The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-10
FACT AND FANCY.

An Essay Read by Miss Wolcott at the
Commencement of the Castleton Normal
School.
Fact and fancy are two characters, whose
doings in the world lave gained for them
a universal acquaatance, and influence.
Ii would he hard TO determine which of
these is the most worthy of our attention;
or whose works we should most admire.
Utility is the great object of the one, while
the functions of the other are grace and
beauty, and both achieve wonderful re-
suits
Mr.. Fact is sober mddle-aged gentle
man, of steady ind strious habits, is prompt
and decided in every action, and never
retracts what he has said or done. The
wrinkles on his brow, and the slight con-
traction of his eye, shows that he has seen
trouble, and become shrewd by experience.
lie hasa bold naughty air. although it is free
from any sign of affectation, which he de-
spises but he feels that confidence in him.
self which seems to challenge all opposi-
ton. His peculiar trait is honesty. He
never told an untruth, therefore, he in
tends when he speaks that people shall
believe him; and he is generally sue
cessful for few ever enter the list
list against him except the lawyers who
are his inevitable and most successful foes.
Fact delights In striking the death blow to
a false rose, by placing the thorn of re-
morse in it. He loves to step into some
pulpits, and point to the heart of the oc-
cupant all foul with corruption and sin, and
tear away the priestly robes. But he l., not
always rude and unknd, for although he
sometimes destroys the bright airy struc-
lures of fancy, causing her bitter sorrow;
yet he is ever her firm friend, and depends
often on her assistance to beautify some
otherwise rude and unattractive exterior.
Ia return for this he gives her good advice
from his abundant supply of sound under
standing. Although they are friends and
depend on one another for aid, yet Miss
Fancy is a very different creature from Mr..
EutLs Dut tIuCC5 hSl uhSSc1iy iat DhCh
to the time when from the Olympic Heaven
of the ancients the spirit of song was waited
lightly on the breeze, and poured from the
soul of Homer. When the Tyre was the
emblem of royalty, and an instrument of
power, and the nine sisters ruled the hearts
of high and low. She is half human, half
divine. She comes to us bearing in her
hand boquet of choice flower-thoughts
culled from the beautiful fields of imagina-
ton by her fastduous hand. The seat of
her dominion is the human heart, and the
passions are her ever willing servants. The
young man who allows himself to by tempt
ed by the wine cup, or the billiard hall, un-
til becoming more and more dazzled by its
influence he loses his self respect, and oft
times his reason, has only allowed the reins
of self government to be slowly snatched
from him by that fascinating and subtitle
monarch, fancy. She can call up spirits
of life and beauty or demons as dark and
forblddng as sin itself yet, though it ex-
cites and bewilders them her servants love
the madness and seek to be unclaimed by
the magic wand. Oh she is wild queen
and merry qveen, though the phantoms
which rise at her bidding are not always
soothing, but sometimes terrible as the
goadings of fear and remorse can make
them. She scatters roses on the couch of
innocence but draws back the curtains from
the mouth of Pandemonium and ushers in
the dying sinner. She sings the pure in
heart to sleep with gentle song, and pass
es the golden panorama of the future before
their mental vision but with brand of
everlasting fire she strs the brain of the
murderer, and whispers to him of the gal
lows and OF his doom She paints bright
pictures, and hangs them before the eyes
of the christian, but the wicked shrink from
these pictures, and loathe their presence.
Often when fact sits soberly writing q re-
port or history, she snatches the pen from
his hand, and clothes truth in such fair
drapery, that fact who stands by wonders
to see how beautiful truth may be made
by her assistance. While fancy pleases and
enraptures us, fact satisfies our wants and
gives us peace of mind, teaches us expert
ence, and the use of dollars and cents.
Fancy builds castles in the air, and extern
sively peoples them with creatures from
the dominion of queen Nab. Fact erects
solid houses Of brick or stone, and fills them
with men and women. Fancy sends forth
such men as Homer and Virgil, Milton and
Shakespeare, to do her honor. Fact sends
forth such men as Fulton and Morse, New
ion and Watt, 'as emmissares from the king
dom, that cannot be conquered Fancy is
lover of the fine arts, fact practises the
useful arts. Fancy talks of flowers and
pleasure and subsists chiefly on the am
brosia, which is the food at the table of the
gods. Fact talks of farming, of stock, and
of merchandise, and lives by eating the
plain substantial food for which his labor
has given him an appetite. When fancy
touches us with her magic wand we are
happy and dream OF bright days to come,
we feel that the world is but paradise and
we its chief occupants Fact touches us
little less lightly he rouses us at early
morn with rough shake, and that unpleas-
ant warning, u"The sun is up and it is time
TO be at work" Fact and fancy are the
rulers of the mental universe. We all
have one or the other for our leader, and
each is ever trying to lure us from the 9TH
or the one fiatters with fine paintings and
beautiful landscapes, and the prospect of
life spent in perpetual play the other Of
fers nothing more tempting than, that If
we dwell in his vineyard, we must bear the