The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-01-29
All lis Vanity.

YER grasplng after hsslng shadows, and gath
ering our energies al each deusien, for q
fresh effort to seize an syaus tat,sus. In the
fsrvor Of our imsgiuatoas We paint pictures
of pleasure and glittering prizes to be gained,
which recede as we approach than, and
leave us with unsatis6ed cravings. In short,
human life, as we live it, is lie. It is q
succession Of illusions and dsceptions. Tan
talus, with his ever evading fruits and flowers
and perfumes, was but the prototype of man.
We DO rot even sincerely realize that we are
to die. We leave the lesson of the flower
that buds aud blooms, and fades away, unim-
proved, yet we are falling to pieces every
day. We deceive ourselves, our neighbors,
and mankind with affected purities aaa vir-
tues, when deep down in the heart rankles
the sting Of rsmorse for the crime. We
smile and smile and practice the william
still. Every gay butterfly Of fashion that
Displays her glittering plumage on the street,
and infames her vanity with furbelows and
dounce arouuds, is living lie. We deform
nature and prostitute her gifts, that we may
seem what we are not Falseheod is written
upon sentient being, and fully cognizant Of
this, yet we embrace the delusion as 3 sweet
mersel is rolled under the tongue, and mag
inc that we are not understood. We glance
at fop as he struts along tho streets redo.
lent with pomade and preteusion, and in
wardly say there goes lie, and yet tolerate
the pessileace. We see poverty of brains
and plethora Of brass. elevated into notice
by the circumstances of fortune; cutting a
swarth along the avenues, and yet permit
the lie to pass unrebuked. In truth, no one
dare to throw the first stone, for we are all
bloated falsehoods, full Of yan!ties and de-
ceits-sver aspiring to what We cannot
reach, and making ourselves ridiculous in
the struggle.
What pity it is, that our foresight is not
as good as our hind sight. Were it rot for the
delusions and enticements Of Hope, how vast
ly less would be the chronicle of our fail
ures and disappointments. These reflections
imply a moral, and yet we are going 70 APP
ply them where moral principle has nothing
to do. We mean to politics.
We cannot but experience feeling Of
commisseration for the innumerable host
of self-sacrifcipg patriots who recently de-
luded themselves with the hope that they
could BE- elected U. S. Senator. All but
one are row realizing the vanity of human
expecta,i ons. Our own towDsman, cherish
ing the belief that the tims had arrived for
him to grasp the long deferred honors of an
eyentful life, permitted himself to be lead
captive by the syren song Of Hope, gave Up
the more practical and profitable enjoyment
Of rctiracy st home, and allowed himself to
enter the arena of active politics. The
goal seemed to be in his grasp. His hand
had almost touched the coveted prize, and
in an instant, like the dead sea apples, il
turned to ashes on his lips!
How much more rational would it have
been for him to have remained contented fol
| the few remaining years of a protracted life
! surrounded by the comforts Of home and thu
! luxures Of worldly wealth. than to have in
vited disappointment and chagriu, by cheat
| ing ease out Of its rightful demands, ant
encounteriug the vezatioas and harsassment
of the position he now holds If the fore
| sight could have caught in the same realtie
that the hind-sight now does, legislativ
honors would have been kicked aside q
worse than dross. We venture to say tia
dr. Stuart would find infinitely more pleas
uro and profit in dischargng the duties c
City Councilman, which he resigned, tina
he viii in exhausting the short days Of hi
existence in meeting the obligations of
Legislator, now that the main chance has es
capped him. He will agree with US that life
taken it generally, is lie, and political lii
very extensive snare and cheat.
Bankruptcy and National Banks
! The Chicago tribune says, most impo,
tant decision was given December 80 b
Judge Blodgett, Of the United States Dix
trict Court, in the case of the Manufactul
ers' National Bank Of Chicago, to the effee
that Natiana1 Bank cannot he thrown ini
bankruptcy. The court held that the Sc,
lions Of the National Currency act whic
provide for the appointment by the Comr
troller Of the Currency Of receiver, in c;
SEES where the solvency Of the bank is
question, were not superseded by the N;
tioaal Bankrupt Law passed 2 years subse
quent. If this decision is sustained by tt
United States Supreme Court, there is Z
mode Of procedure against National Ban
that refuses to pay its depositors but 10 an a
ton of debt, according to the usual proce
prior to the passage of the Bankrupt Law.
The recent decision Of one of tie cour.
that hotel keepers we're exempt from the pr
visions Of the National Bankrupt law, WI
apparently made on the technical groun
that hotel keepers were not mentioned in I'll
Bankrupt Law. But the Bankrupt La
does specify bankers, and the ground e
this decision in regard to National Baul
seems to be that standard condition for .
! National Banks is required in the Nation