Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-04
a Chapter Added to the "Book
Of l.rOyOcatlonS."

a Chapter Added to the 'sBoolk
Of I'rOvocoti0ns."
The list is long, both told and un.
told. What provokes ono person be-
You'd endurance, affords supreme
amusement to another but there is a
degree Of sublimity to be attained in
every human life. in which bitter words
can be borne si|ently, although they
sink none the le.s deep and lose none
Of their roisnancy, even though they
mako no display Of the passions which
they have aroused. Very few, in mod.
ern society, reach this altitude, and
such a. have, are seldom found taking
art in clubs and literary associations,
As Ere and leo are without che,nica |
affinity, so have these two classes moth
i"g in common except the grosser ele-
ments necessary to merely physical
existence, and the ILLS of lite," which
descend abundantly 10 every one OF the
Adamic race. These must be endured
nolens volens. Regard for sensibilities
went out Of date with the costumes Of
our grand danes, and our appreciation
Of merit made its Ell: in company with
powdered cues, knee buckles and Old
school manners Of our grandsires aud
rev causes Of provocation present them
selves, before which those recently
written in tho 'book" seem flight as
air."
Who cares for *'hobbies ?" Let their
owners ride them. Let "musquitoes"
buzz or if you don't like their music,
.'smudge" them. "Creen wood" as
trying-i' none at all worse ?-but if
it will not burn, it certainly cannot ION.
sumo. So blow, aud stir, and fret. and
keep warm by so doing. Good disci-
pline, very, for impatient souls. "Soft
coal" is omphaticallV a luxury, although
it aecessitates hammering Of the stovo,
rafting Of the shaker, poking Of cl;nk-
ers, punching Of cinders, taking up
ashes and emptying them into-the
the teeth of a fierce thor wester."
What if your room be filed with feath-
cry fakes ofsoot, which enter your eyes,
nose, cars and mouth, and give a
sable touch to your books, pictures, cur
tains, and countenance, and make you
to resemble more closely the switch
Of Endor" than you do the pure and
sanity "Mary" All this is infinitely
les. than nothing, compared with real,
pointed, public, notor;ou. sights. TO
take humble part in some perform
ance open to learned criticism, and
then not to have ones LIuMclcrs n.en-
toned in the newspaper, not even BY
way Of frightening the excellencies Of
others, is heort-rendi"y, and almost too
much for the highest type Of moral h.
roism; and add to all this the fact
that an astute and profoundly learned
ed;tor-a gentleman who has made his
10 the republic Of letters" so
frequently that his citizenship there is
und;sputed, even by Mrs. Pennington,
should tondescend to present to the
public through his inimitabls paper, au
expression approving portion Of lit.
erary performance, and by the ponder.
Gus power Of his significant silence, Con-
dcmning the rest, and then to feel thai
you, alone, Of that band OF hterafi have
come short, not alone Of excellence.
but Of sufficient merit to ju.tify-even
the mention Of your name, by that great
and good man,-this drives you to de-
apair, and thereafter, for season, you
pray for the rocks and the noun
tains to cover you, and such has been
the burden Of my invocation bu.
I begin to feel some relief, without thi"
oblivion, for l am told that Twas
ever .hu*,-that learned men AL
though never insens:ble 10 true merit
frequently fail to recognize it. that
genius may not lack the discipline
which adversely always supplies" But
who pre- eumes u say this is provocs-
ton any the less weighty, because in-
tended solely IS blessing!
p. UNA.
&. e.-Provokingly Uusppreciated.)
P. S.-Another Literary Sociab'c
will be held at the Presbyterian Church
one week from next Wednesday eve
ming, prorinso.