New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-15
GN1TS on TIE WHEEL.

CHATS on TIE WHEEL.
A certain Gnat, Ksop tells us, happening to
! alight on the wheel Of chariot, became dizzy
with the elevation and cried aloud: 4" Behold
! how furiously drive the world See how fill
the heaven with dustw Very likely H>op in
| this story only meant to give a sly dig at some
| little great man in the Lydian court whom he
! dId not like; it may be to the purse-prOud
! Crnsus himself The hunchback slave was not
! likely to be dazzlcd by the money of CrTSuS or
| the splcnAor Of his Persian cOnquerOr. Humps
! on the back, slaves collar an empty pocket
or like ugly gifts of fate, usually open our
I ewes very wide TO the Significance of our more
/ lucky neighbors. HsOp, outside Of the palace
! gates, telling his ieerng stories to the mob,
! could see plainly that the rch CrpsuS and the
! mighty Cyrus were nothing but gnatS which
/ had lighted fora moment on the great Wheel of
/ Life. Ills savage, true laugh of Scorn ut them
| has echoed down through thousands OF years.
But if .Esop him ELF had been fat, handsome,
magnificent courtier he too would have been
tfe monte with his elevation and have tapped
his tiny wings on the top of the wheel, crying,
See how furiously drive the world around"
or course we can all see how neatly the story
fitted those pompOus fellows two thousand
{
turned mcXorahly age after age; and down and
under they went, CrRSus and Cyrus, and even
the empires aud the myIiadS Of people whom
they ruled, crushed out of sight like enats dead
after one summer day. They drive the world
We can see now that they could neither help nor
hinder its slow, steady progress any more than
the beating of an insects wing could check the
wheel. We are far enough removed from them
to see how insignificant they were in the slow
moving progress of the countless multitudcs Of
human beings.
But it is quite different with ourselves. Al
most every one Of rs is convinced that the
Wheel of Life has very nearly stopped turning
nowadays, and that it depends good deal
upon us whether it shall keep moving or not.
Whatever our pursuit or hobby, we are sure
that it, and we behind it, are driving the world.
The more commcndabe the canse, the more we
are satisfied that ii is the great moving power
of the present age. 70 IA Methodist il is the
teaching Of John Wesley; to a Presbyterian,
the logic Of John Knox to this believer the
truth about Episcopal succession, or immersion
to that the Pope. Here Is man who thinks
that when we all are satisfied of our descent
from worms, Humanity will Tor the first time
begin to advance on a solid basis. Here is an
other who asserts that it will not move at all
until we do away altogether with the idea of
God and Immortality This acute philosopher
relies on social equality to furnish the great
moving force another one falls back on some
old conservative plan and system and each and
every one, when his theory or system gains
little notoriety, poses himself on the wheel, and
cries ont, Look at me, how | make the world
move"
1t is not only men who handle great religious
OF philosophic truths who are filled with this
singular imitation. Any hobby or pursuit, no
matter how insignificant furnishes wings for
the gnats, Such men honestly believe that the
discovery of a passage through the Arctic seas
is the only object now before mankind which
makes life worth the living others that human
ty ha, nothing better to do than to listen to
music, or accumulate rare editions or old china.
All these things have their Uses but the world
Is big and full and old. and book binding and
pottery are not among its primal forces. A
beautiful Landscape or figure or a fine bit of
drapcry is pleasant factor in the universe, and
so is the successful imitation Of them with paint
on squares Of canvas; the harmonious toning
Of cUlOrs in mans coat and trousers OF the set
of wonans skirts may also be very use
full things to understand, even If one is
not tailor; hut really, we must doubt
whether they are the Secret of Life" 1t is /
the tendency Of modern society to eNaggerate
al of its trivial discoveries or successes. The
man who fanccs lac has advanced an inch be-
yond his fellows in the training Of his eye or
ear is not satisfied with announcing his little !
discovery, but becomes the founder of q school, !
and poses before groups OF PROSTATE admirers. !
Behold they cry, how furionsly Dc drives |
the world aud fills heaven with the dustr /
The smaller the success too, the more the poor (.
human gnat capers and eXults. The height of ,
autocralic arrogance and compiaoency is prob |
ably touched 10y the women who rule the fash
iOnablc clique in any tOWn-who lay down laws /
a- to the trimming Of a Gown or the courses of |
a meal. The great Wheel turns, aud he gnats |
buzz and buzz and disappear. Can there DO |