Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-12-24

GRAIN SltOpS.
Und der drain shtops, und | get off,
und dere be mine sons frau und mine
cranchildren.'-Touth', Companion.
PASSING IT ALoNG.-There is certain
amusement of children in which number
of boys or girls stand in a row, and each
one Of them, receiving blow from bis
neighbor on the left hand. "pas.es it
along" with good interest, to the child
next on his right.
Some things ought to be passed along,
and some ought not. Without wise pass
ing along, every good thing in life would
soon come to an end Come, let US live
for our children said Frpbel and that
is the mottoe upon which the whole fabric
of society and Of religion is based. An
literature" says Holmes, Lives hy bor-
rowing and lending. A good image is
like IL diamond which may be set hun
dred times in as many generations and
gain new beauties with every change. A
good story once told fits itself with fresh
scenery and new heroes and herones, as
it lasts from age 10 age and passes
from land to land. A great ideal charac-
ter once projected is immortal" All this
is as true of life as of literature; every
harvest is grown from last years seed;
every fire is kindled from spark which
has been given us by somebody else; and
the whole world is 4 school in which the
past is the present.
If person is possessed of knowledge
or power which he puts to no use, he is
grossly abusing sacred trust; he is a
borrower who refuses to repay; he is
thief who steals from children too young
to protect themselves. Talents are not
given US to be hidden in napkins. So long
as people need TO be taught and helped;
so long as any one person is inferior to US
in any wisdom, or wealth, or power for
good-it is our bounden duty to give them
Of such as we have. The scholar who
studies all his life, and never speaks or
writes, is miser whose soul is the more
warped and twisted by every new posses
sion that comes to him. The traveller who
passes by on the other side is not excused
by the fact that he knows more about
medicine than the Good Samaritan who
binds up the sufferer wounds. What we
do, not what We can do, is the measure Of
our success in life. The clumsy builder is
better than the lazy sneerer. Negative
goodness is positive badness in that it
leaves half undone. In morals, Us well
rs in law, doing nothin. may be us bad
as arson, or theft, Or murder The pos
session of truth carries a duty with it.
A recent writer has thus restated this law
in vigorous phrase; g Every good carries
privilege Of service; and it is tho highest
joy of life to hold a place, and have the
power to serve, in the grand list of those
who build the kingdom. The world
is full of people poorer than we,-poorer
in knowledge, in chances, in homes, in
associations. We are apt to demand that
those less favored should be intelligent
and honest. To whit higher standard,
then, do our superior advantages summon
US? For every inch of excellence we ask
OF them, God wants mile of Us. He
will not take average goodness of people
with such chances. Fit motto, not only
for the old medieval chivalry, but for that
whole higher order of nobility for which
the Christian name stands as pledge, is
this beautiful text: We, then, that are
strong, ought to bear the infirmitics of the
weak, and not to please ourselves. -
Inferior.