The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-06-11
The STANDARD Of seIr-Measursmest.

~The greatttroutys with peopgs" said
~ lady from abroad 10 me, zig that they
hgye no standard of seli-measur ement
Now, If take a'candle into dark. cor
ner 10 will illuminate that corner. will
it nutg But If ptakeiU ont into a 1ark
highs ID has no fleet" The point was
conceded Well, ..he7ry." she contin asdr
that iS an illust ntioni Of the relative
powers OF many people,. But every
body wants to be something he cannot.
The.casdle would be a4.hmp- the laryp
sgas- jesI. tine gas Ct am electric ligih,
anel the electric liEht 81 sun Conse-
qrently,. we have people doing good
things poorly instersi of dbing suitable
things well. It's all owingtc having no
stsadardt of self-m Asurcsnent- An
this-iss trss enough, {. butt il suggests ~
problem that cannois be" 70 definitely
stated by positive sompnnsons-anG
thiyis to what extent the standard of
selfsneasuTsment sho nd linit Ms The
ladnwho saul this to meis - woman of
extrrordinasx intellec nal power She
comsGfron1, abroad into" the heart of
Boston cultzFe. Tle best society" in
vitesand so&eits her to entcr; and her
obse -ration Of all tb d lR&eidoseopic life
is vTy keerr and full offsuggestion.
She had beeniinvite tootAl5e the lead
ing urs in ascentain nselIec NAL enter
tainnent, arid had declineta Then /
said 70 her. But, tier ALL. have not
you, who cou13l brin g to.this gathering
so muph of ph-lOsopieic Thought, OF keen
insiglb and vision, ar I'd vital suggestion
have you nCts9 cert ain responsibility
to givssof your inteile, ,tual altundance?"
SO sh .. answered me in the words l
have GE1fted. She Ia talte1 the entire
view O6 the Boston sit uatoEs For intel
lectuc asocietyNhsy is a series of wheels
within wheels, of eouI ltless-circles and
centers,~of cirales. VIII. ,se requirements
may 2 n times coincide, brt1 which as O
whole sre sepsfasse, an d in chem all-in
paper ~ read, IN Gisci issiCzp and COM
ment-she fin 10. LITTLE of the highest
phase sf,profornt,la and. original thought.
This Ssan inevitable result of city
whose ,aristocrs1y Is th at ossletters, for
all ths.sollowiEg sEid imitation melted
is in he same direction /, arGb so, instead
of a cheap coping of fashionable cos
tumeas+Se havsan ana logY-of a cheap
copying of irtollectu al achievement.
General society oan no moss, each be an
Emerson, a NJ 81. How e, n Dr.. Holmes,
than 81 can be y. Vand' rbipbr an Astor,
and the aristocShry thus Being one of
intel Sat, the f1llowins., tie. imitation,
lis al I'm an int baetual line: And, there
fore. there is am INN lense cnount of
mediecrlty, I1nging frs,p the as
SIM, ated culture that is fac and high
and snggesti O.. but ncSss profoundly
sorigE dow,nap some cs1cie- of women
who listen to sssehod girhsi,eses fronc
one ct their romber and rho. discuss il
in a.puerile flahion. BIT, nav mental
question is tliss Is it nos. better fc3,
this,eircle to listen to tho, amateur es-
say. which t.pifies the bsst' intellectual
life.5 10 which IL has, colle0tiwery, grow =,
al i to discuss this in srDk,dsgree as it
N ~, than ia Gsthe same cinc9s to me- es.
ard talk gossip scandal or r&rely MAJ.
tcnial Intersstse And mast not efah
s1sh circle bs Led by oNarMlao is little
ia,advance, but not too, fHr reno Ssd
.sm Them. And to asoh series aad
.Jaie is there not the relative resrcn,.
sibility to give simply OF tine best one
has. thong ait DO not yreat absolutelg??
+--BOStOTG !6nfeT.