Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-11-10
Hobbies.

touch was none Of the lightest; even
the deaf gold fish IN the aquarium DASH
ed wildly about, enraged at the execra-
bic noise. But l was startled at the
change of the musician himself. Hc is
a lean. bigotcd old man. who knows
the Bible letter by letter, but the Bible
| is only code of laws 10 him laws
more mexorablc Than DracO's. Yet
his music had transformed him /; the
ingling old tunes had brought smile
to bis lips, a tender light to his face.
He nodded, glanced cheeriully away
almost with kindling eyes it had made
hin in short. human, which his -rell-
gion had failed to do.
[ did not know that he was mu-
sician,' l said to Ilurter, the druggist,
when the clergyman had gone out.
Hurtcr IS shrewd, garrulous old
fellow. busy from morning until night
with his gallipots and gildcd jars, whose
only recreation is to study the broke n
hints Of human histories that pass be-
fore HIM Oh the other side Of the cOun-
tex.
Yes, he Plays said he, leaning
leisurely on the counter on his elbows,
music is his led horse.
What do mean? We'll, l was in
the army, you know, "a brigadier gen.
eral Of volunteers. We staff officers
thai could afford IL all had one led
horse, which we kept for an engage
ment ora parade. We had each one
steady old hack that carried us through
every days march.as matter ofcourse.
We thought nothing Of him. Oar pride
and affection belonged to the irlsky
beast we mounted but seldom, and
scarcely knew how to manage. Now,
my notion is this, emphasizing his
point by tapping the grain weight Oil
the scales. every man joys along
through lite with some trade or business
which carries llm safely through. Bu.,
ten chances TO one, lie cares nothing for
that. All bis pride lies in some little
gift or talent, which he fancles he pos
sesses, and can use only on high holy
days. There Is Boggs, the broker
everybody knows what dry, sapless
wretch he is when bis business is mon
cy. But take him rs a fisherman, and
he is an Incompatible good fellow
genial. enthusiastic and hearty. lie IS
prouder OF string Of trou. he has
caught than of his half Of million dollars,
and he will give the trout away, but he
never parts with penny. Yes, take
my word for It, a man IS his real
self only when lac can leave bis Gd
hack, and get to caracoling on his led
horse
Castles in Spain may not count
for much on the tax lists. but they are
often worth more - the souls OF men
and women than are the things that DO
count.
Bismarck does not get very much Of
political wisdom from the novels lie de-
vpurs but they help him to get into a
younger, more hopeful, and larger
world than The one he helps 70 rule.
Great lawyers and physicians read love
stories and adventures not to increase
their stock Of professional information,
but to keep their souls from growing as
musty az their libraries.
If you have a hobby take good care
of il; if it is one of the sort that carries
YOU TO the larger world Of what might
have been,' or yet may be. The real
horse you harness when your days
work IS done the musical instrument.
the chest of tools, the cabinet OF specir
mems. the iavorte book the bit OF
ground or tie wiudow.pot where you
tend a fayorile flower. The love Tor
solitary ranble with fishing rod or gun.
| If YOU have a love for any Of these do
not let it die until you are ready to die.
Tue work that gives you bread IS I'M
prtant only so long as there is man
or woman whose life is worth the eed'
ing.
Poor. dear Oliver Goldsmith, the flu
est genius of his time, could never
bring himsefto feel that he was engas-
ed in anything more than pihul COM
promise with destiny. He lived aud
died haunted BY the faucy that he ought t
to have been a great traveller. His
eyes could never long resist the iascina-
ton that drew them to the unknown
East. Londoa was to him prison.
His pen an impementssus TO keep him
from the hands of the bal.itf. His pre-"
paralion for going to the worlds end
was long list of debts and one OF Mr.
Flby's celebrated bloom-colored suits
of satin and velvet. 1t at any tlne
he succeeded in earning or borrowing
money enough to pay his way across
the channel to France, it was speedily
claimed by bis landlady, or given away
to some hungry brother Irishman. His
ambition was always subordinate to bis
humanity. Though he could never fe'
linouish his wish to explore the dun
mystery of central Asia his hand was
was ready with its last penny or Its last
crust when want came with its appeal
To the last his spirit turned YEARLY anC
lovingly from the hard realities abou
him IN its longing 20 fnd some ialreI
and nobler world.
Ua was n plaln old granger, and