The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-07-03
Little Things.

From series of literary and political
articles, written by J. Hammer Gilmer, of
Richmond, and published in the Metropol-
itan Record, we select the following inter-
esting comment upon the "Greatness of
Littlo Things" and commend its moral
to careful consideration
'Let US recall u few of the examples Of
great principles evoked from small facts !;
there is a deep meaning in their lessons
worthy of being borne constantly in mind
1t was the attentive and thotghtful in
tellect Of Calico which, being attracted
when youth by the steady swinging,
backward and forward, Of a cathedral
lamp, conceived the idea of the pcndu-
lum; after fifty years of labor and refec
tion; he gave to the world that invention
which has become one of its indispensable
necessities, measuring the morning and
the evening, and counting with one blood
less hand the universal hours of pleasure
and pain, and pointing with the other to
the minutes OF bliss and agony alike. 1t
was an ordinary key, assisted by child's
kite, with which Franklin, Promotions
like, drew the fire of heaven to Garth and
extracted the sting from the blind fury Of
the storm. 1t was aspider weaving his
tiny web, on the attenuated fbres of
which rested the morning dew. that
taught Sir Samuel Brown the construc-
ton of suspension bridges, whose use in
the great Improvements of trade and
travel has been incalculablc. It was
floating of leaves and seawced beside his
ship that crowned with success the life
long labors OF Columbus; and enabled him
to suppress the mutiny ct his crew and
reach the long sought continent. It was
the twitching, under the action of certain
metals of a frogs leg that gave immortal
ity to Galvani, and beneath his investiga-
ton made the world twitch with galvan-
ism, girding the earth with an electric
current, over which the thoughts Of the
antipodes flash quicker than lightning.
1t was the diminutive ship-worm, perfor-
ating in it's singular mode the wood of
vessel that instructed Brunell in running
the great tunnel under the Thames 1t
was the modest tea-kettle that gave the
first hint Of the steam engine Il was
the falling of an apple from it's twig to
the ground that disclosed to Newton's
mind one of the greatest of Natures
laws. This is mere allusion to a very
few of the little things that have borne
great results; but the things themselves
had but q small share in the grand
achievements; it was the patient energy
of mind operating upon them, the spirit
of selfdevelopment breathing q new life
of development into them. Had there
not been steady, perseverng minds, like
those of Newton and Galvani, apples
would have idly fallen through all the
summers Of time before the nrsceing eyes
of the many, and the world would have
been without large portion of its most
valuable knowledge !; and frogs might
have twitched their useless legs forever.
while man would have been deprived Of
the promptest means for the interchange
Of his intelligence. Let us have an eye,
then, to the small things; bless the hours
and the days will bless us; take care of
the pennies and the pounds will take care
of US. Desert no purpose merely because
the prospect Of success seems small.
The plans of determined manhood. though
to the common eye they may seem but
the cob.wc5s Of the morning glistening
brighter than the dew drops Of Heaven
with the delusive briliancy of hope, yet
carefully tended and zealously studied,
will grow into the trustt 5.fdge, spanning
the deepest abyss of difficulty.