The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-11-12
MAT ARIALIsm,
-" 8 Jf Charles Dickens.

1ns we" s If Charles Dickens.
,fn,;.. 'aries Dickens, in tho course
,n..: inaugural address at the rccont
'a, ing OF the Birmingham and Mid
a Institute, observed:
IL IS much too commonly assumed
That tn is age is material age, and
'nat = material age is an irreIigious
Ase' have been panied lately to see
TINS assumption repeated in certain in
nu' initial Quarters. l confess that ]
90 not understand that much-useu and
n 'uch,abdscd phrase, "a material a.,e." "
eanI ct compreAend-if anybody
'an, which very much doub.-its
logical sighifca,ion. For instance,
has electricity become the more mate
rial in the mind Of any sane, or node
rately sane-[laugh.orl-m "wo-
man, or cGild, because ntho discovc-
r-y that in'the good providence of God
\ w was made available ssg tie service
greater extent than for 'ihi;s ,destruc-
tion? DO l make material Journey
to the bedside Of zay dying parent or
child when [ travel thither at the rate
Of sixty miles so hour than when I
travel thithes a. tho ratio Of six ?
Rather, in the swif. case, docs not MY
agonizing heart become overfrauGht
with. gratitude to tNat saprcmioi benef!'
icence from which alone can have
proceeded. :he ''wonderful means Of
shortening my. suspense? What is
the materi..ljty'o of, tl.e Gable and the
wire, compa4sd to the 'imnast;oriality, It; IF
the spark ?'What,ii il Il tho materiality
of certain chemical substances that I
can weigh or Measure, imprison, or re-
lease, compared with the immateriali.
ty Of their appointed affinitics and re-
pulsiohs prescribed to them from the
instant Of their creation to the day of
Judgment2 When did this so-callcd
material ago begin2 With the use of
clothing? With the discovery of the
compass 2, With the inyention of the
art Of printing! Surely, it has been a
long time about. Which is the most
material object-tke faatthing tallow
candle that will not give nc light, or or
The flaming gas that will.?" ".[Chcc.s.
Now don't let us be discouraged or
deceived BY vain, vapid, empty words.
The true inaterial age is the stupid
Chinese age, in ~hioh nc nev and
grand revelations of nature are grant
ed, because they are. ighorantly and
insolentfy repelled,' instead Of being
diligently and. humbly "' sought
ICheers] The difference'Betw;een tho
antique fiction of tho made 'braggart
defying the lightning and tho modern
historical picture Of Franklin ;dt;aawwing
it towards its kite, ii" tordei:' that he
might more profoundly study what
was set before! him To- study, Cor it
would not have been there, happily
expresses to my mind tho difference
between our much maligned material
sages and the certainly, in one sense, seniises
very lmmaterial cages Of the Celestial
Empire school. Consider where it is
likely or unlikely, natural or unoniatu.
raj, reasonable or unreasonable, that
l. being capable of thought and fnd-
ing myself surrounded by such dis
covered wonders on every hand,
should ask myself the question some.
t'mes, and put. to myself the solemn
consideration, p7g'it " Can these things he
a@aoRg afat.I,gg those those which might have beer,
disclosed @ essIuy uby Divine lips nigh upon ,jboi,
tYs tlhHoqsand tlH gyel years ago, but ihat The thse
pes0Rls p.sRs ST that time conld not bear
shhssmg hsg 2osq B|at, wbethor chat be 50 50; Or !
1h neh being 60 surrounded on onIa1;s every
hand' it, not my moral resp'onsibility
tremendously. increased thereby, and
with it my intelligent' submission Of
Iayself as'a chifd' Of Adam ahd dust,
befSrY that Shining source Equally, iof
afthat y granted and 'aif that ID wi,h.
held,. w6p holds IN His mighty hana
tas anapproachable' niy57sttaeTfies niy57sttaeTfies Of life
anf ann9f1ldsssHs,,*(cbeers.J n91 bsea me msssi rive
TIE tl1s,; ;sttdddsshH Of ths industrial classes
generally 4 ahort niotto Iii tvs 'words,
"C0uraGe. fHrnanoa.H,sH r IL raL-iy