The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-08-08
Melancholy and High Spirits.
lsan Francisco Bulletin.


Since the days of the melancholy
Dane there has been great prepon
derance of lows pirited men in tht
world. Hypocondria is disease o.
| civilization. It cannot be said to be
a feature Of savage life. It is true
the Maylay runs muck. But he is
half civilized. Moreover, his craze
is not SO much from depression oi
| spirits as from a desperate exalta
ton. 1t is not easy to understand all
the e'phases Of savage life. The more
familiar phases indicate joyous peo
pie. The savage of the tropics has few
| cares. Nothing seems to him more
ridiculous than the thoughtfulness
and earnestness of civilized people.
In his estimation they are slaves to
conventional usages. Why should
they be forever at work? Why
should they go through life carrying
tremendous burdens all their days,
when it is easy enough to recline un-
der a cocoanut tree and let the fruit
drop down as from an opening
heaven? What is all this enigma Of
store clothes, laces, broadcloth and
gloomy houses from which the sun is
shut as if it were an enemy? Is
there to be no freedom from care in
the world? just as these men have
accumulated their millions, they die.
They could have lived happily with
out their millions; lived lives of
dreamy Incidence without thought
for the morrow, and lived longer by
many years than the average dura-
tion of civilized life. Then as to
the food of civilized races. There
are no dyspeptics among savages.
The sun and the free air of heaven
work wonders upon him. He can
eat food which would kill white
man, and that without Inconvenience.
At the same time his roast pig in
plantain leaves, cooked by means of
hot stones in the bottom of q hole in
the ground, may be a dish fit to feast
the gods.
Melancholy is the disease of civil
zation. In it's mildest form it is SIM
ply low spirits, depression, undue
anxiety touching trivial matters.
There is the harassing desire to sup
ply the long list of artificial wants
which civilization has created. And
the worst phase of all is that civili-
zation goes on creating these wants.
1t cheapens many commodities, but
it inserts new desires and creates new
articles which long time only the
wealthy few can attain. The ideal
standard of living for thousands is to
attain as many Injuries as the rich
possess. In nine cases out Of ten the
attainment OF great wealth has been
made at too great cost. It has in
volved loss of health, and the utter
capacity to enjoy it. What is chiefly
to be noted is the absence of high
spirits among the mass of the people.
Civilization ought to bring more joy
business of life. The trouble, per-
haps, is that the very manner Of liv-
ing is too complex. There are too
many secrets, too many burdens, and
consequently too many anxieties.
The insane asylums fill rapidly. Too
many die at just that period when
they have got ready to live. They
break down just past the period of
middle life, when the faculties are all
ripened and the individual ought to
be at his best.
This absence of high spirits is also
fatal to wit. It is not likely that
there will be an utter extinction of
witty people. But they at times be-
come 80 scarce that the poorest apol-
ogy for wit is accepted in default of
something better. A writer quoted
in the Nineteenth Century holds the
following opinion:
There is now no fun in the world.
Wit we have, and an abundance of
grim humor, which evokes anything
but mirth. Nothing would astonish
US in the Midway Inn so much as a
peal of laughter. A great writer
(though it must be confessed scarcely
an amusing one), who has recently
reached his journeys end, used to
describe his animal spirits depre-
ciatingly, as being at the best but
vegetable spirits. And that is now
the way with us all. When Charles
Dickens died, it was confidently
stated in great literary journal that
his loss, so far from affecting "the
gaiety of nations" would scarcely be
felt at all; the power of rousing tears
and laughter being q suppose the
writer thought) SO very common.
That prophecy has by no means been
fulfilled. But what is far worse than
there being no humorous writer's
amongst US, the faculty of sappre-
ciating even the old ones is dying
out. There is no such thing as high
spirits anywhere.
The melancholy of the educated
English is the topic of leading
article in the same publication.
There are hints of over-education,
| 1t is said that when an Indian comes
in contact with our civilization he is
sadder man. This may be the re-
suit of q contact with the vices OF
| civilization. The wits of the world
have been men and women of high
spirits. Dickens, Thackeray, and the
circle of English wits who fourished
a few years ago, were notably men
of great buoyancy of spirit. They
had found the secret zest of life.
People will go night after night to a