The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-07-08

49, ~
small, as when two or more n~eighbors NEE,
together or larger. - in largeg social gather
ings, is the PROPORTION Of generalities to The
personalities that ENTER into the conversation
Of the company gYs
One speaks of the weather, en- passant, as
one says good morning but if one sits down
and after an interval of apparently profound
thought remarks g very pleasant day = or,
every windy;;n or inquiries: "Do you think
il will rain ~ some hypercritical individual
might be led to speculate on the amount and
breadth Of the intelligence of the anxious in
quirer, or the number Of grand ideas that
might arise in a single decade from such an
intellect. But happily, our good American
people have charity for the poor, whether the
poverty be mental Tor worldly. We
know full we'll that the former is most often
the fault of the birthplace, parentage and early
associations of the dwarfed being for which
he or she is not personally responsible; and
we forbear to speculate on the problem above
named. We may hope much, however, from
the effects of our progressive American insti-
buttons of learning on the progeny of the un-
cultivated; and look forward to a brighter
future-perhaps not in our day-when the
sword of personal spite, with which the mar
rowed intellect always guards itself, shall be
beaten into the plowshare of general culture,
and the spear of neighborhood Islander, which
always arises from a darkened mind, shall be
beaten into the pruning hook of an enlight-
ened intelligence. s d.
Meantime, let us have sympathy. Does not
one whose nature possesses some energy suffer
unbearably from ennui if compelled to be
idle? Is not ennui terrible {? We must be
amused. We must be occupied. We cannot
talk of the planets, or Of some great
national enterprise, if our knowledge does not
extend beyond a county village neighborheod.
If We do not understand matters of a general
nature ;if we only know a few household and
neighborhood affairs, and if we are idle, we
must talk or suffer from ennui. Have charity.
There are exceptions. Persons whose ply
sico-chemical laboratory hibernates their en-
ergies in carbon-in that placid figure-devel-
oping form commonly known as fat-do not
suffer from ennui they talk little, move
slowly, and do little harm they lie quietly
enjoying the sunshine, nor murmur at the
storm. Such people are placid under all cir
camstances. Are they lazy ? it's no. fault of
theirs. Their energy goes to carbon-to fat.
They are harmless. Thanks. If all harmful
energy would 60 to fat Unfortunately it
does not. Beware of Cassius." He was a
lean man. His energy begot IN the same
physico-chemical laboratory spent itself in
action. He could not be easy !; he could not
rest. If idle he would suffer tortures from
ennui. He must act. If the intelligence of
snch an n be narrowed down to personali-
ties, be doubly ware of such a Cassius!
Fol a quiet, orderly, happy neighborhood,
void Of all spite and SANDER; where charity
in a broad sense n good will abound
where each knows and attends to his own
and leaves his %neighbors to do the
same, two things are necessary: 1. A larg-
er mental culture, raising one above small
personal jealousies and chickering's, giving one
higher views of life, showing one clearly
some high and laudable aim to pursue and
2, that all the superfueus energies of a
character, of said neighborhood
should lock themselves up in fat. But as it
is impossible for some constitutions to ac-
quire fat except in old age, and as fat leads
in most cases to Incidence, we prefer to RELY
mostly upon the former necessity. This
would naturally lead us into a long prosy
article on general culture, but as we are too
fat or indolent to pursue it. and as It was not
our aim in the start, we will avoid the dis
custom and revert to our original Shakes
pearean text, viz: He ,oho steals mn purse,'
tic. There are many crimes in the calendar
for which men are usually punished by the
officers o Injustice. The incendiary who puts
\ torch to your house is remanded to the PEN
teRtiary. The thief who takes your horse
Dr. sheep meets the same fate when Justice
,vertakes him. The robber who steals your
purse, or breaks into your house, or bank, or
tore, and plumbers you of your goods is
roughly when overtaken by the Off
Of the law.
But what are those things of which you
have been deprived? Some temporary fix
ures some property easily restored, some
osses scarcely noticed. And the theif9 He
,as' done this perhaps from pure yiciousness
", perhaps pursuing his profession; but more
,ften want IL to some extent, If not a legal,
till . moral excuse for him. In mos. cases
he ends ofthe law are answered and you are
'atisned. But who 10 he that steals your
'haracter? WHO'S the persistent slandererp
mpelled BY no Necessity, having no excuse?
Fhose base, vile nature, uncultured intellect,
perverted imagination has led him from
ONE appearances, Oh from none, to suspect,
md , secretly publish his neighbor as the