Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-23
THINGS"
BY CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK.
copyrighted, 1851

Copyrighted, 1886.
"The natural perversity of inanimate
things has passed into proverb. Every
one knows the times when presumably
senseless objects seem to acquire senti
ent malignity and to twist and turn them
| selves in and out OF the grasp OF those
possessed of higher intelligence. The
child shows bis recognition Of this when
he throws his toy on the floor because il
will not obey his directions. Older people
generally restrain themselves In the out
ward manifestation of their wrath, but
their appreciation OF the perversity Of in
animate objects is no less seen.
Things make me madden than people.
! do testify" said Emery Ann, as she
struggled with the front door key, which
Obstnately refused to turn. "Things do
act like creation, sometimesP
A noted divine USED to go so far as to
state grayey his belief that material arti-
Giles were animated by personal devil.
! He gave numberless examples in proof OF
| his theory, and instances will occur
readily to almost every one. Who can
not recall occasions when keys, usually
oDedient to a touch, will positively de-
! cline to turn in lock for while, and
then, after violent struggle. will finally
| slip into place with an ease which causes
an evaporation prOportionate to the for
mer effort? There are Knobs that remain
| fixed, latches that will not catch, drawers
that will not open, and windows that
resist all attempts to lock them. This,
too, by fits and starts, and with no APP
parent prOvocation. If the obstacles
were permanent, they could be more
readily understood and endured. But
why they should display peskness only
at uncertain intervals remains uneXplain-
able.
1t is not only in these and similar cases
that what one is tempted to call the
'pure cussednees'' OF things maniiests
Itself Tie occasional mysterious disap-
pearances of utensils and pieces of wear
Ing apparel suggest a problem which has
yeXed many minds. A man is at his
writing table. He turns to consult his
dictionary and as he does so LAYS aside
his pen, An instant later he reaches out
his hand TO the place where he left 1t and
nnds 1t missing. No one has been in the
70 IN but himself. A vigorous search
ensues, in which papers and pamphlets
are scattered broadcast and all likely
and unlikely corners ranSacked. The
TACT that the man is positive he has not
stirred from his chair does not deter him
from exploring tie distant corners of the
room aud overhauIing the contents of
drawers that have not been opened In
weeks. Finally be gives up the hunt in
despair, aud as he reseats himself at his
table to resume his Interrupted scribbl-
lngs with pencil he spies the missing
pen lying near his elbow in so con-
spicuOus a spot that his ewes must have
swept over it, his fingers almost touched
1t twenty times during the last halt hour.
Countless women could give similar and
even more provoking instances of the
disappearance Of scissors, thimble or
| needleWOrk.
Iii undoubtedly true that the mood of
! the worker cannot fail to have effect upon
his tools. The manipulation of the type
writer can tell OF days when his usually
obedient servant plays such pranks that
| 1t would seem to be beWitched. ANY one
who has ever been in the habit of running
sewing machine can furnish like testi-
mony. There are times when the thread
snaps, the needle bends and the strap
| slips, and these accidents are generally
IN direct ratio to the nervousness of the
| operator. 1t Is useless to continue work
ing in the hope that matters may adjus t
themselves. The best plan is to turn to
| some other occupation and give the
| human and the alleged inanimate ma
| chlnery opportunity to recover tone. The
old saying that the Pixies, or mischievous
fairies were at the bottom of many of such
| perplexities does not seem as incredible
| under these circumstances as it would
| usually be voted by sensible people. But
| 1t is not alone in these and similar cases
that peryersty mauifests Itself. There is
! much talk of the terrible logic nj circum-
stances; but upon the equally stern
! tyranny of circumstances volumes could
be written. To this the most important
| and the most trivial pursuits must bend.
| Gray has sung of those
Hands which the rod of empire might have
swaye1.
Or walked to ectasy the living Tyre
who were bond slaves to the despot OF
circumstance. The private annals OF
many lives offef corresponding sugges.
lions Of great results that might have
been achieved had fate-or God-sO
w1lled it. THE Story of Avis" with its
pathetic pesslmism gives a striking illus.
tratlon of this, OF genius crushed and
great aims thwarted because a house
must be kept, beds made, dinners cooked
and children dressed. With men the
chains are less frequently composed OF
many tiny letters riveted together. and
yet even with them The ''checks and dis
asters" That often mar the perfection OF
factions highest reared" may be traced
TO petty causes.
To woman of high aspirations these
interru ptions are doubly trying. Tue
very littleness OF the impediments laid in
The way Of her making the best o. herself
render them infinitely irksome. II IT
were some great thing that hndered her
from study to improve her own powers or
labor for the lasting benfit of some one
else, it would be easier to bear, she thinks
bitterly. But to fOregO incre ased intel &C.
tuallty for the sake OF dsrning stockings.
to renounce the succor OF suffering fellow
humanity for the connection of bread
! pudding, is a subordnation of the sub.
lime to the ridiculous that in her impati.
ent moments she does not hesitate to call
degrading.
Mrs. Whitney, writer whose books
nave done more to help and cheer women
IN the thorny paths OF everyday life than
| the works OF almost any other author in
this country, tells her harassed sisters
that they should make circumstances
"stand arOuud.' An excellent theory.
whose practice would confer endless com
fort we're 1t always possible to pursue it
successfully. But 1t Is not easy for the
mother, weary from a night
watching, with restless baby,
to grid up her loins for The
combat the next morning and relegate
circumstances to the Insignificant POSI-
ton she feels they ought To occupy. She
Is more apt TO console herself with the
| hat E.f.