Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-28
BE What Ynn Are.

Many years ago when lucifer matches
were unknown, and the finder box with
its flint and steel formed the only domes-
tic instrument for obtaining light, lit
tic old man used to walk about in one of
the suburbs of London holding in his hand
far. shaped bunch of matches, made, rs
usual in those days, of splinters of resin
ous pine wood tipped with birthstone. lie
never offered his goods, except by silent
gesture, nor did he make them an excuse
for asking charity rs many others were
in the habit of doing The good-natured
servant-girls who saw him pass their win
dows would run up from the area with Il
smile and half-penny, and call out,
Master, some TIMBER" but they never
spoke of matches " Timber, madam? 1"
the old man would say; yes, madam, ="
and with u grave face and courteous bow
would supply their want. 1t was report
ed that the old man had seen better days;
perhaps he had ut some former time dealt
in pine logs and carried on business on n
large scale; now he called himself Il
"small timber merchant" and if any one
addressed him rs the " matchman," or
asked him for II half-pennyworth of brim-
stone, he would take no notice of the
speaker, but turn away in disgust, as if it
were impossible for him to have any deal
ings with such a customer. OF course the
poor old man was crazy, and those who
knew him humored and pitied him.
But how many people are there in these
days crazy after the same fashion, without
being aware of it themselves or suspected
of it by their neighborsl The small
tradesman carrying on business in some
by-Anc calls himself il merchant, his shop
an emporium, his buck kitchen ware
house and his cellar depot; the brick
layer or carpenter is Il contractors the
huir-dresser is a professor; the wig maker
is an artist in hair; and the milkman Il
purveyor; while the dress maker presides
over the mysteries of her art in IL magasin
des modes. The same spirit shows itself
here and there among all classes. In an
swer to an advertisement for a hospital mat
ron a lady superior " offers herself; and
if mistress is wanted for I'm infant school,
applications are made, not always gra-
matically expressed for the post of " gov
erness" A father brings his daughter to the
house Of Il lady who has been inquiring for
Il housemaid. She wears an imitation fur
Jacket, imitation gold ear rings, and an
imitation chignOn or plat, made of cotton
or hemp by some new patent process of
this imitation age, with curious bunch of
gauze, feathers, ribbons grapes and flow
ers, hung on behind by way Of bonnet
her hands are encased in lavender.colored
kid gloves, and she carries light plrasol
in her hand, though the day is overcast,
and IN umbrella would be much more to
the purpose She makes an imitation bow
when the lady of the house enters the
room; and her father, who is proud of her
appearance and manners, introduces her
with the appropriate words, " This is the
young lady, ma'am, rs is open to an en-
gagement for your situation" The owner
of the house, who has no intention of re-
signing her situation, but only wants Il
housemaid, declines the application.
There are pretensions of worse kind
than this. A wcll-c ucatcd youth, for in
stance, leaves school and is placed in an
Office or under articles, with view to his
future profession. His fellow clerks or Gel-
low-sludents appear to him by their cos
tunes and conversation to be great
swelS." lie does not wish to be thought
inferior to them, and very soon learns to
initiate their STYLES and adopt their man
ners. He hears them talking largely OF
their parcntage, Of their exploits and eX-
travagances and be wishes TO be thought
as rich, as gay and as reckless rs the best
(or worst) of them. If they smoke, he
must do the same; if they drink, he will
drink with them; if they behave like
heathens and talk disgracefully and vilely,
he affects to admire their conduct and to
enjoy their conversation. All this may at
first be very much against his better in
stincts, but he fears to be rediculed; and,
in word would rather be accepted for
what he is not, and ought not to he, than
be esteemed for what he is,
Every kind Of pretense is bad; to pre-
tend to be better than we are, is hypcc-
risy; to pretend to be greater than We
are, is vanity and folly; but to pretend to
be worse than we are, for the sake of win.
ming favor with those whose favor is not
worth having, is ut once the worst and
silliest of all Whatever mans position
or calling may be, if it be thing to be
ashamed Of let him abandon it, but if it be
not wrong or disgracolul in ITSELF let him
never be ashamed Of it. Sunday al Home