Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-09-20
APPRECIATION.
[From The Waperly Progress, by ]. l..
LODGE, d. D., Editor.

/
If a man should choose to crawl upon his
hands and knees rather than exert his dis
tinctive power of walking upright, he
would be declared void of reason and COM
| mon sense. His insane action would, how
ever, produce in the behclder only sense
of pity for his idiocy; while the distortion
Of nature through unworthy imitation
awakens contempt for disgusting vice.
Because no two faces are exactly alike, no
two voices have the same tone and infection,
no two trees, or fruits, or flowers, have the
same attributes of form, taste, color, and no
two individuals Of any species are in all
particulars identical, reflection concludes
that infinite skill, displayed in infinite vari-
ETY., universally intends the effect Of natu-
ralness. Pimples, scars, and small pox dis
figure less the human face than do assumed
and pretentious manners individual charac-
ter. The prevalence of this vice, though
not SO general, is as marked as are other
traces of the fall. Its manifestations are
ss varied as the weaknesses of those it at
fects; appearing, as it does, in speech,
in manner, in domiciliary appointments,
in the most solemn ard weighty, as
in the most ordinary, affairs of life Its
source varies with the constitution and So
cial relations of its subjects Vanity, in
one or other Of its phases, Is prolific cause.
Many woman whose native charms were
sufficient to evoke the envy of her own sex ,
and the admiration of men, by the adoption
Of manners destructive of real beauty has
lost the esteem of the wise and good, &C.
cepting instead the contemplate flattery of
silly coxcombs. The possibilities of honor
and happiness in life are thus ruthlessly des-
troyed; for men of reflection do not recog-
nize mental weakness and want of heart as
fYty inn nat1 Of Gut. I..,l.
LONELINESS of feature and grace of form are
cause for thankfulness to the generous Max
er; but it is shocking insult to his good
ness when these endowments are battered
for the mannerisms of an ape. Conscious
lack of coveted qualities is frequent cause
of atfectation. The slave struts about in
authority mimicked from his master The
peasant thinks to hide his quality by dom
ming cast'off kingly robe. The ignoramus
strives to conceal his lack by uttering the
speech OF the learned. In every Case the
effort produces horrible results. When the
frog will swell to the size of the OK destruc-
ton ensues. The parturition is more pain
full and less productive than that ridiculed
by Horace; for the laboring mountain did
bring forth mouse, while, in this case, the
mouse brings forth u mountain-of defOrm.
ty. Conscious power never copies. The
most educated are the most simple. The
high-born easily condescend. Beauty un
adorned is most adorned" Imitation con,
fesses lack, and presents the grotesque and
unseemly spectacle Of frantic endeavor to
reproduce the original OF greatness. The Pro
crustean bed was not more merciless and
unreasonable than attempted impossible en-
larsement to twice the normal size. Imi
tation grows out Of false idea OF what is
necessary to desirable praise. The meaning
nf n ia m To ia 1isnp nd
are not meretricious graces, attached to an
unsuitable subject; but the refined acquis-
tions of a nature originally susceptible OF
their reception and utilization. 1t is not
casting Partisan robe over q dummy, but
arraying in purple him who was born u
king. What is dignitied and beautiful in
one, because natural, becomes homogeneous
and distasteful in another because artificial.
The rich wear gold and diamonds; the
poor, affecting jewelry, wear pinch back
and glass. They set up false model. II
is not gold and diamonds that excite praise.
but probity and virtue These outshine
tinsel, and enjoy the favor of the good. And
praise has more than one object. In his
sphere, the man of low degree and few OPP
portunties may make himself"a hero in the
strife" by doing with his might what his
hands find to do. But when the aborer
affects the philosopher, Or the desultory
gatherer Of scrap information conceits him
self to be educated, he succeeds in making
himself ridiculous. Nothing is 80 likely To
prove destructive of naturainess in deport-
ment as an adventurous elevation to u posi-
ton Tor which nature has made no provis
ion. The remembrance Of former obscurity
is IL goad 10 excuses in what is construed
to be evidences OF good breeding The per
son imagines that native coarseness is per
a.. N i.rn "a ~ In
remedy by wearing assumed superior airs
Thus the obscure girl, by some tortuit,us
circumstance become the wife OF gentle
man of wealth and taste, will Dverdo in
those very matters where proper limit
marks refinement. And her behavior To
servants and dependents will be far more
dictatUriAl and offensive than the manners
OF II lady, born 10 command.
A very disagrceablc form Of aifectaton is
seen in the tendency ~ copy what are con
siiered marks oil greatness This is CON
stanty seen in the carriage Of theperson, his
conversation and style. "Volumcs could
say no more" nor more plainly than he
says il Look at me; am ripening Tor
greatness! !" Affcctation almost always sezes
upon some idlusyncrasy vi the great. Thus,
in the literary world, false notion, origl-
mating in an accident, has led to the lorna
ton in some of II habit that merits only CON
domination. First one great man and then
another were unfortunate enough To write a
miserable hand. A number OF examples
having been found, it W. rashy cJnciu led
that all great men are distinguished 10y exc
cradle chlrugraphy, an | now IL pL5sGs cur
rent rs u proverb. First laziness lea Is To
sovenness, and an intirmity being praised
AS II virtue, from small things To great the
progress oi lautiuess is easy, and the young
person who might have been, and ought 10
have been, different, presents whole char
acter en- dtsltd6ttte IL is noticed that some
OF the students of one of our theological
seminaries carry their heads on one should
er, and utter themselves in the most mUur
fullest" voice that ever fell upon mortal ear.
They may each some day equal the great
professor, but their ability every way would
not be less unquestioned if they should car
ry their heads erect and speak with natu
raj voice. So necessary is it that evon the
worthiest and best should guard against
this unseemly vice.
1t might he thought reasonable that in our
religious associations We would escape the
pursuit of this despicable weakness; but it is
not so. In the prayer and covenant meeting
we find it. Some have already attained /; and
| they lsok down with pity and almost con
| tempt upon those only pressing forward
They would be thought holy; We know bet
ter; we have lived by them,and watched them
they are merely affected. They are always
the most treacherous people in the church +,
| and happy the ptstor Of any considerable
experience who has not felt the iangs of
these much too holy people The ambitious
little country church suffers from tho same
disorder. Its antics are most amusing
| Possessing some wealth, aad enjoying the
connection Of few persons Of some social
| standinp il il tempted to initiate the man
ners of its influential city sister The copy
ing is always overdone, and no puss in
boots ever presented more ridiculous aP
pearance. At sight of such, unhappy Rob
bie's" famous lines occur
o wad some power the giite gic US,
To see oursels as ithers see Us,
'Twad frae mony 4 bunder free us,
| And foolish notion.
In the pulpit? There, too. The young
preacher puts on spectacles at twenty two,
| thOuOh his eves are good for twenty years