Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-06-11
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR
Graduating Essay of Miss Leona
Barker, Daughter of Hon.
j. nj. Barker.


| j. M. Barker.
AS we look upon the great mul.
titudes pouring through our thor.
oughfares, we ask ourselves the
question, Whence comes this liv.
ing flood, this surging sea, whithe,
is it goinga
From eternity onwards to eter-
nifty. A sea of humanity, with its
vice and virtue, its sorrow and joy.
Yet, withal, in the worlds opin-
ion, each individual is regarded
merely as a clothed animal and
held in deepest reverence for
wealth or rank. But, "outward
form, the inner man does not re-
veal" By One and One only is
the soul laid bare-the great
Searcher of Hearts, the Supreme
Critic-by Him in the veil re-
moved, and He sees us as we are
the Ego-the First Person Singu-
lar-this is our existence.
Shakespeare says we are "crea-
lures that look before and after,
the more surprising, that we do not
look round a little" Let US look
round little and observe a few
persons, who, in their own estima-
ton are First Person, and conse-
quently are Singular. Persons who
are the conscious centre of attrac-
tion the centre of observation.
They scarcely realize the presence
Of a higher existence, but are con-
sumed with self pride-"the never
failing vice OF fools--pride, minus
brains. Man is naturally bold and
proud, in SO far as pride leads him
to noble deeds and high endeav-
or, one may with right be proud,
but, the vanity that scorns his fell
low-men, deserves what Holmes
calls the two lowest circles of the
interno-small pox and bankrupt
cy. How many lives have been
ruined by inordinate egot;sm.
Persons of mediocre talent, who
might have succeeded in some sub
ordinate sphere, but who, aiming
at that which lay beyond their
reach, have ended in total failure.
Imagine such an one, starting at the
top and follow him in his check
cred career. He begins with a
very great feeling of superiority
and Importance, in fact as the First
Person, concludes he will enter the
legal profession, and, at once, leaps
into such renown as an orator, sue.
cessful barrister and statesman,
that his name will be recorded in
the annals OF nations or perhaps
worlds histoy. But, alas! Soon
his feathers droop! He secures
no case to plead but his own, and
quite unexpectedly, he becomes a
melancholy poet, murmuring (not
of nighingales) but
'Unfortunate man that l am,
I've never client but grief,
The case is, I've no case at all,
And, in brief, I've ne'er had a brief"
He joins the legion of doctors, but
after having cured several persons
of all earthly ills, his reputation as
a physician is somewhat undesira-
bic, and he launches assuredly In
the noble professian of the press,
starts as assistant editor, but not
being able to fill that position, de-
scends until he is at last retained
as the-well, the Angel of Dark
ness. Now, he feels at home; has
found his proper sphere, and real
ICES the fact that there are a fea0
other First Persons. There is a
class opposed to this, the individ-
uals Of which are almost too num-
erous to mention, whose lack of
originality and whose persistent
efforts to ape their superiors pro-
claim that, in their case at least,
Darwin's evolution theory is not
far wrong after all, so conspicuous
are the inherited peculiarties of
the ancestral ape.
Dickens was a wonderful student
of human naturel How frequent
ly do his characters remind us OF
persons we meet in everyday life!
David Copperfeld's aunt, with
her peculiar aversion for donkeys
and-boys. Do we not meet per
sons daily with these singular
aversions for what seems to US par.
ticularly delightful! But, of all
the peculiar characters to whom
Dickens introduces us, the most
singular is that of Mr.. Pickwick,
Think of an old bachelor living IN
the same house with a widow who
is in love with him, and he, ignor.
ant of the factl The very idea o.
an old bachelor thinking there wal
a woman In the universe who was
not in love with him is the singular
part of it. But, aside from al
this, there is serious phase tt
this thought. for man Is half
human, half-divine. We have jus
said with Dickens: Behold, herr
is a specimen of humanity! Let u
laugh and be merry at his expense
Now, with George Elliott, let u
behold his actions, and through
them discern the handspring
his existence-his character, tn