The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-07-05
ALL ABOUT THE SMITHS.
Concerning Purposeicss shadow Invertebrates VIII
Always Trim tho Passing Breeke.
nv Rosr r,,z,nrru c,yyrt,.n.

Concerning Purposeicss shadow Invertebrates Who
Always Trim the rassing Breexe.
ny ROSE ELzApErH CLEVELAND.
Lady Mary wor,lcy Montaeu said the world WA
composed Of men, women, and Smiths. Not being
arerson by the name Of Smith myself, aud not hav.
clsture comes to me as very happy in my need Of
an appropriate designation for aHpeclea Of creature
taken by Church, state. or Society. '''' ""''
Everybody knows the Smiths, even the Smnha
themselves, though the Smiths are not anybody)
Any pastor who reads my words can call M 20
minds eye row, long short OF thcse noncntlcal
entities They are never lacking from the ranks 81
any good cause, eccesnstic or secular. They fall
in numerOusly when the cause IL popular, ami fsll
out numerously when II IL unpopular. The
characieressness elyea them character. Their IN.
dlstinctness Ia always distinct and their impreilca
biity OF position Ia always 10 he Fredicated. Aaa
species they are su, 0enerts, and may he very pre-
cIsely classified ~ the Nobodea Of the cause.
Now men and women do not want Smiths around
but Smiths are especially qualified 10 fuln this nnc
snncps S ' nrg a.. g,as sms p,sa
as opposed 70 gravity rhcy are like certain Of those
encountered by Dantc.tnougn they cannot he en-
eye, but wholly impalpable 10 the tonch. yon can
see them AZ clear-cut as any other dark object he
through T e smc eS IKE gs os Es Ssn wan y. s
with Satan, you can get up close and, careful 10 cut
nothing else sas rgh, through 'hefn win nn,
nothing! There Is not drop OF blood TO he spilled.
They
Nor In their liquid texture mortal wound
Receive, no more than can the liquid air.
These elusive Smiths come to he well known after
awhile, and nothing whatever IL TO he expected Of
them. they arc wholly useless TO any cause, and
save for the sad persistence OF that memorable law
BY which no such thing az moral neutrality s posi-.
bic In Gods universe, would bewhOlly harmless, m
well. But, because this law persists because he
That ls not for me s against "thereforc II In that
these useless shadows on the right side become,
with no change Of base, useful substances on the
wrong side
Smiths can, friend, do for them, but 10 cut them
of from the ranks Of lighting men and women, and
remand them TO an abstract space, where they may
ance, the "benent of clergy" and then swing them
from the pillory Of the worlds high scorn 70 mlx
elemental Kindred in the thin air Of moral non.com
mitment! Give them only Just time for repentance
DO not delnde yourself with any hope that, having
have 50 long cogged. The first whliT Of influence
from any quarter will blow them from that place
dream IL wise or kind to give them another
| chance.' The only wisdom for tho cause they dis
grace, the only Kindness to them, is to hurry them
ever. These people are too ethereal for this world
rhey are like certain dazzling creatures who swing
| from modelling blossoms on summers day, held In
this sunny oscillation by the power of suction. We
never see their feet, they have any. 1t IL their
cannot, but by annihiiation, dc but they can be iE
nored out Of moral existence Ms impetinents to a
good cause; And they should be. In the stress and
folk" we are not called TO fight, like TcnnyBons
Prince, with shadows.
women TO The cause OF Your Master cannot niford to
| be deceived and exhausted by the Smiths Have
you labored and prayed In your cold and liiclcss
Zion for revival of pure and Undecided religion In
your midst, and is your heart cheered by full ec-
tnre.rocm and crowded church, Beware Of the
Smiths In this crowd. DO not count them They
will always and numerously put In an appearance
at the meeting, II s their mission to put In appear
ances. Are you seeking to set the temperance ball
a Nu LAX md
world besotted? do not put too much faith in the
large audiences at those lectures that seem to pro-
are there. Subtract the Smiths. When you come
| TO call your committees the places that know them
now viii N know them no n, more more, forever ,, IT,
World OF Science, a late Christian ut Work had an
item descriptive Of Frenchlnan's theory to account
for the "mysterious disappearance" notices of
which we no often see In our newspapers, and
which cause 30 much trouble to friends, and 80
much employment to the police. "He maintains
sons attacked by this form of ecease suffer no pre-
vous illness, and without warning suddenly cease
| to exist. and fade from sight He thinks people do
actually now and then melt into thin air.. He was
discussing polittca! situation with a friend once,
At the moment his friends disappearance strong
sulphurous odor was 10 be observed, but nothing
beside that was remarkable He thinks the phe-
| nOnenOn worthy OF medical investigations"
| good many beside the Frenchn,an have witnessed
the same phenomenon. The Smiths are all liable to
attacks Of this form of decease No occasion is bet
ter adapted to develop fade" than political Sit
uation. We have seen something OF melted Smiths
| lately outside Of France. But we would not take
the time of the police for their search. An ordinary
pointer would do well; the smell OF sulphur would
be sufficient suggestion as to their whereabouts
Is there, then, no hope for the Smiths? leave
that question open. Probably some one knows, II he
has a mind to tell For my own small part have
very little hope Of Smiths. Experience has made me
| sad and wise about them. Turn.coats are always
turn-coats. A person who persists in never know.
ing MS own mind either wishes never to Know it, or
else has none to know. II a person never il known
to hold his ground, you must conclude that he has
| no legs for his ground, no ground for his legs
And tho practical import In either case Is the same
It Is my advice tOmen and women not to bother with
Smiths. Do not see them. They are optical deu
sions. The sleeping and the dead and the Smiths
| are but as pictures
P.S.-Are you Smith by name? Do not be of.
Tended, for II pathological Smith, you will sec that
the Smiths have been talking 80 awfuly about are
striker, the beaten, who FORCES with tile hammer
Now my Smiths are no ways strikers, heaters, o,
hammerers. They never do anything of the sort
They only. seem. Hinc tiltc tdclpWtG! Take
heart, oh, thou smiti-Smh, and forge away at thy
anvil of life, hammer ut the baser ores, and STRIKE
out the fne gold, proud OF thy vocation and vocable
You would not smell as sweet by any other name
Are you Smith by nature? vide super.