Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-27
COMMONPLACE PEOPLE.
"a. WRITER'S SIGH FOR THE DAYS
OF HIS ANCESTORS.

Time Was When We Nodded Our Heads |
NeiGhborly Ia Everybody-The Present
and the Future-A Foreigner in Amer
ica-Ayerasing Upward.
The commonplace person is something to
us, | think, as a commonplace landscape
Travel is often most delightful when the
scenery is very duh, and the land fiat and
smooth. This is contrary to what the tour
lists tell us, but | assure YOU that if you are
nervous person you should not go the Alps,
but To Holland What can be less exciting
than n Holland landscapel The gardens are
all alike, and the people, and the houses con
slider that there is no sin so great
as originality You may take up one
Gretchen and change hcr for another
five miles away, and she will fit exactly TO |
the vacancy. 1t Is difficult to understand |
how these people can possibly know them |
selves without label to look at There is |
not an original in ten thousand. 1t is de
liciouslv reStful in such land; but il you
travel in any part Of our own land you are
sure to get constantly interested in some one
or some thing. There are points TO every
character. They not only flash lightning,
but draw lightning, and it is destructive to
all pleasure in travelling in the long run, but
assure you YOU will travel in Holland for
one month with your eyes only one-quarter
open, and there will not be a start or jar
given you all that time. 1t is a country of
delicious couiIEonneSs.
am fond of my ancestors and of the last
century because people lived averaged lives.
do not remember that any one was so I'M
like his neighbor Among 200 towns people
any one was as likely to be selected for JUS
tice of the peace asancther. lean remember
when every one grew marigolds, bachelors
buttons. and saffron. and caraway; and
every one not only went TO church, but to
the same church, and there was quiet uni
formity Of faith and deed that, if il did not
merit heaven hereafter, at least made SEM
blance of heaven here think should like
TO get back to the days when ran about
bare footed and bare legged, and every other
boy did Just the same. can not imagine
any one in those days who did not eat dough
nuts, and there was not one boy who did not
drive cows to pasture and go for them at
night. | cannot think OF q single startling
event for whole years at times It was
sunny land OF common folks, and average
good things. No one was very poor and no
one was very rich. oar homes were always
open to the poor. and to the stranger; and
our lots averaged up as far as possible
What fellowship was that compared with
our HOwadays greatness aud lowlness.
We did not know how to waste Every
thing had its value Perhaps we had no
greet notions; our small ones were useful
Speculation had only been heard of at
great distance We all believed in work.
Not to work seemed impossible 1t Is very
restful for me To look backward into those
days. l am less anxious to anticipate rest
ahead There was this comfort in those
days. We were near enough together to all
know each other. Nowadays there are folk
who can neither give nor get sympathy No
one was out Of speaking range, and we nod
ded our heads neighborly to all the world.
l have been looking backward; but it will
not do to LOOK too far backward, or we shall
come upon the high mightiness of old royal
ties. The declaration that IAN men are
born equal is only century old. There is
no doubt but the day of equality is rather
ahead than behind. By and by everybody
will have his own private balloon, which
never yet came true of horses and carriages,
and we will all be averaged up TO the tele-
phone, and telegraph and heaven knows
what else, as we have all got averaged up te
the postofice and railroad
do not wish to advocate averaging people
downward on any occasion, but averaging
them upward. A person who may be sci
down as thoroughly commonplace now, 1O(
years ago would have passed for scholar
If not a genius. Ii this world goes on. anG
what reason have we for supposing il vii
notl the genius of today will be but an or
binary person in another fifty years WheI
George William Curtis tells as that immigra
ton is watering the life blood OF the ma
ton it sets me thinking very soberly, for i
seems to be true.
Hans has been over here three years H
has learned to write and 10 speak Englisl
with a twang and twist, but he has Learned
something else, and he did not learn it al
over here He has learned to abhor being
lost in the crowd. He must be individuated
He wants TO be a marked man. Hans doe
not have much moral force but a goot
deal of physical grit he certainly doe
possess He naturally turns TO physica
force as his lever When he looks around
with his passion to be free, he kick
and storms. Hans has been under a goo
deal Of repression abroad, but here he enjoy
what he calls being tree-that Is free TO
himself, all over and over, and everywher,
He does not see that be cannot be quite hin
self without preventing others from bein
quite themselves, aud if they are quite unr
strained it will eneroach on him. The pa
sion of individuality is abroad It is Il
spirit Of the air We breathe. Hans reyeIs in i
l said we shall, BY and by, average up, al
up to a level vastly higher than that of t
day, where our present genius will be vel
commonplace, and where our present mir
cles will be every day affairs, and our presel
Injuries will be common comforts. tn
will surely come about, for we shall be wi
enough 10 let it come about, and,
need be, 70 make it TO come abou
We are too far gone to go ba'
and give up our love for being d
tinguished We must all do somethin
all be marked by achievement This W
work right if we can keep the avera
ambition for what is intelligent and mori
and not let it point for brute force distiI
tion.-''E. T. 1" in Globe-Democrat.