The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1880-05-14
PARsIppAsy. N. j. Nav I3. 1880.

PARsIPPANY, N. j, May 10, 1880.
Dear Chronicle
Thinking that some of your correspond
ent's thoughts,as we'll as his experiences
might interest your many and trust
increasing readers, / transmit few
cogitations to that end
This evening, being lulled into some,
what thoughtful mood by the monoto-
nous thud, thud Of Bridget at the churn,
fell into the following train of rehec-
tion That all the splendid triumphs
of philosophy and the beauties of poetry
are but the flowing out, so to speak, of
our every day experiences so that the
germs of greatest wisdom and of highest
poetic art may be found in the lives and
thoughts of the humblest. | was inns
PEELED to this line of reflection by the
casual recurrence to my memory of the
following lines from Mother Goose
When was little boy
lived by myself;
And all the bread and cheese got
laid upon the SHELF ETC.
Twill not quote the whole of this res
narkable production, as your readers
are, no doubt, all familiar with it, and
for the further reason that the part quoted
will suffice as q text for my present
homily.
The narrative contained in these
lines may, in high historic language, be
said to cover the entire period passed
by their illustrious author in single
blessedness, and may be for this reason
accepted as poetic presentation of that
state of mental existence: and what
picture of earthly beatitude do they
present. Your correspondent being a
bachelor, delighteth to dwell thereon.
The writer was still little boy, not yet
having arrived at that period which sue
ceeds the half>dogarth pair of breaches,
a period Of half>bullied, half bullying irri
tation. He is still kttte boy
upon whom the buffetings of this
world have left no shadowing inn
press. His first top, so large and red,
which his fingers have so often sent
whirling around the room, lies in the
corner as bright as when purchased, save
where his too afectionate tongue has de-
priyed one side thereof of its pristine
hue. His great kite, at whose string he
has tugged for many an hour, is as good
as new, excepting the loss of about one
foot and four inches of its tail; his penny
whistle lies still bright upon the window
sill, and the sticky traces of the last cake
of tafy still occupy that portion of his
physiognomy shortly to be occupied by
bristling moustache.
And then, too, he lives by himself, avery
realization of the Seventh Heaven dream
OF every youngster of over six years of
age. No cruel parient can here intrude
upon his serene sense of self>ownership
with the unwelcome order to go and feed
the pigs. No maternal voice with af-
fectionate rudeness here bids him blow
his nose, or wipe the 'lasses from his ups
per lip He is monarch of all he surveys,
high-souled and undisturbed.
Nor does the quartermaster' departs
ment of his Serene Highness seem to be
unlocked after, though the process by
which it is replenished doth not appear.
We may, however, safely conjecture that
it is by one of those open~sesame, presto
change maneuvers SO well apprehended
and thoroughly relied upon by bright
unused intellects under ten years
of age, although entirely beyond
range of comprehension to those
whose older intellects have been dulled
by the hard strokes OF experience.
However this may be, his supplies OF
bread and cheese seem to have been
forthcoming with, to him, so little care
that the modus operandi seemeth not
worth mention, condition of things, all
will admit, calculated to add immeasur-
ably to our stock of creature comfort.
Indeed, the only duty imposed upon his
regal hands seems to be that of storing
away these unaccountably forthcoming
viands in place of safety, duty which
seemeth, from the high>hearted tone OF
the verse, to have been one of pleasure
only. We may readily conjecture what
must have been his delight upon seeing
those peeringseyed .niats,1tlle men
toned in the very next line, stand twists
ing their bewhiskered noses towards the
savory and much coveted edbles, and
vainly endeavoring to ascend to their
place of storage nor will we, though
well convinced that upon the footsteps
of bIessedness so exalted, some quick>
footed disaster must assuredly follow,
break this sweet vision Of security, indie
pendence and success. Your CORE.
spondent sees mirrored in it the concen-
trated loneliness of life of single bless
edness, and, being a bachelor about to
retire to his virtuous couch, does not
prefer to burden his mind with forebod~
ings of evil for in the language Of
England's noble poet, 81 must sleep
now"
Yours, good night,
OLD PARsIPpANY.