Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-06-25
, American Society,

There IL u freshness ard variety in
American society that Is very attract
I've, II Ia unknown in other countries,
People, like water, here are pretty
sure to find their level, While there
Ia still sgood deal Of running after
people Of position and wealth, there Ia
not that lett out feeling, with people In
moderate circumstances, that Is com.
mon IN other lands, AT an evening
party We meet bright people, and dull
people, coarse people aud refined peo-
pie. and tho combination IL very In
struotiye to the student Of human M.
ture. IN our "bcst society,"" as It is
called, there Is feeling not often ex-
presscd-that any association with
toll or poverty Is q lowering OF ones
social standing. Wonder was mani.
festcd-that a woman Of wealth and
undoubted culture, who neglected her
friends Of her own social standing-I
devoted many hours to the very poorest
poor, Somo one suggested that her
taste must bc low, to find affinity in
such quarters, aud another volunteered
TO ascertain how she spent the hour
that it was known she devoted weekly
to n bed-ridden county pensioner, In
answer to the question the old woman
said (: "She is an angel Of the Lord.
She brings me food and clothing, she
reads long blessed chapters to me
IRON Gods word for You know ! cant
read, and then she kneels down by my
bed and prays for me till ! forget that
| am old and lonely and poor, and for
days after she has been here my shah
by room seems almost heaven With
that answer new and nobler feelings
were Born into the hearts Of the ques.
TONERS. Too often where God has
given wealth and education, they are
not used in any helpful way for those
who have not been equally favored.
In our general reading we do not Of
ten find grander words than these by
Goodwin Smith "Renan, for exam
pie, appears to think that the mass OF
his fellow men are mob, to be held
down lest its brutality should inter-
fere with culture. Culture! Alas,
where would culture be if those brutal
masses did not support it by their
daily toll? The thought Of what Ia.
bor endures upon the stubborn globe,
IN the dismal wilderness, in the sitting
factory, in the perilous mine, and on
the stormy sea-the thought of what
the wives and mothers of the poor un-
dergo in their Housekeeping and child
bearing-ought to Danish every un-
brotherly feeling from our breasts.
Mynads of Renans are devoted to
coarse and obscure toll that one may
write and win the fame. Such men
look down from the height of their
on the simplicity of Jesus
Of Nazareth; ; yet behold them and
the great Goethe too, wallowing in
The mire of their uncultivated selfish
ness, while he remains the brother of
mankind" During His earth life,
'sHe pleased not himself The most
divine human life is that that follows
most closely His footsteps. The re-
pulslve beggar, the sick, the sorrow
ing, the fishermen, were His assocl-
,tes, and not only in His death did
He make His grave with the rich.
Refinement is matter within us,
not an outside consideration. The
people, the high as OPP =,
Dos to the low people, are those ,
whose lives are copies of the life Of
Christ, be they rich Or poor, learned
IL ignorant.