The Portland daily press., 1879-01-04


America.
Moral-Base is the Freeman that Pays.
A Frog envious of the lordly Proportions
OF the Cattle in the Pasture, resolved that
both the old Oxen were hopelessly Corrupt,
and started Greenback party, declaring
that he would poll Two Million Votes, and
hold the Balance of Power between the ex-
isting Herds. On the Tuesday after the
First Monday in November, however, the
Herds came to battle over the possession of a
choice Meadow, and in the melee the Frog
was trodden upon and fattened out.
m .............
IM0rGl*- This is Moral.
@Note--The above is a Fiat Moral.
Prince Talleyrand once said, addressing
the respected President OF Savings Bank:
mon ami, you do not know how to pick
oakum?'
''No, YOUR Excellency." was the reply.
"Quelle triste uieinesSe uous uous preparezl
what sad old age you are preparing for
youself!' said the great diplomatist, with his
peculiar mocking smile.
Speaking of wit a notably witty
book, "Lothair," seems to have quite
passed out of peoples minds. But one
of its epigrams-"The critics? They are
the men who have failed in literature
and art" is quoted now, though it is all gilt
tering with epigrams. The mention of crit
les, as has been lately pointed out by an Eng
lish magazine, was anticipated by Landor in
his Imaginary Conversations" book that
all people talk about and few read. Landor
said: "Those who have failed as writer's turn
reviewers" "Lothair' was not generally
liked. Its apparent insincerity doubtless re-
PEELED many. Its tawdriness, for it is tawdry
in parts, disgusted others. But it contains
many things worth remembering. Unlike
the shopkeeper's wares it is rich and gaudy.
What could be better, for example, than this
epigram on the Fenians: "Their treason is
fairy tale, and their sedition child talking
in its Sleep" This is good, too: 'Immortal
poems which no human being could either
scan or construe, but which she [Clorindal
delighted in as subtle and full of secret
melody" Here is another: Gas for Pan
theism, it is Atheism in domino" And here
is neat bit of characterization: "She ILady
Clanmornel was content to talk, and did not
insist on conversational reciprocity. She
was pure free trader in gossip" Yorick
dares say she was delightful person to meet
at least for taclturn man to meet. SIS it
true," some one asks Lothair, "that you es-
capped from convent to Malta?" ssNot
quite" he answers, shut true enough for
1t is sad that man who
can write like that should drop into report
er's English and speak of the blue devils as
"cerulean demons" as he does in the book.
The sayings of Mr.. Phebus, the man of the
are all good. Does anyone re-
member his whimsical complaint Of paper
Nothing will ever induce ME to
use what they call paper money!" he says.
is the worst thing that what they call
civilization has produced; neither hue nor
shape, and yet substitute for the richest
color, and, where the arts flourish, the finest
forms." Compare this with Lowelps men
ton of the Florentine invention of the bill of
exchange: 'By endowing value with the
gift of fern-seed and enabling it to walk in
visible they TUNED the flank Of the bar
onial tariff system and made the roads
safe for the great liberalizer Commerce"
In another of his disllkes Phebus has large
following in Maine, it appears; he looked
upon reading and writing as very injurious to
education. Judging from the assault made
upon our educational institutions some men
in this State are believers in his philosophy.
Speaking of this State and its politics recalls
a wise thing that is to be found in one
Of DisraelPs earlier novels, "Coningsby."
Sidonia says: 81 think that there is no error
so vulgar as to believe that revolutions are
occasioned by economical causes. They
come in, doubtless, very often to precipitate
controversy; very rarely do they occasion
one. know no period, for instance, when
physical comfort was more diffused in Eng
land than in 1910. England had moderate
a very improved agriculture,
rich commerce; yet she was on the eve of
the greatest and most violent changes that
she has as yetexperienced. The imagination
Of England rose against the government.
When that faculty is astir in nation, it
will sacrifice even physical comfort to follow
its impulses"
In Lothair-it is in that absurd chapter
where all the people of the book meet at
Muriel Towers-is bright and true thing.
Miss Arundel says: $50 long as person can
talk agreeably, I am satisfied. think to talk
well rare gift, quite as rare as singing; and
yet you expect every one to be able to talk
and very few to be able to sing"
Miss Arundel has to use the Continental
idiom, reason. To talk well is a gift, and
nothing is more interesting than to listen to
a born onversationalist,- he or she does
not insist that you shall talk too. 1t is bru-
tality to demand talk when one has no nat
ural taste for it, nor inclination, nor acquired
facility in make-believe talk. Why cannot
these brilliant people. who talk so easily and
so charmingly, be content to dazzle and in
struct and let the rest of us listen9 Why do
they insist that we shall mar entertainment
and stultify ourselves in order to vainly try to
keep up our end of the conversation? Ger
tainly talk, like some other things, is kept
bright by use, but it must have brightness to
begin with. The art of conversation, like all
art, can be cultivated, as 1t was in the Paris
salons, as it is in some American drawing
rooms to-day. But many of us are like lead
only bright when cut. Yet though we can
not say bright things we can appreciate them,
and be grateful for them when said by others.
Do leave us to our silent enjoyment.
-"Sancho Pedro" writes again, and this
this time of
THE PIPES OF PAN.
Iwonder not that calmly ran
The roaring streams when rustic Pan
Played on his lutte enhancing,
Nor that the grazing, lowing herds,
The savage beast and singing bird
Were stilled when heavenly notes were heard
That nymphs came nearer dancing,
By Ladn's limpid flowing stream,
That glides along, like soothing dream,
The meadows of Already,
Came forest graces bathing there,
But gay brunette and handsome fair
With Sy1inx none could aught compare
The bsauteous woodland lady.
And by some divination led
The sbepherd-worshipped hither sped