Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-06

PEAHLb FfBVf 1RSfAS W - -
The Orfsin 81 Proverbs -fIsw Proverbs Con.
s,sr experience and Philosophy short say-
,ps. On Life ssd he Various Situations.
fGIche-DemoeratI
In sxerv are and In all countries the OBJ
serystIon OF men has had tendency. more
er lcss strongly marked, to crystalize into
proyerbial form. The experience OF an
individual IL enough for his own guidance,
but " hen successive generations discover
ps they do, that in certain matters tne ex-
perience Of one Il the experiences OF aii, the
results Of their common observation are
consolidated, and proverb Is the conse-
quence. The proverb, therefore, always
expresses truth Of the most general char
acter, one that Is perfectly well known 70
everybody and formulated for no other pur-
rose than 10 act as general reminder OF
something that every one ought to know.
As the proyerb expresses a general truIn,
II Ia always short and usually under the
form Of a metaphor: tells the whole story
Ia tbe nlaiuest possible way, with the sim
gular feature that II sometimes says moth
Inc about the principal truth, while appear
ING 10 tell something totally at variance, or
not In apy way connected With II.
since The dawn OF history the East has
aloay. been the favorite breedng-ground
q, nroyerbs, Proverbs are the natural Ian
guage Of contemplative race, and the peo-
nle az the East arc. and always have been,
conte mplaiive TO a marked degree. To the
Fast. therefore, the student OF this kind oil
literature must look for the best specimens,
with the certainty Of finding there awealth,
the abundance Of which must be seen TO be
appreciated. But no. alone In the East
Is there found a proverbial philosophy,
for every nation 20 some extent
grows its own proverbs as 1t raises
the most necessary articles OF daily
use. Few nations import what they can
raise at home, so few nations Incorporate
into the language Of daily life forms OF
speech from foreign sources. The htera-
ttire Of a country may perish but the pro-
verbs never die. because they have I'D them-
selves germ OF life that renders them prac-
tically immortal. Ii IS with the proverbs
az n nation az with the proper names and
the native flowers. Every kind OF social,
moral. and political revolution may sweep
over the land, the native language may dis
appear, and the native people walsh before
the sword OF the destroyer. but the native
names and the native flowers neYer perish,
and the proverbs have an almost equal &C.
nacity Of lie.
INDUSTRY AND APPEARANCES.
In all ages and countries the necessity OF
industry has been impressed upon the hui
man mind by means OF proverbs, and
wherever the ant Is known, this insect has
very generally served for an emblem. "Go
10 The ant thou sluggsrd, consider her
WAYS and be WISE" Is but the representa-
tive OF thousands of others quite as forci-
Tie, II not so generally known. Many
proverbs. however. are drawn from ani-
mails and their habits. For example,
1.-THE crow, having no barns. yet provided
for by God.v The swallow knows
the time for migration. yet man
knows not his Maker" Both for good
and for bad proyerbial purposes the
dog Is perhaps better known than any other
animal The need OF industry IN every land
has ompbasized the proverbs which have
grown out Of 1t, for they are ell OF the same
&c tral mold. The Arabs say. "a well is
rot to be fiIled with dew" while the He
breus declare. Gas rust on iron 50 grow
the weeds on an unused field, and the Per-
slams say, "Water long stagnant becomes
putrid." The zeal Of some people about
! useless matters is finely dwelt on by some,
ms the Telugu proyerb has 1t, elaine In the
village sn antelope in the Jungle" and the
Talmud declares, "The horse opens his
r.outh when one says oats, and shuts 1t
when one says bridIe.'
Tie deceitiulness OF appearances Is well
illustrated by "a large number OF proverbs
which are found so generally in every Ian
euage % 10 indicate that the vice OF by
pocrisy is as widespread rs the human
family. In Bengal they ask: GLOW long
will dam Of sand jastg' An evident aiiu-
sion 10 the wellknown practice OF irriga-
ton in that country and TO the necessity OF
having dam OF more enduring m1terih
than sand, even though the outward APP
pearanoe be not quite so attractive. The
Persians express the same idea when they
say, "The largest aud loudcst drum only
contains the more wind" and the Russians
declare that "The COW has a long ton ;ue.
but does not speak for all that" To the
same purpose is the Turkish proverb when
It says. 1.-THE vessel leans, but her course
is straight" and also, that OF China
in asserting, "You NAV draw tigers
skin. bu, net his bones" That Is to say.
YOU may kuoE mans face, but not
his heart. Many Eastern proverbs ineuI.
cate the necessity OF avoiding even tho APP
peararce OF evil. In japan they say: " la
a Geld Of melons pull not Off your shoe;
Lnder q palm.tree adjust not YOUR cap y
meaning that the action OF stopping in a
melon-hed might easily be misunderstood.
as might also that OF raising the hand to
the head while under Tree 6lled with
fruit. In Beneal The propricty OF avoiding
bad company Is inculcated by the saying.
Even a holy cow, il in company with a
stolen one, may be impounded." Aud the
carefu,ness that ought TO be exercised in
ones actions l. shadOwed forth in the
Telugu proverb. Drink not milk under 3
palm-tree," for the reaSo on that the juice OF
The palm with very little preparation makes
an intoXicatin. drink. and even the inno-
cent man might be supposed to he drunk-
ard il seen under such circumstances.
NATURAL TRAITS.
The impossibi!ity Of eAcctlag any mn.
tcrial change in ones nature is fully recO5-
uized by the proverb-makers everywhere,
and Is seen in scores Of utterances. The
| Turks say, "In washing negro the soap
is lost" while the Yeman asks, "Can YOU
wash bear.skin whitel" and the Tamul
| declares. "Thoush he wash three times
| day the crow will not become white
crane" The advantages OF knowledge
! over Ignorance are no lees prominent in
4 inc lfDNtlblli ltNlAiAANs tut fsiEhhh
| ing, "My friend is black, but so is molas
! ses ;" the Arab, "rh0rny trees produce
| gum, and the Hebrew. "The bee IS little
among such as fly, but her fluit is the chief
| OF sweet things" One Of the Iiind0o holy
| writings says, A bad man, though deco
| rated. Is yet like manure, watch. though
| fertilizing, vet Is not pleasing" one
Of the Persian books inculcates the
same idea more elegantly by dsclar-
ing, "The diamond fallen in the dust
is not less precious, the dust raised
by high winds to heaven is not less vile.'
The folly of anger, even when there is
good cause for It., is favorite topic. The
Telugu expresses the idea when speaking
Of getting angry with rat aud setting the
house on ire to burn 1t out, and in Bengal
the same thought is couched in the words,
.Cutting of one's nose TO hinder another's
| Journey" The Sanscrit says "A good
mans anger lasts an instant, a meddiing
mans for two hours, base mans day
and night. great sinners till his death. ]"
| IL is also the Sanscrit that declares, "Who-
ever treats bad man kindly plows the
sky, paints picture on water, and bathes
the wind" The same authority is given
| for the statement, "For everything there
is o. eInedy; you can stop an elephant with
kick, but there 10 no cure for the hoad-
strong" On the same topic another East
ern proyerb IL very forcible as well "a
graphic: mo mans disposition Will alter.
neither can dogs tail be made straight;
the stubhorn woman will nut her hu band