Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-07-03
For the DeiGuare R,ltbi'Gn.
Variety, the Spice of Life.

Variety Cne spice Oh LlIe.-
We're we by any possibility doomed to dwell
upon one single thought to the exclusion Of all
other, how vague-how monotouous-how useless
would be or lives! Where would be the plea
sure which we derive alone from the bright
flashes of thought which have eulivened others
and well developed minds-minds which are |
not satisfied until they know the reasons Of all |
things with which they become acquainted f--l
Where would be tho blessings resulting from
discoveries and inventions which are only per-
fected after much earnest, deep, and varied |
thought? Were there no variety Of thought, |
could We come TO amy definite conclusions p |
Would We know the why's and whereiores of
the most simple events which transpiie around |
us? surely net! We would be race of idiots
recognizing nothing, beautiful, knowing moth
lug disagreeable, enjoying nothing, suffering |
nothing. Should all men incline to the same
course Of action, all present the same profess |
sion, continued existence would be impos- |
sible. Men would soon want for the nee |
essaries of life. Want woul! bo followed
or rather accompanied by misery, aud finally
by death. Had all persons the same form,
features, and expressions We should not
be able to distinguish one from another, should
know nothing of the pleasures resulting from
friendship, and from the social relations of life.
We should find no occasion for the exercise of
ambition, for should ambitious projects prove
successful in their Immediate results, the honor
attendant upon this success would fail to give
lasting distinction To It's possessor. There could
be no order, no law, no government, 10. one
might make law AZ well rs another, and who
would be able to tell the difference. Who
would willingly submit to authority so question:
able , Who have power TO prevent general
confusion? There certainly would be but lit
| tie if any comfort OF enjoyment. With no one
| to care for, and no one 10 seek our pleasure,
we should soon, very soon, weary OF life. But
| cnrt t,r nnlv ina
cases the counterpart Of which has never been
and can never I've known. Still the considera-
/ ton serves to show lis how necessary to the
happiness of life, and even TO life itself, is vare
ty-aud having thus full conviction Off neces-
sity, we lose degree of our surprise at the fact
| that some of our most eminent philosophers
| even of modern times have considered variety
| in connection indeed with unity-as the grand
cause Of all our APPRECIATION Of the beautiful
But as we find ourselves constituted with minds
in which thoughts, lively and serious simple
and profound, come and so in pleasurable sue
lcesson, we may successfully grasp after the
truest JOYS, resulting from our powers of
thought. And the variety of thought in differ
ent minds multiply the sources Of intellectual
pleasure-allord new fields of investigation,
new indictments to mental effort new means
of cultivating the intellectual powers. Now
we wander with Dana among the rocks and
fosils, now with Newton, Kepler and Copper
nicus, we calculate the distance of the planets,
the forms of theft orbits, and the rapcidty of
their mo on-now with Wayland we study
moral law, or with Hamilton, Held, Locke, or
Haven, we try TO fathom the powers of the hu-
man mind, then suddenly We leave the realm
of reality and giving the rens to fancy descend
, into the depth Of the earth, and come forth
enriched with gifts of gold, we plunge beneath
the waters and ris, bringing with us shining
| pearls or soar with wonder and admiration
! anon. the heavenly orbs.
Tie good enjoy the full satisfaction Uf success
in their most cherished schemes, the bad too
feel a wicked pleasure in witnessing the defeat
( of those who defend the right, in witnessing
the triumph of evil over equity and justice.
+ Tie traitor is a. happy as with his debised
nature he can be, when in his day dream he
sees his coumtry's flag trailing i'll the dust and
trampled upon by rebellious foes. We need
, some of sober, ''matter of fact" mind 10 en-.
courage and cultivate the practical tendencies OF
{ mankind, and Others by Il right use of magma
:, ton tc elevate the sLandar-even of practcaiit
ty. Alike in the real and in the Imagination
world, rarity of Thought has to do with the plea
+ sure which it eiI0rds us. So in the world con
II | sdered as a field Df action, we cannot fail &c
see the happy results of varty.
: Men of different taste, different habits, and
!, different pursuits in life, have their places OIL
& the arena of human action, and are contribute
o ing to the variety which makes up the worldi
history.
l. We are delighted to witness the merry sport.
!; of childhood, to notice the occupations of early
y youth, and of more mature age. We are inter
ested in each OF the various pursuits of life; art
re pie Asel IT, witness the effects Of earnest cfor
to excel In each of these pursuits, and are con
.. WINGED that the fact of rdriefg--ln action add
If to the interest of all action. We look upon thu
huuan face and are struck with admiration "a
ID we see the lights and shades, the ever changin
expression CT the features. We think WE Sc,
= a soul in the eyes which now laugh, now weep
Id now look upon us kindly, now with sternuess
y Not like the stoid block Of marble-wbich
III ever the same, which never turns a b lighter fac
upon lis, but here is variety. And so with TIL
human voice. Ii is not a dull monotonous
l. never changing sound, it varies with the feel
~ ing, now cheerful, now sad now full Of rejoicing
" now fnll OF sympathy, now swelling the note
~ OF victory, now waillng over the ruins of blast
Vi ed hopes, until We are struck at the power an,
u variety Of It's ever changing tones.
i, Variety in talents too is not without il
p" | peasurable and beneficial influence upon tn
y. world. Men of great minds have a strange wa
- of brngtiIng about wonderful events of maxim
10 great discoveres and inventions, but they coul
;, not alone succeed III their struggles TO reac
~ the pinnacle OF greatness. They would not /
~ | great, at least not So considered, were ttel
Ia Ia none Of less talent in comparison with whol
So their powers might become apparent, and b.
~ sides the advantage of contrast, there is nee
''9 this diversity oftaents so that The schemes
= ambitious men may not bring them into COLI
~ sion and society be kept in continual bro
~ and discussion
Variety is truly the spice Of "!Socidi Hfe."
r lends interest 10 conversion, to literature, al
nf all the diversions of society. Nor Is it lie
NV essential to the works of nature. The land
ac- cape which stretches out before us in all
beauty is a witness TO the effect Of this pri
ciplc.
Did vast plain devoid of ornament eXtei
to the limits of our powers of vision, or "
W our view restricted TO our chain of mouuta
without a shrub or tree, a glacier or watt
er fall, soon Should tire of the sight, but wi
mid the variation which now present themselves
,e. us, pralries skired with beautiful groves, hi
rn- relieved by modest valleys, with gushing sprin
hat | winding streams, our souls could never tire.
,or Thus variety lends charm to all scenes Al
los | interests which could not otherwise he know
III and without which life itself would be unendl
.en able. j. K. d.
hat
The \ LUCKY HT.-I must tell you Of a ser
YES comic incident that occurred on the l'nco o
of morning last week. A young American lac
- resident in Rome, rich, talented, cookbook
,ilr and eccentric, acquired the habit oftaking 10
Irl, strolls outside lhe town, book in hand and sl
in ing "the word to the action and the action
an the word" Upon the occasion in question,
ak her elocul onaTy lrrvor she was utterly unct
i, IL ! scious Of the presence OF gentleman adva