Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-05-23
fFrom the Saturday ReVie%.
DISeOmfOrtS or Savage Life.

In serious circles It is still believed
that all Germans thiuk and say much
the same thing, and people talk vaguely
of dangerous German notions" Per-
sons not quite so unsophisticated IS the
inhabitants OF serious circles speak ofthe
French writers of the last century with
similar laxness. They talk Of the phi
IosophCs and the sneyclopedisfes as If al
the philosophers and all the writers in
the EnGyclopedla Eefe agreed on mos
topics. II may be admitted that Nico-
las Antoine Boulanger (1723-1T69) wa:
one of the exceptions which proved
this rule, IL rule il Is. Nicholas Antoine
did not exclaim, like Rousseau, Mr.
Squeers and other thoughtful men,
"oh, how blessed to be ia a state Of ma.
ture % He was rather struck by the
gloom than the mirth of the natural
tribes whose customs he Observed
LeoEins asevs c. ,ranae rC their sci
emnity-the solemity Of races living,
as il were, in an age prior to humor oI
wit-he hit upon the Deluge. Savage.
retain traditions of the Deluge. he said;
they are always on the lookout for a
new cataclysm, and this damps their
mirth and chills the genial current o
their hilarity.
The flood certainly vas a melancholy
event, but 10 attribute the gravity o
savages to the food is surely 10 seek an
explanation far afeld. Whether they
do or do not live; like unconscious dis.
ciples Of DR.. Cummings, in daily expec'
tatlon of the end Of all things. savage.
have plenty to sadden them. Like the
often quoted Weddahs of Central Cey'
Ion, they do not see what there is tC
laugh ut. Readers of Mr.. Fenimore
Cooper remember the peculiar silen
laugh" of the immortal Hawke Eye
AS a civilized being, he did see good
deal to laugh al; as an adopted savage
he knew the danger Of noisy chuckling
A loud roar might startle the deer OF
arouse the attention of the hostile Min
go. On the whole, joke is scarcely
worth taking ones life in ones hand for
and the Mohican who giggled on the
warpath might expect to leave bis sealf
in the hands OF enemies who did not in
dulgc in the sense OF humor. To as.
cribe the gravity of "naturefolk" entire
ly to one cause, whether that cause be
a lively memory Of the flood or lively
dread OF lurking enemies, would be un'
philosophical, and unworthy Of the age
of Mr.. Herbert Spencer. II Is easy
enough in all conscience TO discover a
host of reasons for the gloom Of Anda-
man islander, the 1to5HOlsI OF The Hot.
tentot. II would be odd If they did
take CHEEKY view Of existence, con.
sidering the soft Of lie they made fol
themselves, and all that, in The dark
places of the earth, man has done with
man. The natural miseries OF the barbsr-
Gus life have often been dwelt upon
They are acombination OF the seamy side
of the gamekeeper's profession and oi
the gypsey's business, with considera'
BILE dash Of the discomforts Of a pauper
lunafic asylum without keepers. A.
TO the Exposure. cold. wets hunger and
thirst, travellers and moralists have had
plenty to say. They lay less stress on
the cruel tyranny Of quaint customs
worthy Of the invention Of a fith-form
bully. The pains Of savage begin
when he is a baby. His, or her, head
is strapped tightly to board, which is
worn till the skull assumes the fashion
able shape. now fat as a desk, now
elegantly peaked. A baby IS rather
lucky who has all this trouble taken
with him, for he may be used as bait fol
sharks or for tigers, or, in a very rell'
gious family in San Domingo, may be
sacrificed to the local idol. Suppose
the infant is ''taken up" as the Roman:
Significantly SAID, and allowed TO live
he has a comparatively easy time til
he reaches the age Of fourteen years
Then he begins TO be cuurted man
and the religious and social and military
| ceremonies which answer respectively
to confirmation, matriculatiOn. m joining +;
regiment, are Of the most painful kind
Religion generally requires that the boz
or girl shall steal away into the wilder
ness, build lodge of forest boughs, ant
| live in solitude and starvation. WheI
the lad is almost dead of hunger an'
thirst he generally manages 10 see
vision Of some sort, or, II not, he ;nvent
an experience; and returns TO the tribe
He is welcomed with the enthusiasm
due to a converted person, and is hence
forth a member Of the savage church
If he goes on seeing visions, encour
aged by the success Of his first attempt
he takes rank as pow-wow, or medi
cine man. NOProfession is more Iu
crative or more respected, as the see
has a share in all lands meted out, ;
word 10 say on questions Of peace an'
war, and large percentage OF the prop
erty of persons who have been tortured
to death as wizards and witches
II is not, however, given TO ever,
one 10 dream dreams. and the or
dinary savage begins 10 taste the fuI
bitterness Of his cup. He has 10 eX
pose himself 10 voluntary toriures an
to stare for hours at the sun If he wish
Is 10 take rank as brave. The prac
tical Jokes Of modern regiments are at
tenuated suryiyals Of these initistor.
torments. At the age when a youn
Englishman begins 70 be . dandy,
toung native Of the Admiralty Island
is also expected to pay attention to tn
decoration Of bis person. In his case
however, the words must be taken d
their most literal sense. IL actually
his person that be adorns with inlaB
coIors and hundred graceful patterns
worthy Of the best days Of Greek potte
~ or Of Celtic art. His back, arms an
leCs are carved with yolutes and spiral,