The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-07-15
CHIT-CHAT.

We have always heard good deal said
about the innocent prattle Of children.
Poets talk about it; parents tell us how
much they miss it whenever perchance the
little one is called away, and homes desti-
tute Of such music have been characterized
as decidedly wearisome places. But we
are sometimes lea to wonder whether there
is not coed deal Of romance about all this.
Oar own experience in this line has doubt
less been tie experience of all children, and
calm survey of the field with M impartial
eye, has led us to ask the question: If the
/ pra;tle was so entertaining and withal in
noseut, why in the world did we get so
many sound furnishings for indulsing in the
aforesaid prattle. Here is a question ia
ethics fer the reader. We lave ALWAYS
understood that the innocent were to 90
unpunisted, simply because there vas moth.
ing for which they could be punished, and
if children are SO very entertaining, WHY
dc they get thrashed for such peeuliarity.
There is wrong impression somewhere.
Either the poets are at fault, or parents
lack keen appreciation of tie beauties of
childish innocence.
The art of chewing gum is not a lost enc.
But still there is II chance to "sling little
soul as Artemus Ward would say, even
into this paStime. To US there are few
sights sublimer than that Of a young lady
vita determination in her eye and wad
OF gum in her mouth battling with The
elastic stuff We care not whether she be
r'ch or poor: whether she blood of the T.
+. Us runs in her veins, or she be ranked
among the plebeians: it is all the same to
us. For it is not worldly position that
eaptivates Us; It is devotion to principle.
VI e say the sight is sublime. 1t may be
thai this Is not just the term to use, but
still 1t depends somewhat upon the size of
tie wad and the "chawiug" capacity of the
young lady, as to whether the term is en-
tirely misapplied. But their devotion is
wonderful We have seen them 20 10
church, and lose the whole sermon rather
than lose a single wag of the Jaws, and
when on some sultry Sunday morning the
services, ferchance, may become tiresome,
one gets inspiration from the ceaseIess
labor Of the gum chewer. You are taught
a lesson Of constancy, that cannot bu. be
salutary.
But the height Of sublimity is reached,
we think only when some couple from the
suburbs visit the city, and the swain with
prodigal hberality invests nickle in the
stuff which in neither "fling nor fatten-
ing, " and the two literally cletc their way
into each others affections. While chewing
the world seems to fade away from before
them; they become oJlivious to all present
surroundings, and in Imagination they
wander of to some fac away Utopia where
the trees hang with gum drops and spruce
forests FL the air with the perfumes of
tgummy,' incense; the cares Of lie are no
more, ana together they wander in green
pastures and chew lovingly beside still
waters. It is toe bad to spoil such dreams,
but they must be brought back to earth some
time, the sweet savers Of spruce must give
place t. tie more vulgar and more stimu-
lating savers of beefsteak and the world
with all Its realities must again stare them
in the face Bat who will begru lge them
their pleasure. No one. Chew on then,
ynu who love to, nnmirlfrl Of the snoers
of worldly generation. You have the
right Of it, and may you ike Tennyson's
brook, go on Lchowingl forever.