Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-03-12
F.ssRS .s.y'D CO.u.uITTRRs.

Human beings may be divided into two
classes those who will serve on committees
and those who won't The first say, "Some-
body must do it," the second somebody
will do it," Committees play no mean
part in the business of life as at present
carried on. Where would have been the
Sanitary Commission but for the grand
army of privates i'm tho background, the
committees of women all over the country
breaking their backs in the cause, un-
known, unthanked, uuheralded by fame
No promotions reached them, no news
papers gave list of the killed and woun-
ded in their ranks. Is money to be raised
for the church, the freedmen the divinity
school, or what not, a fair is held, and fairs
are but great combinations of committees
for wholesale plunder. Sancho Panza
blessed the man who invented sleep. Had
he lived nowadays he would hardly have
said as much for the inventor of fairs
Fairs are a mystery. Ladies spend time
and money in making elaborate nothings
that no one wants, and then people are act
ually enticed into buying them. No one
pretends to enjoy fair. 1t is hard,
wasteful, roundabout way of raising mcn-
oy. Why then are they held? Probably
on account of the magic spell they cast for
the time over the reason and Judgment
Once enter the enchanted circle and You
are lost. 1t is impossible to spend money
nationally at fairs. There may be articles
that would be really useful or pleasant to
you, but you never buy them. Verisopht
returns from the fair to his bachelor lodg-
ings late at night, cross, tired, bored. EX
amining his purse he discovers, greatly to
his surprise, that he has expended fifteen
or twenty dollars in the attainment of this
agreeable frame of mind and body. An
anxious investigation of his pockets, to dis
cover what he has to show for it all, brings
to light an abnormal pin-cushon, n lamp
mat, a canton flannel pig, decalcOmana
| paper-cutter, another pin-cushion, a bunch
| of withcred flowers, a watch-case, (he had
five already and-no ii can't be-yes, it
actually is, his favorite aversion, tidy
then he finds tickets in afghans, big dolls,
| sofa-pilows, china tea-seat &c., all
blanks. Besides, there were one or two
ice-creams and pleasant chat with Ara
minta, who sold him the tidy. And he has
|
ed, and wearing his old hat for economy's 5
sake. Oh, what mightn't he have done with
that twenty-dollar greenback, "lost to
sight, to memory dear?" He thinks of as
many possible uses for ii as did Mrs. Caudle
for the five-pound note lent by her hus-
band to his friend. He vows that fairs are
a heeting show for mans delusion given,
and he'll no more Of them, n vow rigidly
kept, until the next fair.
But let the depleted console himself by
the reflection that his victimzers them
selves are, after all the greatest sufferers
The unabridged" defines committee as
"a body of persons appointed 10 examine
or manage any matter" The able author
could hardly speak thus calmly had he even
oliciated on committee. Speaking with
the voice of experience, my definition
would be, "a noble band of self-sacrificinp
martyrs, who, on any occasion, do all the
work and bear all the blame" A com.
mittee devotes its time and strength to do.
ing the public work, while the careles,
public, sitting at ease feel at perfect liberty
to criticize and grumble. Virtue is said tc
be its own reward, a comforting thought tc
committees, this being the only reward
they are at all likely to receive.
If the burnt child breads the fire, why dc
people ever serve q second time on n com.
mitteeH This conundrum may perhaps b,
solved thusi In every community are wo
men born to rule, women with tact sys
tenn, will, insight into character, power o
managing others that would have wei
graced throne and swayed kingdoms
But fate having ordained that they shal
blush unseen in private life, fairs alone af
ford full scope for their powers. They ar,
the getters-up, the head-centres. Thest
managers-artful people, knowing but too
well what strings, pulled, influence human