The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-07-16
MISS CLEVELAND ON THE
SMITHS.
A RAaIf.PlnyfHI, H0lfEarnest
Social Essay FROM the Whites
House.

a HAaIf.PlayfnI, H0lf.Earnest
SOciNi Essay Frena the Nvhite
House.
Lady Mary Wortley Montague said
the world was composed of mcHs ivso-
men, and Smiths. Not being a per
son by the name OF Smith myself, and
not having any friends by that name,
Lady Mary's nomenclature comes to
me as very happy in my need Of an
appropriate designation for a species
OF creature very much in the way of
evey good cause undertaken by
Church, State, or society,
Everybody knows the Smiths, even
the Smiths themselves Though the
Smiths are not anybody. Any pas
tor who reads my works can call to
mind'seye . row. long tora short, of
these non-entical entities. They are
never lacking from the ranks OF any
good cause, ecclesiastic or secular.
They fall in numerously when it is
unpopular. Their characterlessness
gives them character. Their indis-
tinctnesS is always distinct, and their
impredicability OF position is always
to be predicted, AS species they
are sui geaeris, and may be very pre-
cisely classified as the nobodies OF the
cause.
Now, men and women do not want
Smiths around, but Smiths are especi-
ally qualified to fulfiIl this one funct-
ion OF being around. It is their pc
culiar sphere OF activity. They are
gifted with deviation, as opposed to
gravity. They are like ceraain OF
those encountered by Dante-though
they cannot be encountered-in the
"Inferno:" very definite to the eye,
but wholly impalpable to the touch
You can see them as clear cut as any
other dark object between you and
the light, but you can walk right
through them. Like Millions Michael
in his fray with Satan, you can get uI
close, and, careful to cut nothing else
slash right through them with thai
mo solid might resist and, after all
cut nothingN There ID, not u drop o.
blood to he spilled They
Cannot but by snnlhilating die;
Nor In their liquid texture mortal wound
Receive, no more than can the liquid air.
These elusive Smiths come to b.
we'll known after @ while, and nothins
whatever is to be expected Of them
They are wholly useless to any cause
and save for the sad persistence 10
that inexerable law by which no sucl
thing as moral neutrality is impossi
BILE in Gods universe, would be wholly
harmless us well. But, because thi
law persists--because, che that is no
for me is against me"-therefoYe it i
that these useless shadows on tn,
right side become, with no change o
base, useless substanances on tn,
wrong side.
There is nothing a good friend 0
these igaes fatut Smiths can, as
friend, do for them, but to Gu
them off from the, ranks Of fghtin
men and women, and remand then
to an abstract space where they ma
huddle with their own. Give then
space for repentance, the benefit Q
clergy" and then swing them iron
the pillory of the worlds high scorr
to mix hereafter to their bloodles
hearts content with their elementa
Kindred in the thin air Of moral nor
commitments Give them only jus
time for repentance. Do not delud
Yourself with any hope that, havin
repented, they will be anything to tn
cause they have SO longed cloggeC
The first Whit of influence from an
quarter win blow them from that plac
they have sought carefully and wit
tears Donot dream il wise or kin
to give them another chance" TIL
only wisdom for the cause they di
grace, the only kindness to them, is
hurry them away finally from an
contact with anything whateve
These people are loo ethereal for tn
world. They are like certain dazzlin
creatures who swing from blossoms o
sumnerh day, held in this sunny b
citation by the power OF suction. W
never see their feet, ii they have an.
1t Is their nature to not stand, bi
swing Milton says they cannot b.
by annihilation die; but they can
ignored out of moral existence as in
pediments to good cause. And the
should be. In the stress and strain
the battle we are set to wage vii
'real folks We are not called to fgh
like Tennyson's Prince, with shadow
You, dear pastor, who are seeking
win men and women to the canse
your Master. cannot afford TO be d
ceiyed and exhausted by the Smith
Have you labored and prayed in vo'