Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-25
A Useless Character.


since, there was small fountain with a
little gilt ball playing witchingly on the
sides of its perpendicular jets. While
change from one mood to another, from
delight at the frolics of the little thing, to
wonderment at its many escapes, and from
wonderment to WEAKNESS with anxiety for
its safety.
Does not that ball closely resemble
some men we meet in this world? You
say, Yes, men who have a great many
unfortunate crossing and diverging cur
rents to contend with" But, no; not pre-
cisely that. Say rather, men who suffer
themselves to be the sport of such unfavor-
able currents; who, instead of clinging
resolutely to one, are continually making
shifts, and headlong plunges fatal to sue
cess. That ball on the fountain is good
type Of decision Of character; quality
which wastes many a life in nothing but
change and rotation, ups and downs, sky
ward shoots and headlong plunges. 1t
makes many person, also, at first source
of amusement, then of anxiety, and finally
of contempt, as mere plaything Of Cir
cumstances.
You see this in persons of all ages.
Here is boy who, in that club of boys on
the sidewalk conjuring up a play, makes
the most brilliant propositions, but quick
ly finds in them all insuperable difficulties |;
and so, while the others are aching to be
up and playing, and perhaps have already
extemporized good game, he stands idly
leaning against the fence, thinking what
to play. Soon he is growing into man
hood, and the time has come for him to
choose plan for life; but here again the
same tendencies are seen. He cannot de-
eide; he takes to one thing, then another
then rests awhile, and thinks of third.
So he becomes man, appropriately titled
Sir Uncertainty, and he wears the same
title on to old age. His peculiar fate, he
thinks, has been to come continually upon
folks in the road, at which the sign boards
only tod where each diverging road would
lead, and not which road was the best one
for Sir Uncertainty.
Here is girl; one Of those human but
tertlies which dart as rapidly from one
play to another as the butterflies of the
garden from one flower to another; and
the older she grows the more she confirms
her childhood character AS a young wo-
man, her life consists of such countless
waverings between content and discon.
tent, indefinite wishes and indefinite deeds,
that an effort to define her mind would be
the greatest task of her life.
This characteristic is a great deformity
to any person. 1t may arise, however,
from causes which somewhat modify the
censure it brings For example, it may be
hereditary. From unhealthy parents, or
from the marrying Of cousins, children
often inherit certain sluggishness which
at first appears only physically, and after
wards also mentally. The unfortunate
heir can hardly be centured, except SO far
as he has failed to overcome it. Again,
weakness of will may be the result of ed
ucation. Many parents always decide for
their children, in every matter, small or
great. They never look out into the
world where the young wings will one day
have to fly for themselves, but fondly hope
to carry them always on their own backs.
Thus the child grows up always leaning
on another will, and when that will is lost
his decision is gone.
INDIGESTION sometimes, also, arises from
an unusuai versatility Of mind, and then it
has shadow Of greatness about it, A
person has natural ability TO turn his hand
TO any one Of hundred different pur-
suits. In a store or counting room he sees
the desirable side of mercantile life, and
almost decides to be q merchant He
watches the wonderful ingenuities Of the
shop, and almost determines to be a me.
chanic. He watches the stately ship, and
gets up an enthusiasm for sailor life. He
dabbles in science, and declares there
would be nothing for him like becoming
a teacher of sciences. He would take true
delight in any one Of these, if he could
only hide all the other attractions from
his sight. No doubt some men are change.
able from no other reason than this, aud
for such we cannot help having respect.
Now the main point is that the undecided
man is not fit for anything. He is uni
versally pronounced "good for nothing"
or at best, mot good for much" And
the reasons are very plain. If he has no
power Of deciding, he Is useless where
any decision is required. Every thing must
be decided for him. He can be hands or
feet for another's head, and that Is all
But in reality there Is scarcely any work
in life where some decision is not required.
Furthermore, mental indecision increases,
until it descends to the smallest particulars
He who habitually hesitates over large az
fairs will come at length to hesitate
habitually over trifes. Then, again,
energy is lost by habitual vacillation. If
one has almost adopted two or three other
courses before deciding upon the present
one, he becomes accustomed to the
thought, ait might have been otherwise !"
and that thought as constant attendant
weakens ones energy. The hesitator Is
seldom vigorous man.
Whatever, then, may be the canse Of in
decision, 1t is q disastrous thing. 1t is q
true deformity. II hereditary, it deserves
charity, but charity does not make per
son fit for life. IF it came by defective
education, it may be overcome by more
careful education, later in life; but unless
it is, the man Is not good for much. II it
comes of too great versatility, or genius,
if you call it 50, its victim may well sacri-
fee brilliance for the sake of decision, for
better far is an ordinary man, who sees the
necessity Of doina one thing, and does it,
than genius OF the first magnitude
AdrdEce.
A Dreadful Cheat.