The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-10

degree the word remains unchanged.
One more inference may be drawn from Ian
guage-namely, that the boarding house is of
modern growth. This inference history also
confirms. | cannot conceive of a boarding
house in the reign of Elizabeth. In the
reigns of Charles II and Anne, such thing
might have been possible sporadically among
certain caste, but not otherwise 1t was
never organized into an institution; the nation
had nothing to do with it.
The word "boarding house" does not
occur in Walker or Webster, but is
found in Worcester, who represents
generation or two later. The next
w. who provides a dictionary will probably
sanction that horrible monstrosity, boarding
house-keeper. The thing exists, and will
exist, and must have a name. And unless
society changes radically, and Saxon ceases to
be Saxon, there can be no other name. Our
language will only tolerate the thing: it will
show it no favor, decorate it with no euphe-
mism. The word 'boarder'' has a greater anti
quity' Its former meaning, however, neces-
sarily differed somewhat from the present,
inasmuch as it indicated only unique speci-
mems, anomalous otfshoots of society. IL never
implied then, as now, special class For the
boaIder was then the exception, not the rule
monstrOsity, not normal product doubt
not that some confused perception of the
anaogies existing between the nautical and
the land boarder may have led to the first
terrene application Of the term; it may have
been thought that both are far from home,
both are given to attack, both are devoted to
the use OF the knife, both rejoice in the grab
game, both are law to themselves, and so on.
The clearinghouse is simply an expression
OF materialism-one phase in the religion of
things. An age with materalism on the brain
must have boarding houses. AS manutac-
turers, motive-power, and all industrial inte-
rests grow, they grow: they are the home of
the herding artisan, and from him come to
permeate society. They are temples of the
religion of the body, altars to the faith in
things, and the want of faith in IDEAS propa-
ganda of the gospel of conventions. Yet it is
mistake to say that the clearinghouse is
without an ideal: it has an ideal-its 'front.'
parlor boarder. Its common faith and aspira-
tions are unto him. So, too, it is not without
worship: its homage is to the practicable
that which will pay. With it there is no sue
cess but success; and success is dollars and
cents. 1t wOrships steam, percentage, corner
lots, mines, stocks, hywheels, and the vari-
ous devices by which man divests himself of
his manhood.
The boarding house is civilization gone to
seed-the anti-climax of society-the last
trituration and dilution of the art of living.
Its epoch is the Age of Brass, that Fictitious
metal whose sole virtue lies in its superficial
resemblance to something better. SO the
boarding house is parody of home, a carica-
ture OF comfort, and forgery of society.
Here lies the great battles ground of the "trip
peries and vanities of life; here is the arena
in which the foibles of humanity contend
without ceasing. No man cares to stand
for what he is, to show himself in truth
to his fellow-boarders he wants, like
debased coin, to utter himself for more
or other than he is worth. The homely vir-
tues, the sweet sincerities of life, the truth of
character, the high thought, the noble en-
deavor, the unselfsh purpose, all languish
here. A subtle poison gnaws at the very life
of simplicity, integrity, and independence of
character. Conventions take the place of con-
victions; shams are the maxims of life; the ad
captandum is the aim of life; and appearances
are the test of life.
No true art, poetry, or science can flourish
in the sterile soil of the boarding house; they
are flowers of Homegrown. Taste is vulgar
lied by cutting loose from the eternal fitness
of things, and clinging to the shifting despot-
isms of coteries. The notion about science is,
that it is a good help to labor-saving and
money-making inventions. Literature wOr-
ships the gods Of the hour; poetry degene-
rates into ornament, and revels in the morbid
eXcrescences of life and character; and art
becomes upholstery. Do you think that
Homer, Phidias, or Aristotle could have lived
anywhere else than at home And do you
think that the stuff which heroes are made
of is found at mercenary tiresides The
heroic like the hOmely virtues wither when
moved from their native hearths. Did you
ever hear of great thought born in a
boarding -hOuse-of sublime love of honor of
stern devotion to principle, of lofty self
sacrifice Such things wherever they show
themselves, were first nurtured at home
N 1rrhf for ifs nofli,,
houses. The wars of tent-dwelling races have
| always been raids for plunder, not strokes for
principle Conceive of nation of boarding
houses-what would they fight for but per-
centage and profit Would Marathon and
Thermopyla have been fought would Decius
have devoted himself to death, would Regulus
have kept his word, would the martyrs have
welcomed the flames, if theirs had been ages
OF boarding houses
! The highest culture, true conversa-
| tlon, and real contact of mind with
mind, are in the clearinghouse utterly
null. Talk is limited to gossip, colds,
and the weather. Gossip we know, and colds
we know and-thank Heaven for the weather!
| The weather, past, present and future-fair
| foul, or dubious-illimitable, fresh, omnipo-
| tent forever Boundless stimulant of thought,
| neutral ground of the small affections, mother
of small talk, nurse of sociality, regulator of
the proprieties, sweet occasion of sweet offices,
| stOp-gap of pauses, ripping stream through
the desert ocean of strangerhood, fertilizer of
| friendship, herald of an era of good feeling,
meeting-plaoe of the conventionalities, pivot
of society-we hail thee, Weather, sum
nam bonum of the talking boarder, solace
of the silent, leading string to the difident,
| spur to the balky, crutch to the lame, life
uoat to the foundered Great art thou alike
in thy history, reality, and prophecy-great
| alilya yUbatbar aheolufa ralatiua Or nOtaDt;oI