The Dickinson press., 1888-11-24
COMMONPLACE PEOPLE.
A WRITER'S SIGH FOR THE DAYS
OF HIS ANCESTORS.

Time Was When We Noddcd Our Heads
Neishborly to Evcrybody-Thc Present
and the Futurc-A Foreigner in Amer
ica-Avcragins Upward.
Tho commonplace person is something to
us, l think, as n commonplace landscape.
Travel is often most delightful when the
scenery is very duh, and tho land fiat and
smooth. This is contrary to what the tour
lists tell us, but l assure YOU that If YOU are n
nervous person You should not go the Alps,
but to Holland. What can be less exciting
than Il Holland landscape? The gardens are
all alike, and the people, and the houses con.
slider that there is no sin so great
rs originality. You may take up one
Gretchen and change her for another
five miles away, and she will fit exactly to
tho vacancy. 1t is difficult to understand
how these people can possibly know them
selves without a label to look Mt. There is
not an original in ten thousand. 1t is de-
lciously restful in such n land; but if YOU
travel in any part of our own land you arc
sure to get constantly interested in some ono
or some thing. There are points to every
character. They not only flash lightning,
but draw lightning, and it is destructive to
all pleasure III travelling in the long run, but
assure you you will travel in Holland for
one month with your eyes only one-quartcr
open, and there will not be a start or jar
given You all that time. 1t is q country of
delicious commences.
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 noighbor. Among 200 towns people
INV 0ra woo ~ 1il-o1I, TO H., eo1,o%,l e., -.
tice of tho peace asanother. lean remember
when every ono grew marigolds, bachelors
buttons, and saffron, and caraway; and
every one not only went to church, but to
the same church; and there was a quiet uni
formity of faith and deed that, if it did not
merit heaven hereafter, ut least made q sem
blance of heaven here. l think should like
to get back to the days when I ran about
bare footed and bare legged, and every other
boy did just the same. can not imagine
any one i'll 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. 1t was q
sunny land of common folks, and average
good things. No one was very poor and no
one was very rich. Our homes were always
open to the poor, and to tho stranger; and
our lots averaged up rs far as possible.
What a fellowship was that compared with
Our nowadays greatness and lowliness.
We did not know how to waste. Every
thing had its value. Perhaps wo had no
great notions; our small ones were useful.
Speculation had only been heard of at a
great distance. We all believed in work.
Not to work seemed impossible. 1t is very
restfll for me to look backward into those
days. l am less anxious to anticipate rest
ahead. There was this comfort In those
days. We We're near enough together to all
know each other. Nowadays there are folk
who can neither give nor get sympathy. No
ono was out of speaking range, and we nod
ded our heads n%eighborly to all the world.
lhave 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 "An men nro
born equal' is only n 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 to
the postoftice and railroad.
not wish to advocate averaging people
downward on any occasion, but averaging
them upward. A person who may be set
down as thoroughly commonplace now, 100
years ago would have passed for u scholar,
If not genius. II this world goes OH, and
what reason have We for supposing it will
not: tho genius of today will DO but an or
binary person in another fifty years. When
George William Curtis tells us that immigra-
ton is 'watering the life blood of tho ma
tion," it sets me thinking very soberly, for it
seems to be true.
Hans has been over here three years. He
has learned to write ond to speak English
with q twang and Il twist, but he has learned
something else, and he did not learn it all
over here. He has learned to abhor being
lost in tho crowd. He must be ~individuated.
He wants to be q marked man. Hans docs
not have much moral force, but a good
deal of physical grit he certainly does
possess. He naturally turns to physical
force us his lever. When he looks around,
and storms. Hans has been under u good
deal of repression abroad, but hero he enjoys
what he calls being free-thnt is free to be
himself, all over and over, and everywhere.
He does not see that Lo cannot be quite him
self without preventing others from being
quite themselves, and if they are quito unre-
strained it will encroach on him. The pas
sion Of individuality is abroad. 1t is the
spirit of the air VIC breathe. Hans revcls In it.
1 said we shall, by and by, average up, and
up to q level vastly higher than that of to-
day, where our present genius will be very
commonplace, and where our present mira
cles will be every day affairs, and our present
luxuries will DO common comforts. This
will surely como about, for we shall be wise
enough to let it come about, and, if
need be, to make it to come about.
We arc too far gone to go back
and give up our love for being dis.
tinguished. We must all do something;
al DO marked by achievement. This will
work right if WI can keep the average
ambition for what is intelligent and moral
and not let it point for brute force distinc