The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-11-20
As to Putting on Alrs.


The peacock is O majestic biped
Whether we contemplate the eaudinesl
OF his plumage, the proud way IN which
he carries his head, or the stately stylt
of his footsteps, there is much IN hi,
; general walk and conversation that com
; pels attention. When he lifts up hi
voice in shriIi scream whose notes re-
echo as far as the ear can reach, we are
attracted, even is We do not admire. he
struts about with an air of Importance,
las if he owned the whole neighborhood
and could impart information as to the
value OF every piece Of real estate there
in. From his personal appearance he
might be supposed to be both wealthy
and talented, for his feathers are gilt
edged and his dainty demesnor betokens
q certain kind of culture. II
he were only shrewd enough TO
hold his tongue, people might not dis
cover what an empty headed creature be
is. His speech betrays him. he tells
his story with such mock dignity as to
expose the shallowness of his pretensions.
And yet he is happy because he Is all un-
conscious of the fact that he Is as easily
seen through rs if made Of green glass
instead of being clad in those gorgeous
green feathers. To go on dress parade
this biped has no equal. It is IN the
performance OF solid duty that be Is
found lacking. For regular usefulness
the ordinary harn-yard hen is his supe-
rior. While he lives the peacock Is OF no
particular use. When slain there is but
little of him, and that little makes not
very sayory meal. The common duck,
who waddles through the mire and
quaeks as he waddles, is, whether alive
or dead, a far more desirable bird than
the peacock in all his pomp and pride.
We must not blame the poor peacock
for his apparent vanity and airishness,
for circumstances beyond his control
have made these traits . part Of his be-
ing. For him to strut is as natural as
for the duck to waddle. He comes as
honestly by that high-toned screech as
the canary by his tuneful song. The gay
feathers grew in his tail by the same de-
cree Of Providence that provided bristies
for the pigs back and wool for that Of
the sheep. If the bird does his best it is
not for us to find fault with him. But II
human beings of whom better things
might be expected find no higher aim
than to ape the bird of brilliant
plumage and stately mien, they may
justly be made to serve as targets for
the arrows of the critic. There are
some human beings who are born with
golden spoons in their mouths, and for
whom there is no special mission IN the
world except to count their spoons and
strut on dress parade. Happily these
people are few; SO few, indeed, that the
world can afford to feed them in pay r
the sport and and the instruction they
80 - Ia
struction, for as the world amuses itself
by looking at these good people and
watching their antics while on dress
parade, It learns from them wholesome
lesson. namely, to be as little like them
as possible. When men and women Of
whom the world expects service neglect
their work to put on airs and to play pea
cock, the sport ceases and the display
becomes in the highest degree melan
choly.
One of the saddest sights is o peacock
caught in storm A common barnyard
fowl looks sorry enough as he stands on
one leg in the rain, with dripping feath
ers closely adhering to his stalwart form.
But such wet iowl is beauty itself COM
pared with the forlorn appearance of the
draggled and disastrous peacock when
soaked with rain and stuck up with mud.
His proud head droops, his tail trails in
the mire, and each step seems miserere.
Thus it is with the airish person from
under whom the stills of pomposity are
knocked, and who, having for some time
been appraised at his own estimate, sud-
denly finds himself marked down to
what the world considers his actual cash
value. The world makes some mistakes,
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