Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-06-26
IGNORANCE AND, BLISS.
PLEASURE THAT COMES. TO THOSE
WHO LACK KNOWLEDGE,

sOlutely without knowledge as any one
conveniently can, and he is sure that he
can foretell the weather every time.
"Well, sah," he informs me, II knowed it
were to be n dry month. The moon said
so plain as dat ar hoe handle. But they
wouldn't believe me-"
What a sublime contempt he has for the
rest of us. We are bundled off in that
parcel of nobodies called they" He is
absolutely sure that he knows more than
any and all other people. This is one COM
p%ensation of ignorance that it is supremely
wise.
But" l say, Ned, how do you come to
know what is ahead when no one else
does?" He does not undertake to tell, but
is puzzled over the undoubted fact, and
stands a moment on his work with an in
troverted look. No matter, he knows, and
that is quite enough; and it begins to dawn
on him that he is Il peculiarly gifted man,
probably a prophet.
III bulk of our prophets are uneducated,
and most of them of the most ignorant
class. He has only to conceive a thing to
insure it's truth. His facts are not common
property that any one can investigate and
verify or disprove, but are private affairs,
known nowhere outside his brain.
UNQUEsTIONING SI~MPLEToNIsM.
Another consolation of ignorance is
credulity. There really is no sentiment so
delicious as being fooled. No, l do not
mean being fooled by professional jokers,
such as kept my black fellow up till Q last
night looking for a vast comet with q tail
as long as half the heavenly span, and a
head as big as the moon; but being fooled
by a popular theory. 1t is exasperating to
doubt, and when one gets to nave a habit
of looking all around a matter. and under
it, and over it, there is no end of pother
and brain work.
Why, the worst quarrels ever known
have been over Greek accents and Hebrew
vowel points as big as fly specks. Igno-
rance not quite of the ignoramus sort avoids
all this by just believing the current no.
lions without examination. l say this is
delicious in more ways than one.
My friend Raymond is going to eternal
Paradise, where he will be waited on like a
king, have all his wants supplied, and
never know a care; all this because his
creed is sound. His wife is unable to give
him peace and rest here, although she
works hard enough to do it. He is a dis
satisfied, fretful creature; but he is conf
dent that in another world he will be abso-
lutely painless and careless, and full to the
brim Of bliss. What a large compensation
is this for unquestioning simpletonism!
Ignorance has other advantages. 1t is
clear enough that Governor Berkeley was
right. 1t takes a very solid ignorance to
insure social pe;lce. Printing presses bring
in a host OF clashing ideas. New ideas
have II habit of humping against each
others pates.
THE AFFECTIONS OF THE =
Thnra ,n1-o, lr, HOO. -
people in America as the negro slaves were
before emancipation, Notwithstanding Miss
Stoves pathetic Uncle Tom. You and |
never are contented because we know
there is SO much more to be known. We
are afflicted with Jul ignorance; we feel
squelched more and more by tie fact that
we canot begin to keep pace with science
and literature.
1t is really painful to take up the pub.
lisherS' bulletins and see how the world is
running away from us. There is just a
little comfort in not looking at the English
and French and German lists. All, if one
can but crawl back into himself and be-
stolidly Indifferent to these things! Igno-
rance can, but we cannot. Simply because
we know n few things we have found out
our ignorance, and are finding it out more
kcenly every year.
y really wise man gets almost wholly
suppressed by the conviction of hi. lack Of
information. Will this go on, and how
far will it 70 on? Egotism is interested IN
knowing what will be the limit to the
modesty of a really informed man.
Perhaps you have heard the comments of
an average audience on a very able lecturer.
! once heard Emerson discussed by a group
making its glad exit from Faneuil hall.
Couldn't make out his drive" said one.
Don't think he could himself" replied a
second. Ignorance goes on utterly un-
ruffled by the fact that it cannot define
transcendentalism, or remotely get an idea
OF b Il transcendentalist is driving at.
There are probably books enough already
in the world to run us comfortably for the
next thousand years. Ignorance writes
of them.
MEN WHO MAKE BOOKS.
Two hundred years ago nc one wrote a
book unless he had a gift, or at least some-
unusual to say. The books of those
days had readers, and lived. The books of
today are got into print by paying the pub
They do not expect to be read-at
least are not. What a funny place is a
book storel The old stock in a dry goods
store has a value, but not so here. Yet l
about to suggest that the new copy
right law he entitled an Act to Encourage
Mediocrity."
The more ignorant u tourist is of Amer
lea the more sure he is to publish his note
book when he gets back to Europe. Since
Sir Charles Dilke's book concerning us not
one has had an intellectual value except
that OF Professor Bryce. Our W travellers
have for the most part given up publishing
hop, skip and jump annotations of foreign
lands.
Literary ignorance is by no means the
phase of stupidity. 1t is a happy
vent for folly. When a man has said a
foolish thing in print he is satisfied. Then
it is done up in leather. 1t can dc no harm
unless it is read. l wonder what are the
exact probabilities that a feeble book will
be read. The publishers tell us that few
books sell 200 copies. How about those that
sell ten or thirty or fifty copies? Are they
the really valuable books?
How long will literary energy take to
spend itself in this country on such a basis
Of remuneration? Is there any way where
bV.Wa can have "A valnabla Critical iopcp,)