Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-05


not, rather, true that in the hands Of a
worthy agent they might be mighty
power for good in the world' Look at
Wesley, of whom it is said his exquisite
modulation Of the one word Mesopota-
mia. would draw tears from an audience
/ desire. therefore, to call attention
here to what William Writ called "the
small sweet courtesies of life,r because /
have happened to know communities and
households where the social amenities
were not only discountenanced but frown-
ed upon and defied. Households where
daughter would require as little moral
courage to announce her intention OF
joining the Mormons,as she would in at
tempting TO reform her brothers rude Ia
hle manners. Here, for example, is 4
rambling old farm house, surrounded by
small village of barns and out buildings
place where So much work is wrought,
and no little money made. Here have
grown up some half dozen stalwart sons
and buxsome daughters. Butter and
cheese in Summer and three months
schooling" in Winter. Possibly their
education includes term at the academy
just term or two to cit ON the polish,
YOU see" once said an old farmer to me,
as he sat at dinner. in his working over
ais, redolent and suggestive as he spoke,
allowing a stream of coffee 10 drip down
upon filthy board, over plate where
the owner was manipulating with n knife
and fingers. The invitation had been
unique. ''Set right down an help yer
self We don't have no Kind o. ceremony
here If anybody wants anything all he's
got to DO is just TO scream out fort; make
yourself to home" Well meant, certain
". Real hospitality at least, aud thou
sand times better than the outer sem
blancc. which conceals the inner absence
of cordiality. But best of all, is the
kindly feeling gently expressed. All we
say Of such demonstrations rs the above,
must be, .'Iie meant we'll" And il was
from such home that these girls with
eighteen years of such precedent in the
background. were TO 20 "for term or
two to git on the polish" As though
polish were not thing of home care and
culture. Many such girls are there,
whose one term serves merely 10 teach
them how much they did not know; to
give them IN uncomfortable conscious
ness ot their periShing need of cultiya-
ton. and leaves them thenccforth with a
restless hungcring for something above
and beyond, and never TO he attained 10y
them. We will suppose this daughter,
however. 10 be n girl of sense and what
is better, Of tact. She comes home from
the twelve weeks absence. No word Is
said, but quick eyes overlook nothing
quick ears detect the slight deviation
from the old. native vcrnacular. The
busy tongue, merrily narrates the won.
derful adventures of this, her flight from
the home nest; and, at night when the
house is still, the farmer and his wife,
alone, sitting over the ashes OF the kitch-
en- fire, says, Pears 10 me, Lizabeth's
different from what she was fore she
went away; believe my soul, that cree
tur has learned somethin'." And the
man hangs his almanac on the nail where
his father hung it before him.
Yes" says the'mOther; I'll was think
ing ont today She's growcd like a
weed, an she stands up straighter.
Then she didn't used 10 be no ways par
ticular about her hair, and a collar on at
breakfast time. Why, sakes alive, That
girl never thought o such thing before,
and the mother ends her darning, and
rolls up the last pair of stockings.
Wall, we must let her go agin.
kinder guess schoolin' does do good, no
mistake about that, wife! Wall, folks
must alter, spose We don't do as the
old folks use ter, an il stan's to reason,
our children won't do as We do forever; y
and the farmer gazes affeetionately TO,
wards the door OF the room which has al
wavs been called The old folks room
Her father died there, and his mother.
..Will it be their room?n he wonders,
looking fixedly across the table 10 where
mother" sits, with her darning needle
and spectacle case They are not as
young as they once were. The mother
has used her spectacles year or two
now. The farmer borrows them too,
sometimes. Yes, they are growing old,
but BLESS US" says the father, ''How
little while it seems since We went TO
school together in the old red school
house, That old red school house!
Whatever they did or did not learn in
those by-gone times, they learned to con-
iugate the verb ''to love" in both voices.
And whatever they may or may not have
forgotten, they have remembered that.
having kept in practice ever since. And
this after all, is the main point. The lit
tie things we are talking about at pres
ent are only surface matters, non essen
tials. But then these are the only things
that talking effects. The other lies too
deep for our shallow delving.
Let me not be understood to limit either
good or i'll breeding to any particular
class. What are commonly termed the
aristocracy are far from being faultless in
this respect. The largest and most ele-
house ara, antaraI