the woods, and the Gre-ncs dancing about
in the gray dusk' You didn't spend your days
I'M a big velvet casy-chair in those times, we
shrewtly imaginc-'the world hadn't such
weight Of dyspepsia and indigestion to answer
for. DO you remember the knot of outrageous
oil chestnut trees, in the corner Of The bayfield,,
where you lay at roontilc and watched the bits
ofblpe heaven slim'mcring through the shifting
canopy Of leaves, as you ate your simple dinner
ont ola shining tin pail? Al the spices that
Soycr ever dreamed OF couldn't make your cut
glass and silver garnishcd dinners half - good
now And who's to blame? The world, Of
course. ......,
Don't you perceive, sir, that it is you, and not
the world, that have changed? The woods
where you went nutring as boy are sum rust
ling their gold'tippcd leaves above the messy
haunts where the chcstnuts used to rattle down
at every brecze-the air is as soft over those
corn-felds as when you came whislling through
them fly years ago. Those very rainy days,
that play the mischief with your corns and your
rheumatism now, and form part of the general
complaint against the woTld-haye you forgot
ten how solidly you enjoyed them in the old gar
ret at home, when the pattcring monotone on
the shingles kept time to the pace Of your ambi
tious, fancies and the turning pages Of your
booki You were boy then-a happy, dream
ing boy: now You arc pursy, puffy, apoplectic
old gentleman All, you missed it sadly when
you changed Nature for Wall street. and dis
placed the regiinen Of blackberrics and milk to
make room FOR Pqtr' de .f6ie gras, high-priced
wines, and Frcneh-made daintics
Therefore you have no right to groan at the
inequalities Of Providence when your carriage
rolls past honest Michael, smacking his lips over
his hoon-day rpast among the beams and tim
hers Of some halfflnishcd building Michael is
all aglow with robust health. though there are
few ccprcrs in his worn pockets 70 Jingle against
one another: his ylihntr is cmbaIincd in ccrc-
ments Of brown paper, while yours Is served on
frosted silver and Scyrcs. Michael never heard
Of pate lie .foie, grqs. Michael has no fault to
fad with the world; yet you are half disposed
to envy Michael When you VIII rise at six
o'clock, as he'does-when you win work all day,
and keep as regular hours, and live as simply as
he docs-tsea you may expect 70 share Micllacl's
rudy cheek and Muscular strength, and until
then a volume Of philosophy won't persuade you
but that there Is somea.iHg out of gear in this
rd!-Lite HFs'rfteL ...-...r ~.