The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-06-21
AODKnArrON.

but IN sober earnestness. EVERY
thing and everybody moves more Z
rapidly than Of yore. The earth, 9
they say, is getting nearer to the
sun, and all it's inhabitants are on
the qui vivs. It appears a. if they
had imbibed steam as the element
Of ife-had become inspired by
the spirit Of telegraphy and m
famed by that gunpowder. Certain
y our daily lie is 80 influenced by
these potent agencies that the old
slow md sure methods Of our an
i,oisllloss ksse bsoons n N sllings
mtolerAble 10 rs. Who nowadays
alter having passed the season Of
early youth, which owns such .
wealth of time that it begrudges
not to waste it IN indolent enjoy
ment; who nowadays would think
Of taking . journey afoot as . pleas.
ure trip, to be spent in lettering
besides shady streams putting up
by night in lonely farmhouseA and
observing among the simple coun-
try folks the manners and charac
teristics Of unsophisticated rustici-
ty! Unsophisticated rusticity-isF
there ) ct such thing? Has the
progress of the age left single
village in the land unvisited by new
patent improvements, a single ham,
let 80 small, 80 contented, as not to
look forward to time in the Sim
mediate future" when its main
street shall be intersected by
railroad, and its rank among rival
townlets be raised by the dingy
dignity of depot.
It is, with few exceptions, only
the very prosaic whose minds can
not follow the race ofimprovement,
and the very poetic, whose imagina-
tions soar above and beyond ma
terial progress, that are not carried
away by the rage Of novelty, espe-
cially that form Of novelty which
promises speed in the attainment
of ones object Businessp plans are
formed on . gigantic scale. The
nimble penny Of the proverb is dis
dained, not for the slow pound
even pounds must now be nimble
but for gains. ~ rapid,as those be-
slowed by the genie Of an Arabian
tale. Hence the stupendous
schemes of public plunder in which
SO many menof high standing have
mot scrupled to engage. It is not
30 much the power of the luxury
afforded by the possession Of wealth
| as the intense excitement accom-
panying it's acquisition and obtain
able by its means which leads men
to risk for itssake everything which
honor holds dear-self-respect, rep
utation, the society of the good,
even personal liberty. Yes, for in
the eager rush of this haste to be
rich many who started out, intend
ing to use only honest means, have
gone 80 far a. to perform deeds
q whose legal consequences should
4 be a felon's cell. zafr
/ But it is not in business alone
that the prevailing thirst for excite
. ment is seen. It has invaded al
most every department of human
affairs. Even the old poetical
adage, cart is long," seems in dan
ger of being falsi6ed. Not art in
} the highest sense, of course-thai
can not be fastened. A great
painting or statue or epic poem
takes as long to finish now as wher
: the genius Of Michael Angelo, Ra
, phael or Leonardo da Vinci illumi
, mated the halls and galleries ani
, cathedrals Of Rome and Florenc,
with their unfaiding works; whe,
Phidias, Myron or Praxitiles turnes
stone and bronze to life; when DAN
te's immortal lines first thrilled
5 with enthusiasm an admiring world
Art, then, in the highest accepta
ton Of the term, is still long; bu
: there is cheap form of art tha
,, amply satia6es the requirements 0
: the time for rapidity of execution
The sun-scratched photograph has
: to q great extent, supplanted tn,
2 elaborate portrait in oil or the deli
cately finished miniature ON ivory
: The gaudy chrome is substitute
for the fine engravings, by mean
of which persons of taste obtaine'
: in slower times q comparativel
: accurate notion of the famous pic
= lures OF antiquity. These bastar,
arts are well enough for thos
: whose means will afford no better
. but every one who is able would d
: well not to rest content with thei
9 cheap abundance, but OCCASIONAL
. look upon works of real excellenc'
y If he can not own any; work