St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-12-06
A Philosopher.

said the managing elitor to the young
man who had graduated from college
of journalism. "Make it plain and
straightforward so that everyone can
understand it. This is your first day
on the paper and as your father and l
used to chop wood together, have an
interest in you and hope that you will
give satisfaction"
This is what he wrote: 1.-The correc-
ton of wrong. in the opinion Of
Herbert Spencer, is equivalent to the
achievement of a good. The human
mind, divided perhaps into thousand
diminutive compartments, for indeed
the brain is divided and subdivided, is
of ideal construction-not constructed
after an idealic form as anything phys
ical might be, but ideal in that its form
and indeed its precise form is not known
is imaginative or, more properly speak
ing. fanciful. The mind of man begins to
develop at an early age, and indeed he
is not q man but only boy when it
begins to develop, for, look at the child
when he holds out his hands at the
sight of something which he should not
have, for the mind of that child knows
that the child-viz., the receptacle of
that mind which is developing rapidly
wants that something. The mind in
relation to social life has much to do
with the enjoyment of the occasion.
We could enumerate hundreds OF in
stances, but the space of newspaper is
valuable.
..Fitchley." said the managing edi.
tor, when he had read the article, ''al-
low me to congratulate you on your
correct understanding of the Concord
idea of philosophy. Fitchley. you are .
philosopher.
"Do YOU think SO, sir?" his counten-
ance beaming with the light of a great
hope.
Think sou repeated the managing
editor with an emphasis which left no
doubt as to his sincerity, '.why. sir. ]
know it. In this article you have seized
the sledge-hammer of modern thought
and dealt the railroad spike of-of-.
well, never mind, you strike the spike
on the head. To read that article, sinh
pie in construction like a plain stone
wall in comparison with which the
frailties of board fence stand out in
fearless relief say, sir. to read that
article causes me to deeply regret that
l had to leave school and wash rollers
in a printing Office. Indeed, is the
pencil mightier than the brass-mounted
horse-pistol; indeed, do we find that
yoke of knowledge is more powerful
than oxen. All, my dear young philos-
opher, the mind of man needs collabo-
ration in its development. Self-taught
men are crude: they know not how
to grab the Texas steer of thought by
the horns and make him lift his once
defiant tail high in the air and below
Tor mercy"
"You are figurative, SIR
$50 is colt Yes, the colt that can
not express himself in the proper lam
guage of the horse must be figurative.
If were not SO ignorant -
'.You are not so very Ignorant"
kindly interposed the young man.
"You write very correctly and your
language is much better than that of
most self-made men,"
80, thank you,' grasping the young
mans hand. ..When you entered this
Office l knew that you would be great
help to me, and when the hours be-
came dwartish--"
..Dwariish?"
"Yes, when the wee, small hours
come, we can sit on the exchange table
and study together. No, that would be
selfish in me. In my struggle for
recognition. shall hold no one back.
I'll tell you plainly that this is no place
for you. Your mind is too strong to be
confined in a subordinate position.
II could edit the paper.
..True, but even then you would be
out of your element. The magazines
are thirsting for you-lowing after you
like cow lows for calf-yea, like
sheep bleats for grass. can not trust
myself moment longer. Go, ere my
seltshness will drown my great i'm
pulses for good"
"But where is the magazine?"
so, anywhere. Go, l pray thee.
Stand not upon the coat tails of your
going, but go at once; and, by the way.
don't come back again. You haven't
sense enough to know that you are a
fool. Go, and if the magazines don't
want you. get a situation as shirt
checker in a laundry" ~ Arkansav
Trdce{er.