The Russellville Democrat., 1883-09-13


worms the table is homely; the chairs
are merely to sit on, not to look at, and
the walls have received no artistic
attention for years. You would not,
/ perhaps, have noticed these features OF
the apartment if it had not been for the
sofa II is oft OF place. It provokes
comparison with everything else. 1t is
in pronounced disregard OF the fitness OF
things.
J In q case OF this kind we say that
taste is lacking. But tasse Is only judg-
ment working on q particular line. lie
who hasgood Judgment regarding the
I style of a book, the outfit of q room,
the qualities OF picture, The bearings
of remarks. aud The psoprieties Of
things, = said to bea nal OF taste.
E. He Is not nee ssariay at adept IN
I everything. He may not understand
corners or be an authority on bank
ing, or know how dry goods house Is
run. But the PRESUMPTION is that ii he
had been led 70 the study and exanina
I ton of these things he would understand
them. The same judgment that is Ca
pable of sound decisions as to the other
things, would not be conspicuously de-
fective in these, ii it had to be employed
upon them.
A gentleman has been twice bereaved,
and his third wife graces the head OF bis
table, and guest discourses ON the
heartle ssness of second marriage and
its reelection on the memory OF the de-
parted. There is no response from the
host or hostess. There is general
dropping OF the eyes around the table.
| There is sensible awkwardness. Several
are mentally denouncing the speakers
s.want of fact,, but incapable of deal
ing with it. 81 can not quite think
SOL says one of the guests, at length.
81 remember line from Bailey on the
subject
Came there none to roll away the stone
From his sepuichral heart, and sit on it--an
angel.
BY the way, did you ever read Bailey's
Fcstns7' 1t was 3 happy diversion; it
prevented trouble, for it was easy to get
off from the untimely topic to Kant,
Goethe, and other great thinkers, on
whom the young Englishman had i'm
proved. But want of tact is here again
want of judgment, the possessor of
which, before fiinging around sweeping
condemnations, would mentally say: Is
there any one here | should hit2 And
even if there be mistakes here, am /
called on to show them upp
Questions may sometimes give the
impression that the questioner Is a little
weak minded. Why Because they show
the inability or the indisposition to put
things together and Conceive of their
connections. "A lady / once saw in
Yirginia'-l am quoting from q gem
tleman's intelligent letter in the Natchez
DenaocrGt-sswas riding for the first time
through green tobacco field, and she
gravely asked How does the tobacco
grow on those plants? In plugs?" A
little Judgment would have led to, at
least, the putting of the question in a
different form. One may not under
stand all THE complicated process by
which sugar-cane has the juice squeezed
out, clarified and crystallized, bat a
very little Judgment would shut off the
question: Does the sugar grow 10 Jumps
on the plantations?
But judgment is simply one form of
the exercise of the human mind, and it
can be cultivated or neglected just as
can bodily powers. There are men
trained to run, TO walk, to climb, 10 box;
so there are minds trained to remem-
Der, to reflect, to construct, to Judge.
Some minds, indeed, have inherent de-
fects, and never can acquire judgment;
but tha. no more disploves our view
than that some bodies are so feeble that
no training will ever make them vigor-
Gus and athletic. Now it is mainly with
the Judgment men have TO work on that
whole ciasSof iife's duties ia which the
''fitness of things must be considered.
A physician with g moderate income
quietly goes into Wall street, and is
soon sscleaned OUT in another than the
the extreme unlikelihood of his knowing
where safe and high interest is to be
had SO wen as do the competing gentle
men who live and breath in Wall street.
Yet when a great &C ncern" that offers
exceptional advantages in interest
reaches its natural end and post-mortem
publicity, it is often found that clergy
men and such like ssinnocentsn are
largely in it-too largely for them. In
Glasgow, in Paris, in Dublin, and in
some cases nearer home, this has been
illustrated in quite recent years. 1t is
only laundering on the same way, but
on different line, when non-commer-
cial men invite deposits and put them
selves in competition with the bankers.
To cultivate the Judgment, then, is
the way to see the fitness of things. A
very plain good man, with plain in
come, in plain position, among plain
people, fell-a little way-in love with
snowy lady of the continental cast of
habit and education. He asked ad-
vice of friend, who owned all her At
fractions, but mildly led his mind to
the point of her sui,ableness for him.
He admitted the force of the plea, and
drew back, but with regret. "Ah, sir"
said he, '.if you only heard her singing
the Italian,n II might have been Be-
hemian or Persian. for aught he knew.
When a man addresses few remarks
to q group of plain people, classical,
metaphysical and generally learned
processes of thought are out of place.
Hs may give the results of saca lore 10
simple tsrms-the highes; achievement
OF useful eloauence; nut to trot on. the
learning itself is in bad form. 1t is
worse than the production of Washing
toms Ratchet.
The man may be excellent and full of
good intentions, bat he lacks Judgment,
JUS rs he would d. il he tried TO talk TO
group of educated men US he would TO
an infant class.
In the very kindiiest approachcs wa