Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-04-03
STUPIDITY OF SENSIBLE PEOPLE.

Sir Isaac Newton constructed house for
his cats. For the convenience of the cat he
cut large hole for entrance, for the equal
convenience of the kitten he cut smaller
one, and it was not until his attention was
called to it that ne realized the fact, which
one would suppose might be self evident to
the feeblest understanding, that the large
hole would have served for both. The au-
thor of the "Princpia," one of the grandest
works of the human intellect, failed to per-
ceive that kitten could 60 through hole
made for cat. Richard Brinsley Sheridan
hired suburban villa. and two days later
received q visit from friend. who was told
to climb the fence in order to enter the
house. "But why not open the gate?" the
friend inquired. Because l can't unite the
string" "Why don't you cut it then P"
Sheridan looked at him in amazement, drew
his knife, cut the rope, walked through the
gate, and turning around kicked it off the
hinges. "If you love me, please kick me in
the same fashion," he remarked to his friend.
The most brilliant wit of his time, the dra-
matist who could unravel the most intri-
cate complications in stage situations,
had climbed fence for two days for
lack OF the stroke of a penknife. A
few years ago one Of our famous men was
found dead under circumstances which gave
rise to suspicion of suicide. One of the ac-
uuantances remarked, she was certainly
crazy One evening called upon him and
found him trying to write letter. | could
hardly SEQ my way across the room. He
complained that his eyesight must be fail
ing, as it was hard for him to follow the
lives ,,pn., tho panar Tn sururiSa 7 furnad
up the gas. His look Of establishment as he
glanced at the light, at me, at the letter,
and at the light again was something i'm.
possible TO describe. Of course he was
crazy II he hadn't been he would have
turned up the gas himself" So easily do
we reach our conclusions; so easily do we
take things ior granted. Yet Sir Isaac
Newton was never supposed to be "out OF
his mind" and Sheridan was never suspec
ted of being q lunatic. The gas jet simply
served TO throw more light on the stupidity.
Of sensible man, instead Of proving by its
feeble glimmer the corresponding teebleness
Of his intellect. Nothing is more constantly
and completely surprising than these APP
parent lapses Of intelligence in persons
whose intellect is acknowledged TO be su-
perior to the average. From q fool we
expect foOlshness, and seldom have
we reason to complain Of dsap-
popiment. From the wise we ex-
pee, wisdom, though we sometimes
fail TO find it. II is said that it is only the
fool who learns no wisdom from experience,
but the foolshness Of sensible people is gen
orally Of Il kind which experience can in no
way modify. 1t is occasional, variable. un.
expected, ofa peculiar quality, admits no
argumen; from precedent, gives no basis for
calculation. Probably by contrast and in
congruity lis effect is heightened and it
seems more senseless than ordinary dulness,
because it is inevitably compared with the
usual mental briliaucy. We learn from
the entertaining Letters Of Gustave Flau-
bert" that he had prepared dictionary of
"the stupid sayings of great men," and the
volume is q unique and amusing one. 1t
was the lluslrious Napoleon III, who made
the profound observation, 'The wealth of q
country depends upon its general prosperi-
ty." The famous Havin wrote, as if giving
utteranco to most valuable. philosophical
statement, 'As soon as Frenchman passes
the frontier, he finds himself on foreign
SOIL" Emerson says, Men who have COM
manded great armies and taken great cities,
who have made laws for an empire, or pro-
claimed the greatest discoveries in science,
have sometimes shown the utmost idiocy in
connection with the commonest affairs of
life. chronological Journal.