New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-15
PURIIC V4NT1S

There is a story of Bishop Berkeley, walking one
day I'm his garden with his chaplain, aud startling
that functIouary with the query whether he did not
believe it possible for a whole community to go mad
in a mass As this must have been before the first
French Revolution. the suggestion Of the good
Bishop has all the more the merit Of originality.
Has any philosopher undertaken to explain this pro
pens.ty of men and women TO become suddenly ex-
cited upon the same subject albeit IL may be one of
no part icular Importance Any body who has lived
long enough can remember hundred rlces-sOme-
time5 for n fiddler and sometimes for singer, now
for "A preacher. perhaps, and then for some play
while tho fashions Of dress are forever
coming and going. We are stating moth
ing new, but good rationale of these
semi-lunacics would be novelty indeed, and
not without lis moral value There n craze
about "uigger melodies" long before Ethiopian
sercnaders were organized, when everybody was
singing Lubly Rosy" and trying to Jump Jim
Cr1wp There was an insanity about fiddllng,
when Ole Bull came over for his first visit; and
people who did not know the bridge # the violin
from G sharp crowded aA jostled and showed and
howed about the ticket office. and paid any price
for seats. There was an equal unacy to hear Jenny
Lind Before that there was an inportunate pas
sion TO see tho divine Fanny" dance. Long be-
fore that there was an iuordiuatc longing TO hear
=
but never mindl We are getting too near the Mid
die Ages and before we know it. may, unless we
take good care. Be writing powerful and learned
article on the Crusade5.
After the spelling mania. four OF five years ago.
the public mind seemed disposed 20 rest. With
occasional lapses in the direction of rowing contests
or veocipcdes ii held itself pretty well together.
until the great question OF the ability OF the human
leg, to achieve pedestrian miracles up to craze
again the poor public This went on for some time,
TEMPERED by dog-shows and affection for old crock
cry And thcn-for of course the reader knows
what We are driving at-thcn camo that box of
httle blocks with e :" a." g." etc. upon their
innocent faces that puzzle which at present agtates
the intellect of the land. and threatens To deprive
lie land Of intellect altogether If anybody sup
poses that we are about 10 present clear and def
pi,e solution of the problem he little knows u.s. and
especially he little knows the drcary hours which
we have passed. not ~ wrestling with the inevitable
blockade. but in seeing others trying TO do
It. Ali those looks Of eager INTEREST," All
those faces filed with the bitterness of dis
appointment Now smile of hope, now a
stare Of blank amazcment when the trial ended
with "14.D"13,' "15' Then fresh dIsarrange-
ments. new starts. long and patient eudeavOr the
underestimate failure, another shuffngl There |
must be some mistake about the shOrtncss of human
life There must he another mistake about the !
value of time. The Latin provcrb has il that |
Labor overcOmes all difficulties There is ap- |
parently some mistake about that also.
Patience is a virtue. Nobody likes to be baked !
or baffled Nobody having undertaken anything |
likes to fail Moreover there are plenty of people
who encourage the votarIes Of this mystery by |
declaring boldly that it has been solved. and that |
they themselves have solved it, The number of
those who have done it once. and cannot do !
it again, is very large Tho task, we Oh |
serve. has usually been accomplished in strict |
seclusion. when nobody was by to witness the vie
tory There must be something in the presence OF
spectators which is fatal to a repetition of the
feat The conquerors were alone when thatfhnlng |
"13,"" H." rs was before them,
a thing of beauty and joy for the present.
Napoleon used TO spend long hours III playing end
ess aaues of solitaire with the cards. in being beaten
by them and in beatlng them. Would he have been |
eonally patient with the Game of Fifteen Perhaps
he would have said at once, " Cest impossible" and
flung the whole apparatus Of dstractng bother inlo
the fire.