The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-25
MODERN MARTYRDoM.
An Essay Read at the Closing Exercises Of
the Rutland High school, June 90, 1877, by
Miss Hattie M. Dunton.

the Rutland High School, June 90, 1877, by
Miss Hattie M. Dunton.
We are quite apt to think of martyrdom
as "thing of the past, for the martyrdom
of the ancients has ever been sung by bards
and poets but modern msrtyrdom the
poets rarely touch upon, either because
they think it unworthy Of mention, or
thing too common on which to waste their
powers. We cannot all be Martin LutherS,
much less can we be Flora McFlimseys,
who may be considered type of one phase |
of modern martyrdom; but We each in our |
respective stations in life experience some |
thing Of the martyrs trials.
Almost as soon as soon as q human being |
gees the light of this beautiful world, which |
our Creator made for us to enjoy, this mar
tyrdom begins:-if the infant makes long
face, he is trotted until he is almost jelly,
and if he happens to cry aloud, just to find
out if he has a voice or no, he is immediate
lY dosed with paregoric, catnip, Mrs.
Winslow, etc., as if Its stomach were
chemical laboratory in which the mistakes
of well-meaning, but careless nurses could
be converted into quiet slumber and health
full good nature. Soon the grandmothers,
aunts, uncles and cousins come to see the
| little darling; he must be arrsyed in a
| stifly -sarched dress, with sash in style, in
| short, be made as uncomfortable as posi-
| BILE he must be "passed around" from
| grandmother to all the descendants, tapped
on the cheek, possibly pinch OF snuff
L u talG all "
nonsense to, till the poor child Is frantic
with terror. AS he approaches the time
that he cuts his teeth, when almost starved,
he is given q rubber ring to bite and Is
allowed to get all the nutrition possible out
of it. What privilege! to sit and bite a
rubber ring and rattle box and if he hap
pens to put his thumb in his mouth, to see
now it tastes, it is pulled out Immediately,
tor it will make the mouth ill-shaped.
About this time, if the child be little girl,
the mother practices turning up her nose.
in order that she may have high-bred
look and the eyebrows and lashes are
clipped off, at stated intervals, no matter
If the scissors do cut the eye, provided it
will give "the cherub' in after years PEN
sive and interesting expression. Soon the
child is taken out for ride, in carriage
| that has no merits, except its costliness and
i
visiting the poor infant is left, with face
upturned, in the burning sun.-ah but
never mind, it wouldn't be fashionable to
wheel ones own baby, and it looks SO
"ordinary' to walk, when one can rice.
AS soon as he can say word or two his
vocabulary is rehearsed for the edificatior
of each guest, how interesting 1t must
oe to cay "dad, dad " to every
human being that enters the door. When
he can repeat words enough to make q
rhyme, he is introduced to Sunday-schoo
concerts, Temperance exhibitions, tetc., az 6
prodigy, and makes martyrs OF the audience
as well as being one himself but all this
only educates him for the martyrdom which
; is to follow.
When he enters school, he thinks, as b
' sees all the children about him, that Their
is freedom in store for him but, alas, TO
t the frailty of human hopes, the rules ar
more stringent than ever. He must no
play with such boy or girl though they b.
a the most agreeable and best-behaved schol
: ars in the SCHOOL, they are not aristocratic
t for 1t is early lnstilled in his mind, that ar
: istocratic mediocrity, is far better than pie
il bian superiority. AS scholar he ma.
have a taste for mathematics, and decides
i aversion to history, and geography, yet b
Is compelled to reciie page after page of tn
l. iattei, and if he can put all the pronoun
e and adjectives in their proper places (evsl
a If he hasn't single idea of their meaning
y he is an exemplary scholar, and IN fai
o way to become the ''president Of the Unite
States; while all the time this poor mai
# tyr is secretly sighing for mathematics.
girl may be thirsting for higher education
one by which she can show herself as CT
pable in a woman's sphere, as her brothe
!. IS expected to show himself in mans; y,
the sentiment of society has been, and in
ID great degree at present is such, that II
m young girl studies Greek and Latin, she
20 termed "blue stocking" and told she wi
be unatt active in society, and that tits G,
ID pected when she graduates, that her highei
IN ambition will be, as to whether her dresi
,e shall pc trimmed with ruffies or plating
= or how many yards of material can
gracefully disposed OF, in the folds of hs
N train. Thus it is that so many girls, W.T.
I'd have in their characters the elements of
q. noble womanhood, and who would NAL
!, the world better for their having lived in !
III sacrifice their highest and hottest thought
&c as well as their fathers pockets, to fear {
g. what, "Mrs. Grundy will say"
A. Our martyrdom does not go through u
* week, TO be suspended over Sunday, as v
,o often wish it did. In church, if we do n
nj happen to hear the minister announce Il
10 hymn, we can seek in vain to be enligh
ie ened by anything the choir may sing; goo
h. old "Ortonvllle' may be Hebrew for all '
on can comprehend. On all lines of trav,
al we fluid martyrs. A business man wea
"a of the busy turmoil of the city, is returnil
:, to the quiet of his home vainly he loo
Gu for seat a young miss occupies II
ly seats, with herself, baggage and last, b
to by no means, least, her poodle the pood
,Iv must not be deprived Of his seat, for tn
~ both he and his mistress would be marty
OIL to the WEAKNESS of one man, 80 the gent
Sil man puts on a martyr-like expression, al
of stands throughout the journey.
a Again young gentleman very fond
in music, asks a young lady to play; at
rs the usual explanations, concerning the a
as. tiquity of her music, the lawful" tone
an the piano, and inquiries as to his tas
On whether it be classical or no, she seats hs
self at the instruments when the folds
'eo her dress are artisucally arranged, wi
ed eyes raised toward the ceiling, and head
IN. one side, she commences. A terrible era
Inn like the roar of the thunder, CRATES on
sensitive ear and before half of the TWEEN
pages upon the rack are played, this pc
his martyr doubts his classical taste, and
nd wardly signs for the whistling OF "Cspts
ara Jinks' or "Money Musk"
an Martyrs are found among the nobili,
,os as well as in the ranks Of democracy. Fl
| nv what the emperor of Brazil rnuat In