The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-10-20
Fsrlt-Finaing.

As there are many sorts of men,
and as the same man has many diff:
farent moods, so there are many
kinds of happiness. There are ele-
waited pleasures, as everybody has
heard; and there ore low pleasures,
as almost everybody has found out
for himself. In this respect some OF
Us would have constituted the world
differently. Had We been consulted,
all vulgar pursuits, not to speak OF
downright immortality, should have
been attended with immediate and
continuous discomfort. Nothing
should have given pleasure, even to
the ignorant and vicious, except
those higher intellectual and spirit
ual exercises to which we ourselves
have always been. so earnestly de-
voted. What an injustice it appears
that my neighbor across the
way seems to enjoy n negro min
strel show quite as well as l do q SYM
phony concert; or that Mary Ann
In smart alapaca gown is
every whit as self-complacent as her
mistress with u new outfit from
Paris! Surely, the better causes
ought In all reason to produce the
better results. But we must take
things as they are. seeing there Is no
way of altering them, and recognize
the fact, disheartening though it be,
that happiness is on the whole pretty
evenly distributed.
Some of our most constant pleas
ures, indeed, are shared not My
with the common crowd Of ave ase
humanity, but with the lower ami
mails as well. 1t is doubtful whether
The most refined among us enjoy
eating and drinking better than
cows and and goats do; and the
same spring weather that kindles
the imagination of the poet sets all
the birds singing, and brings out
every snake and turtle to bask in the
sunshine. If the millionaire have
the better dishes, his horses, in all
likelihood, have the better appeti-
ties; and l have seen dog so enthu-
siastic over a bone that it was hard
to imagine Mr.. Joseph Sedley him.
self feasting with greater gusto.
But though we cannot deny the
universally of such creature COM
forts"-which are to be lightly es.
teemed, not so much because we find
them valueless as because our inferi.
ors find them valuable-and If we
must even admit that men in general
are much more uniformly blessed
than seems to us quite equitable, yet
nobody can hinder our believing that
cultivated people have at least some
felicities peculiarly their own.
Compare my case with that Of my
neighbor before mentioned. AS ]
have said, he appears to be as much
taken with a banjo-and-bones enter.
tainment as l am with a symphony
concert. But that is only one side OF
the story; for l not only revel in the
higher sorts of music, but have at
the same time no little satisfaction in
looking down upon those (my neigh
Dor included) who are captivated by
cheaper and more vulgar perform
ances. enjoy the symphony of the
orchestra, and am proud of the fact;
despise the street band, and am
proud of that fact likewise. Both
feelings are creditable to my taste,
and are felt to be so. How different
is the other mans condition. II
he is not ashamed of his weak.
ness for minstrel troupes and street
bands land he probably isl, at all
events he must sometimes feel humil-
lated at his inability to appreciate
Brahms symphonies and the German
opera. To put the comparison in
another way, my unfortunate neigh
Dor gets nothing but chagrin out Of
really good music, and enjoyment
mixed with modification out of poor
music; while |, on the other hand.
find it difficult to determine which
gives me the ivelier satisfacticn-my
liking for what is truly classical, OF
ny contempt for what is unworthy.
And as it is with music, SO it is with
all art and literature, and indeed
with every department of life. 1t is
much to be able to respect our opin.
ions and tastes; but sometimes think
is more to be able to. satirize the
notions, doings, and preferences Of
our less favored brethren. In other
words, have before now been ready
to believe that, SO far as our pleas.
ure in them goes, our own strong
points are worth less to us than other
mems weaknesses; partly, it must be
allowed, because the former are not
quite SO numerous and immutable
as might be desired, while the latter
ike the poor, we have always with
Us. :. All ordinary means of, hap
oiness will sometimes fail us; but sc
long as we shall have at least one
inexhaustible resource.-Atlantlt
Mnothly.