Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-07-14
AHHundred Years AEo.

In 1776, the giant steam was Just crawl
ing out of his cradle, and being taught TO
walk and work by that canny Scotchman,
James Watt and not until fifty-hve years
later did George Stephenson bring forth the
missionary of nineteenth century progress,
In the shape OF the Rocket locomotive. In
1776, men made their wills and had pray
ers offered in the churches when they start
ed from London 10 Edinburgh, and II re-
quired from thirty 10 sixty days 10 make
the voyage from New York to Liverpool.
In 1776, l3 poor and feeble colonies, con-
tanning less than 5000, 900 souls, were all of
what is now the United States of America.
In 1776, The region west of tho Alleghanies
was trackless wilderness, and the region
west of the Mississippi as Unknown to civ
ilization as the heart of Africa. In 1776,
New York, Boston and Philadelphia were
only flourishing towns, st Louis an insig-
nificant trading post, aud Chicago occupied
exclusively by the fragrant animal whose
name 1t bears. In 1776, rum was being
manufactured out of molasses, and whisky
out of corn, but nobody had yet suggested
the possibility of manufacturing American
ClllLeuS OuL Vi lub uuLulOICu AlElCdIl. III
1776, Ben Franklin had at last succeeded
in convincing the clergy and laIty that it
was safer to trust to lghtning-rods in
thunderstorm than to feather beds or ap-
peals to heaven. In 1776, Saturn was sup
posed 10 be the outermost planet in the So
lar system, and Joseph Priestly had just
made his important discoveries in regard
10 ho - al. t.,
Sam Johnson had scarcely finished thank
ing Providence for his marvellous escape
from the perils of land and sea in what was
then thought TO be a wonderful journey to
the Hebrides. In l776, the English church
service embraced prayers for the anniver.
sary of 'the blessed martyr" Charles l.,
and no true Englishman believed that he
feared God and honored the king unless he
enthusiastically cursed the memory of
oliver Cromwell. In 1776, the man who
had ventured 10 doubt Archbishop Usher's
estimate of the age of our planet would
have been consigned 10 social outlswry in
this world, and damnation in the next,
and, had Darwin, Tyndall and Huxley
lived and taught then, they would have
been pelted with ecclesiastical mud even
more heavily than they are now. In 1776,
no gentleman chewed tobacco, and every
gentleman took snuff few gentlemen wore
their own hair, and nearly all gentlemen
wore wigs; no gentleman wore pantaloons
aud every gentleman wore breeches and
silk stockings; some gentlemen carried
canes, and all gentlemen carried swords
no gentleman INDUCED in paper collars
and cuffs, and every gentleman sported
lace frills aud ruffles. In l776, every lady
wore tremendous hoop skirt, but no lady
wore hustle; every lady wore a pyramid
OF original or borrowed locks, but no lady
changed" her hair every lady danced the
minuet de la cour. but no lady would risk
her reputation and her clothes in round
dance; every lady wore silk slippers, but
no lady was audacious enough TO try stri-
ped stockings; every lady would get mar
ried if she had an eligible offer, but no la
dy thought it a disgrace to live and die an
old maid rather than to tie herself TO a
knave or a fool every lady took a seat in
a public conveyance when gentleman Of
fered it, but no lady ever forgot 10 thank
the gentleman ior it. In 1776, children
were children, and not little manikins and
womankins; they were content 10 listen
when older people talked, and did not
shove in :heir conversational oar unless
invited 10 do so; they were taught to re-
spect age, and did not "know ii alp before
they were half way through their teens !;
they had their proper share of pay, but
were obliged to take regular doses OF solid
work; the boys did not disdain to learn a
trade, and the girls were not ashamed to
penetrate the mysteries of The kitchen !;
they grew up capable of taking care of
themselves, and did not hang on to the pa
rental coat-tail until il tore of. They we're
children when it was time TO be children,
and men and women when childhoods $
days had past.
A hundred years have wrought many
and great changcs-a few for the worse, but
the vast majority for the better; 1876 is a
long ways in advance of 1776 in those ma
terial and intellectual elements which con-
tribute TO the happiness, culture and gen.
eral grogress of the race. We cannot go
too far, but we may 60 too fast. Let us so
govern our march that every step in it shall
be on firm ground, and every step bring
US nearer that perfectly rounded life which
is the cOnsummation of the noblest indi-
vidual and national ambition.-a. Louis
Republican.