Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-06-29
Little Things.

Little Things.
Much Of the happiness of life de-
ponds upon little things, things sc
little, in fact chat they are often either
neglected or despised- Great matters
generally force themselves on the at
tention by their own weight, and thus
there is less danger of forgetting OF
disregarding them. If a mans house
is on fire, the intensity of the heat
compels him TO an effort to put it out
or to save himself from being burned
II his chimney only smokes, the dis.
comfort of smarting eyes and stified
breath is undoubtedly inconvenient.
but is not Immediately dangerous. and
being sufferable, is often endured with
ont any serious endeavor to remedy it.
The sum of human misery, consequent
lY, to be set down to the account of
smoky chimneys is far greater than
that to be credited to all the house
burnings.
Sydney Smith, the practical philoso-
pher, was especially gifted with an in
sight into the philosophy of little
things. Hs was, in fact, of so enlarged
a wisdom that he sought human happi-
ness wherever he could find it, glad to
secure it in any quantity kaown, great
or small, and did not disdain, in its
pursuit, to turn from the study of the
policy of nations to the constitution of
salad mixture. Many of his apo
thegms have no other purpose than to
inculcate an attention to small things.
of the Importance of which he never
was forgetful. His writings are full
OF such sayings as these: Persons
should make the rooms in which they
live as cheerful as possible, taking care
that the paper with. which the wall is
covered should be of brilliant. lively
color, hanging up pictures or prints,
and covering the chimney piece with
beautiful china. Some pursuit, how.
ever trihing, is essential. The fox,
when caught, is worth nothing; he is
followed foz the pleasure of the follow
ing. A nice person sits bodkin; never
knocks over wine or melted butter;
does not tread upon the dogs foot or
modest the family cat; eats soup with
out noise; laughs in the right place;
and has watchful and attentive eve.
Manners are often too much neglected;
they are most important to men no
less than to women. Pages might be
filled with equally small things, illum.
ined by the clear common-sense of that
most practical of philosophers, Sydney
Smith.
D0mestically the Importance of at
tending to little things can hardly be
oVerstated. C0nnubial happiness, it is
certain, depends more upon them than
upon any other class of causes. The
constancy of matrimonial sympathy is
made secure by the harmonious combi-
nation of the minute but carefully
guarded elements of life, as it is weak
ened and totally destroyed by the loose
conference of discordant and neglected
PARTICLES. 1t is well-known fact that
more marriages are dissolved, if not by
law, at least in practice, by incompati-
bility of temper than by any other
cause. This incOmpatibility of temper
means nothing more, as any one of
the least social experience knows, than
mutual dissatisfaction in consequence
of the neglect in small things.
Wives need never fear to lose their
hold upon their husbands affection
and constancy if they perseveringly
take care to please them in small
things, upon which the daily household
enjoyment of the man depends. We
recommend our danes to do what our
friend Sydney Smith did for the ami
mails on his farm. "All animals have"
he said, ga passion for scratching their
back. bones; they break down your
gates and palings to effect this. Lookl
there is my universal scratcher, sharp
edged pole, resting on high aud low
post, adapted to every height, from
horse TO lamb. I have not had a
gate broken since put it up" If our
married women would establish home
scratchers we doubt not that their hus-
bands would become less restless and
more contented to remain within the
domestic fold. These scratchers might
be metaphorically represented by a
Widespread table Of skillfully cooked
food, a gentle word during that ill.,
tempered half-hour before dinner.
Woman, though so eager to exercise
her power, is apparently ignorant of
where it lies. She is too transcendent-
al in her view, and looks too high and
far for it, while it lies under her nose.
1t may be often discovered in no more
elevated region than the kitchen, and
the stew-pan may prove reservoir of
force equal to her most ambitious de-
sire. A man at home, whatever he
may be abroad. is a creature of very
humble instincts; and If he is we'll fed
and kindly treated will be as submis-
sive as the cat or any other domestic
pet.
How to Do u.