The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-24
OUR THINKING.
BY GASKELL.

It is good thing when we can
have others do our thinking for us.
1t facilitates matters greatly and
gives US an easy time, and we can
lay back and have pleasant expert
ence, without The irksome drudgery
of mental labor and study, and the
sitting and comparison of knotty
points. or conflicting arguments of
law, or politics, morality, or religion.
And we can always have it done for
us too-speedily, if not perfectly, or
in a pleasant manner-for there are
seldom wanting wise, restless, we'll
meaning, never ending, talkative
individuals, whose sole business in
life seems to be setting others right
and putting them on the way to
rank. or wealth, or salvation.
How delicioUsly pleasant it is to
have one Of these good souls button
hole us on the street corner as we
are rushing in haste to dinner, in
our Office or other place of business,
as we are pressed for time, and have
him gently instil into our willing
ear the beauties of natural religion,
duty to political party, spiritual
affinity, or the grand, funda-
mental principles of existence,
as though we knew all about
them. How conscientiously we
rejoice that it falls not to our lot
to have such difficult problems to
solve, chat our lines have been cast
in pleasanter places and that our
minds need not become confused by
the multiplicity of figures, tropeS
and metaphors, but that we can &C
cept our friends solution and thus
escape some of the wastes and bur-
dens of society.
And how exhaustive and con-
elusive all such arguments are-if |
we have health and we don't die |
young, we are sure to live till we
are Older-if the world is coming to
an end and it does not come to an
end this year, it is sure to come to
an end some time or Other-If the |
Of the democratic party |
are the principles of the democratic |
party, it is very evident to all I'M
prejudiced minds that they are the
Of the democratic party
and other equally interesting, en-
and high-sounding SEN
fences are in commonplace, or me-
lodi0us rhetoric poure1 in our
ear, until we seem to be
all ear, with nerve centres in every
part of our suffering anatomy, and |
to avoid a too violent and haSty de-
parture from our mundane life, we
rush off to the sylvan shades, not of
VallombroSa, but somebody's back
StOop.
And we must not be unjust. We
must give such persons many times
full credit for good intent. They
are not all hungry politicians, nor
form Wrangling churchmen. Many
really have our interests at heart,
and in their sphere think
they have a mission to rel
form us, society and the world.
But then they are often sol
eager to commence their great labor
Of reforming others that they neg
Iect to start reform at home, and
leave their own habitatiOns foul
while officiously seeking to cleanse
those of others. But then We all do
tive are WOndrouS wise in our
self-cOnceit, and if we judge our
selves, we are apt to think our de-
,jSiOnS are infallibln-
Who wants to think unless there
is pleasure in thinking? Who will
corrugate his brows, firmly close his
lips and put on a sleepy, assanine,
owl like look of wisdom, unless.
Ouoyed up by expectations of good
TO himself coming from it? And if
another will generously and self
'acrifcingly throw himself in the
preach and do this, why hinder him
from so doing, so we reap the bene-
its and blessings Wrung from such
aborious lucubrations, even though
his reward should be increased
and widening fame.