Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-04-16
rubbish in the most family lighted of those
,.,,ol .. IL n1 nF halls Of ,,,an,nr,-

| we loon upon iacc-intO III eye
listen 10 mans voice and laugh; watch
the play of features; the movement OF
his person, and commence at once the
process of figuring up his worth. We do
not wait for facts. Like pupil anxious
to succeed without the aid of a teacher,
we hasten to solve the problem in adj
vance OF Time, who is solving it Tor us,
and proud of our work, flaunt the esti-
mate in the face of all the world.
The next day We alter figure here
and a figure there; in week erase a
whole line; in a month reason on a diff
ferent basis, and arrive at different con-
clusions, SO that when Time, the unlail-
ing reckoner comes round TO look over
our shoulders to compare results, he finds
US willing pupils, and humiliated rather
than proud that the blurred slate, after a
hundred changes, presents the same re-
suit rs is marked upon his record in one
| bold clear dash. The old are rs ready
to make mistakes as the young. though
they deem themselves very wise from
their vast experience The smooth
tongued scoundrel, who imposes upon the
school girl brilliant description of start
ling events that never occurred, and Of
scenes that do not exist, will talk law TO
the old judges. aud medicine to the old
doctor, and horses TO Frank, and butter
and cream, and good dinners to the house.
wife and they will all be his dupes, all
be made. sometime, to play the fools
part in some drama, OF which he is hero
and villain.
Experience makes us charitable. 1t
causes US to see less positive wrong in
every person, and more possible good
1t makes us more careful without making
US suspicious but it does not always
make our estimates of character always
good ones.
After becoming well acquitted with
reserved man, after discovering that there
is manlincss where You thought there
was only selfish independence, it is n
little humiliating To shake yourselfup and
down to an entirely different conclusion.
but we all do it. Il is n sort of military
necessity in the great war of conscience
with cgotism. and some means are found
10 Justify the procedure. as well as 10 car
~ it forward 10 successful conclusion.
4 thousand stories of life illustrate
these truths. and if all these could be
cited here no further argument would be
needed. My good. staunch old friend,
the Judge. honest, and straightforward
and charitable in spite of his experience
on the bench, declares at last in open
court that he misjudged the young Ger
man. Invent To him some days since and he
seemed as uneasy as conscience stricken
child. until he unburdened himself. and
by free acknowledgment made right with
his conscience the wrong that he had done
my friend.
had missed the young man from his
old home, on recovering from long
illness, but was told at first opportunity
by old Franz that he was happily married
and doing something immense in some
very immense city. The new daughter
to old Franz was brighter Angel Picture
than Fanny had ever been. and his boy,
in his congenial employment, was the
grandeSt parsonage that ever fought his
way 10 success and fortune. This WAS
somewhat indefinite, and | went TO the
old Judge for further particulars"
That young German" said he. lis
mystery 10 me. ] never made many mis-
takes in Judging men. but made wrong
estimate of his character, from the first
figure up. ! disliked him from the first.
His very dress and manner impressed Inc
strangely. The first meeting with Lis
father shut my heart against him. and
every fault of his seemed an unpardon-
able one. could see no merit in many
things that the world applauded. The
young fellow had talent, | was forced to
admit; courage knew; but | saw no
msnliness. Whenever he came near me
| felt abashed, and always indignant that
| did feel so. His very taste in dress and
accomplishments vexed me.
"IIe met in some way pretty. light
hearted, whole souled. high spirited,
strong willed young miss, a niece ofmine,
acknowledging me as n sort of guardian
or adviser. Met her at fair, | believe;
again ut picnic; then here at my house.
managed to have them kept apart as
much as possible without seeming to do
SO, but the fates were against me, and |
saw the girl was learning to love this
strange man, and with a love that seemed
to me too much like worship to last
long. lie seemed content to worship at
a distance. After meeting her hundred
times he was as reserved as at their sec
ond meeting There was no mistaking
the mans sentiment He fingered about
her like an artist about a grand old pic
ture-afraid to touch, content to look and
dream. | saw this love grow, and the
thought of it almost maddened me. l
suggested to my niece, one night, in the
young Germans presence. that she write
to her father at what time he might eX-
pect her home. A quiet enquiring glance
An easy knowing smile, was all that
this brought from the yonng man. while