The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-08-22


People who live on the outside of tba
charmed circle of letters, but who believe
that the men and women thar comnose -
are Of different mold from the rest ~
mankind, and who loag TO be permitted
to penetrate the "rose hedge" and learn
the facts OF the Armida's garden for them
selves. sometimes learn them too clearly
for their dreams to be ever possible again.
They have favorite author-a poet saw
or novelist. II a poet, he is probably
one whose songs are fun Of that delicious
melancholy which makes them sodiyjnelv
sad; an aesthetic poet, blighted beIng' =
creature walking In the MOONLIGHT
among the graves and watering their
flowers with his tears IL novelist. he IL
one whose sprightly fancy makes the dull
world gay. A friend takes the worshiper
TO the shrine where the idol Is to be found.
In other words, they 90 to call on him. nj
his own house. The melancholy noet
hidden in the light of thought. ~ Is
rrbicund, rosy-gilled gentleman. brisk.
middle-aged, comfortable, respectable
particular as to his wines, connoisseur
as to the merits OF the Chef, a bon viuant OF
the Horatian order, and For talk prone to
personal gossip and feeble humor. The
lively novelist, on the other hand, is a
taciturn. morose kind of person, afflicted
with a perennial catarrh, ever ready with
an unpleasant argument, given to start
disagreeable topics of grave, not to saw
depressing nature, perhaps rabid poli-
tician, taking gloomy views Of the cur
rency and respondent about our carrying
trade. As for the women, they never do
look the thing they are reputed to be, save
In fashion and sometimes in beauty. A
woman who goes to public meetings and
makes speeches on all kinds of subjects.
tough as well as doubtful, presents her
self I'm society with the look of an old
maid and the address Of shy schoolgirl.
A sour kind Of essayist, who finds
everything wrong and nothing In its
place, has face like the full
moon and looks as If she fed on
cream and butter. A novelist who sails
very near the wind, and on whom
the critics are severe by principle, is as
quiet as Quakeress in her conversation
and as demure as a nun in her bearing:
while writer of religious tracts has
gowns from Paris and gives small suppers
out of the proceeds. The public charac-
ter and private being of almost every per-
son In the world differ widely from each
other; and the hero Of history who is
also hero to his valet has vet to be
found. Some people call this difference
inconsistency, and some manysidedness;
to some Ii argues shallowness, veneer, un-
reality, and is therefore unworthy Of es-
teen to others ii Is but the necessary
consequence of a complex human nature.
and sign that the mind needs the rest OF
alienation just as much as the body. We
cannot be always In the same groove,
never changing our attitude or object Is
1t inconsistency or supplement, contra
dictiOn or compensation? The sterner
moralists and those whose minds dwell
on tares, say the former; those who look
for wheat even on the stony ground and
among thorns, assert the latter. Any
how, ii Is certain that those who desire
ideals and who like to worship heroes
would do well to content themselves with
alteration at long range. Distance lends
enchantment and ignorance is bliss in
more cases than one. Heroism at home
is something like humanity In Brobdignag,
and the undress of the domestic hearth is
more favorable to personal comfort than
to public glory. To keep our ideals in
tact, we ought TO keep them unknown.
Our gcrdesses should not be seen eating
beefsteaks and drinking stout; ourpoets
are best in print, and social small talk does
not come like truths divine mended from
their tongue; our sages and philanthro-
pists gain nothing and may lose much by
being rashly followed to their firesides.
Yet, after all, mans good work and
brave word are In any case part of his
real self, though they may De very far
from being the whole; and, even II he Is
not true metal all through, his gold, so
far as it goes, counts for more than its
alloy, and his public heroism overtops
his private puerility.-Satlrday ReUis'o.