New-York tribune., 1876-08-05

keen zest with which they haul in a seine full
of plaice or weakfsb, or stand waist-deep
fIom midnight till morning to land speckled
trout. The Exposition, as we learn, is crowded
with bands of teachers from all parts OF the
Union bright-oycd, loose -tongued girls, pro-
fessors bearded and spectacled, pale, solitary
men, whose cheap black coats and mild dogma
tisn advertise at sight the "Classical Academy
"Or Home for Youths" i'll inland villages.
The boys for the next year will find Green
leaf and Mitchell enlivened by the wonders of
the Exposition, just as a city congregation
who have given their pastor iuri0ugh ma
the background of his teachings to be Pans
and Rome rather than Chaldea and ancient
Uz. The teacher must be both poor and dull
who fails to lay up capital for his work in this
great normal school To look is to learn. The
almond-eyed Turkish woman posing in her
velvet and jewels and twanging all day on iier
viOl, or the alert mild-eycd Japanese, seeing
and approprating the best OF everything, and
only put to the rout by questions from Mas
sachusetts woman, are fuller eXponents OF
their countries and times than volumes OF
textbooks.
These August explorations, however, are
confined to the citizens OF the larger towns.
The habit Of Summer holidays and journey
ing has never penetrated into our villages OF
farming districts. The well-tO-do stOrekeeper
or 50 squiren of the country town IL content 10
mig ate the year round from his own gate to
the counter or desk, and to repair for recrea-
ton and new views OF life to the stove OF the
corner grocery. His wife and daughters are
in worse case. That young woman in Penn
sylyania or Kentucky village is considered us
exceptionally lucky who has ever seen the sea
or New-YOrk, although her father may spchd
hundreds upon her dress each year. Ihe iaim-
ers and farmers wives are, however, the most
immOvable and sOggy members OF American
society. The small farmer is usually possessed
by the one ambition to lay by certain sum
for a rainy day. His gains are small his ex-
penScs are necessarily reduced by the pettlest
rules. When pennies are saved by stIntlng III
the Sundays dinner and by making d!udges Oh
his wife and daughters the year round, he Is
not likely to spend dollars in what he calls
gaddiLg and galliyantng. The bigOtry obstl-
nacv, and narrow opposition TO progress which
manifest themselves occasionally among this
class of our population arise in great
measure from their lack of friction with
other men. The man, however lntel-
lisent or shrcwd by nature, who confines him
self for years to one village, will judge of all
questions inevitably by the code of that village
rather than on any broad human grounds.
Nor is it mistaken economy alone which
makes so large portion of our population
homc-kcepers. but a lack of appreciation OF
the uses of travel. The man and woman whose
knowledge is bounded by their own pig-pens
and potato field, and whose ideas range no
further than the politics or ailments OF their
township, feel keen contempt for the scholar
or artist who lies away the Summer looking
Mt the hills and woods which they see every
day. The first journey with this class is never
the last. Travel "pay5" so fast and so largo
an interest that the dullest boor knows
what he gains. Yet the great majority pre-
fer to invest their money in other and
more snowy ways. The Western merchant
could bring his whole family to the EypoS-
ton for the price of Il gaudy parlor carpet
yet the chances are the parlor VIII have the
carpet and the brains lie bare. The cost OF
silk dress to the village belle would open to
her the wonders OF Niagara, give her days by
the sea. or among the uncxplored solitudes Of
the Black Mountains. But she will choose the |
dress. Our young clerks, for the price OF
carved mcerschaum or signet ring, could take !
A peep at the tropics in Cuba or the Bermudas
But the pipe ard ring too often prove heaviest |
in the scale The only cure for this lack of
the relish for culture is culture itself. and such
vigorous hints as TIE TRIBUNE and its con-
ircIeS can give.
IL we are fayorcd by clear sky on SUNDAY even- |