Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-16
THE HERALD.
Practical People.

There is class Of persons-sud
they are quite numerous-who are
staunch believers III what they call
practical common sense in the affairs
Of life. They have no poetry and no
nonsense about them. The most
uoted men Der of this family is, per-
bsps, the well-known old gentleman
no thought Niagara glorious
place for washing sheep. He has
many relatives-men who see in ev-
cry emerald meadow, dotted with
golden battercups and starry daisies,
only q good Enclosure for pasturlng
cattle, every geatly.rising hillside,
over which the last crimson rays Of
the setting sun love to linger, e very
nice field of turnips; every cool, toss
ing, tangled woodland so many
cords of timber-womep, to whom
every breezy, sunny day, beautiful
with blue skies and heecy clouds, is
good weather for drying; every hour
pinched from needful sleep, or coy-
eted rest. or instructive entertain.
ment, SO much clear gain for carpet
rag sewing; every penny wrenched
away from present needs and pleas
ures, something more toward the
contingent rainy day.
These are the people who coldly
say of a heart-stirriDg description or
an inspiring lyric: "That's oil very
well in poetry, but it won't DO for
practical every day life." Who sniff
at the sight of tasteiully- disposed
adornments, arranged with loving
hands "Flowers and books won't
give you food" Who eroak at the
discovery Of Latin grammar or a
roll of music among young per-
sons effects "You'il never make
your living by this you might have
bought few yards extra of warm
flannel with the money" Who rake
out discarded pair of stockin gsRnd
exclaim: "You could haye dsrned
these all mp nicely while you were
reading, and had thirteen pairs in
stead of twelve"
1t might occur to some Of US 10
ask these wise ones What are we
here for ? Only to eat and to clothe
ourselves ? Then why will our earth
feed any creatures other than those
suitable for meat and beasts of bur.
den Why will the soil produce
anything besides potatoes and tur-
nips? Why do not the trees grow
mp az straight sticke, without grace
or color? Could not the winds
blow and the sun shine if the sky
were painted cinnamon hue
Wouldn't it be an improvement up-
on natures plan to have muscIoa and
nerves of oast.iron?
If our chief concern in life ia to
eat and wear clothes, no wonder
there ia such decided eumity be-
tween poetry and onr earthly affairs.
To be sure the amount spent for
flowers and books would have
bought as more expensive dinners.
Certainly any thought given to any,
thing else than earning something
to buy more clothing is FLY. Most
assuredly il were more sensible TO
put c little more into our trunks
than into our minds. (What poor
things the last ere they have no
mission 10 the world, for they CAR
neither eat nor wear clothes y Why
should we strive, and suffer, and
love, and hope2 "Iet us eat, drink
and be merry, for tomorrow we die. "
o friend, do you see yourself?-
How lean, how poor, how pitiful =
Think Suppose you were cent into
plsce to do certain work, with
the assurance that your bodily
needs would be supplied Would
you do the work with all your heart,
and trouble yourself little about
what your employer bad promised
to give you, or would you be so
afraid be would forget that you
would spend your time in worrying
about it, and neglect your work P
And yet, what is your work ? Is it
not to dignity and elevate human.
ity, and enrich your own soul in the
establishment Of pure and noble
character Yet, what are you do
ing but making of yourself mere
caterer to your body?
We will not ask, Ia this true wis
dom? but ia this practical common
ssnsep Is it the best course of ac-
ton to dwarf our intellects, contract
our hearts and spend our energies,
so that we may make little more
money, or keep alive the dread OF
an evil time which may never Gomez
To let all the beauty and glory OF
intelligent living 60 by us, while we
toll in the dark pits To waste our
daylight, our strength and our life
in the oesseless endeavor to sit
down always to grooming table
Give ell things their places, and
there will be no sntagonism among
them. Believe that labor, and food,
ard clothing ere the necessary ad.
luncts of existence, that they re.
quire conscientious thought, and
that we cannot neglect them with
impunitY. But put them down, and
keep them down whore they be.
long, in place suggesting founda>
tions for, like fire, they are valua.
bio servants but tyrannieal mas ters.
Then, "a it were, rear upon them,
rot without them, yet towering far
above them, the real things of life
those things which are "unseen" and
"eternap'-the pure, imperiahable
spirits Of truth, aud charity, sud
loneliness, and beauty.
There are not two kinds of exis-
teEoe arrayed against each other
one of everyday use, the other of
occasional luxury--any more than
there arc two kinds of trees, the
most servioesbIe being buried 10 the
earth, the ornamental towering
slot in the air. The two are dis,
tinot-root and tree-yet they are
Que, neither being complete without
the other, the latter, oil grace and
strength, resting upon the former,
which is al solidity. So it is 10 8