National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-12-25
From Hours at Home for December.
Hobbies.
BY REV. T. DEWITT TALMADGE.

ing. The cheapest thing to ride is
a hobby it eats no oats, it demands
no groom, it breaks no traces, it re-
quires no shoeing. Moreover, it is
safest: the boisterous outbreak of
chlldren's fun does not startle 1t /;
three babies astride it ut once do
not make it skittish. If, perchance,
on some brisk morning it throw its
rider, it will stand still til he climbs
the saddle. For eight years we
have had one 'ramping the nursery,
and set no accident; though mean
while his eye has been knocked out
and his tail dislocated.
When q get old enough to leave
the nursery we jump aStride some
philosophic, metaphysical, literary,
political or theological hobby. Par
son Brownlov's hobby is the hang
ing Of rebels John {. Calhoun's,
/ South Carolina; Wendell Phillips's,
the right of the negro; Daniel
Webster's, the Constitution; Wheel
ers, the sewing machine Doctor
Windship's, gymnastic. For sad
die, book {; for spur, pen; for
whip, the lash of public opinion !:
for race.course, platform, pulpit,
newspaper-sffice. and senate cham
Der. Goodyear's hobby is made out
of India rubber Peter Coopei's out
Of glue, Townsend's out of sarSapa-
nlla bottles, IIeenan's out of bat
to1cd noses, De Witt Clinton rode
his up the ditch of the Erie Canal 3,
Cyrus Field, under the sea, John T..
jackson down the railroad from
Amboy to Camden: indeed, the
men Of mark and the men of worth
nave all had their hobby. great or
small. The philosophy is plain
Men think a great while upon one
topic, aud its importance Increases
till it absorbs everything else, and,
impellcd by this high appreciation
of their theory, they go on to words
and deeds. We have no objection
TO hobbies, but we contend hat
there are times and places when
and where they should not be rid.
den. y few specifications.
/ We have friends who are allopath.
lists, hompopathists, Thompsonians,
and eclectics. We have no more
preiudices against one school Than
the other. Let them each set up
th a. - 4slli,,ta n.... - ----- = - !
about five years ago became a ho-
mpopathist. All right But since
then she has been able to talk of
nothing else. She insists on Our
taking the pellets. We say, I'VE
feel somewhat tired to-night:' ! she
cXclaims, ''ciuchona or cocculus y
We sneezc quite violently, and She
cries .'belladouna !" We suggest
that the apple dumping did not
agree with us, and she prop oseS
"chamomilla." When she walks
seem to hear the rattlirg pellets.
. Discovering MY prejudice against
pills. she insists on my taking 1t IN
powder. tell her that ever since
my claplaincy in the army ! have
been afraid Of powder. She says
will rue it when too late. Perhaps
| may, b1t | cannot stand thest
large doses of homeopathy. hat
rather be bled at once ana have
. done with il, than be cNcrlastlngiy
with pellets. She talks it day anC
night. Her Sabbath Is onl sane
uhcd homeopathy. She prefer
theology in very small doses. Hei
hope OF the reformation oI society l.
in the fact that ministers thcmselvo
are cSiuners-s'Similid SimitibuS cnydl'
, htr.n She thinks it easier for
camel to 20 through the eye OF
needle than for old school doctors t
enter into the kingdom of heaven
Alas how much calomcl aud lald
they will have to answer for! HOY
will they dare to meet on the olhe
Il shore the multitudeS that they IL
slip before their time when the
might with a fewpellets have brihe
Charon to keep them on this sld
of Acheron aud Styx. She read
to us ID Chron. xvi. T., l3, "As
i. sought to the physicians, and Slel
with his fathers Nou see the
killed him, She considers herSe
n missionary to go out into the hg
ways aud hedges of allopathy au
cclccticism to compel them to con
in. She is an cstimable lady. W
always like to have her come to o'
house. She is more interested
YOUR health than any one you won
find in all the hardheartcd crew
allopathy. But five years ago :
got side saddle, threw it on I
back Of hobby, and has been r
ing ever since---tramp, tramp, tral
round the parlor, through the ha
up the stairs, down the cellar, alo
the street, through the church F.; a
| fear that in her last "will II
testament" she will have nothing
leave the world but u medicine che
well worn copies of Habneman
Chronic Diseases" and "Joh
MANUAL and directions AZ To h'
many powders are to bc put IN
tumblers, with the specific char
to have the spoons clean and
n mix the medicines.
We notice that many have a Il
MIA for talking of their ailments
One question about their health v
tilt over OH you the great rcserv
of their complaints. They have 4
the story 10 often that they ,
slide through the whole scale fir