The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-25
ALr1rLE wHoLEsOMK DIRT.

go,d thing for small boy. Of course
in this. as in everything else, however,
there are certain limits to he observed.
A dirty little pig who has been making
mud pies and slowly comes here this
minute" with his face smeared with
CLAY and tens and the beautiful eyes
and rosy checks shining through all, IS
very DELIGHTFULLY."- kissible, if you can ind
clean spot: but if, aftcr being dressed
for the evening, he plays circus on the
edge of the brine tub loses his balance
| ard has IT, be fshed out, what is to be
! done with him? Our frieDd would. OF
course. be prepared 10 make a nice dis
tinction. That was not what she meant
Plain. honest. clean dirt is respectable,
| and il is q purifier And il doI not be
come those who are made out of it aud
live on it to be ashamed of it. The Son
IF Siracb asks. Shall dust and ashes be
proud?' In his death struggle with Her
cues the giant Antaeus found 1t a safe
resort. for every time lie fell on the
ground he arose renewed and reinvigo-
rated. The strong man saw that and
lifted him 10 the air and kept him there
and squeezed him to death. And 1t Is
prettv certain that the return to first
principles, the bringing to mind the rock
| from whence we are hewn and the hole
of the pit from which we are dug, is
most wise and salutary exercise. 1t IS
| easy TO moralize on this. The Constltu'
| ton Of the United States acknowledges
the idea, and requires that its most inn
portant officers shall periodically be tum-
| bled back to mix with the common peo-
ple and feel their wants and think their
thoughts. And the first truth that was
| impressed on our race was Dust thou
art. and unto dust thou shalt return
Still, as we said just now, we must
make nice distinctions. Dirt and clay
are one thing and filth is quite another.
Mr.. Carlisle. in philosophizing on the life
of Door Burns, discusses what he calls
the mud bath" The bath be had IN
mind was not an earth or clay puriher'
but il was rather what goes under the
very ugly name of ''hog-wash" or sowing
wild oats" There have been men VINO
in their widest revelry never forgot that
they were gentlemen. And yet the re-
vered name and standard had to be adj
iusted and pulled and hauled dreadtuly
10 suit their then conditions; they had
to draw heavily on their claims, antece-
dents and ancestors to hold their own.
Hog wash" is only disgusting, and
"wild oats" have n bad harvest.
Shakespeare very handsomely DEFENDS
the mud BATH" to which Prince Henry
was subjected, whose "addictlons were
to courses vain; his companies inlet
tered. rude and shallow" &c; that he
"obscured his CONCENTRATIONS. under the
veil of wil6ncss"; that finest berries
grow best neghbored by those of baser
qualities" and that his wisdom was
unseen. vet crescive." The fact was that
his hero escaped, as others escape, the
dread consequences of pollution by the
skin Of his teeth. while his lewd COM
panions went direct to the devil. And
Burns mud bath wrecked Lis life.
Still. there is lesson in mud pies
and dusty faces, and mud baths, and
rcvelries. Nature does abhor restraints,
ond conveItionalities. and ovcrmuch
Righteousness, and delights in honest,
free, natural exercise, in obeying i'm
pulses, in playing man primitively, as
he was made out of the dust of the
earth. and turned loose on its surface
with other animals as their king but
to make his living by the sweat of his
brow, and keep himself Lord of Creation
by the exercise and development of his
divine faculties and capabilities. We all
would like, just for once in our lives, to
be allowed to do as we please, without
anybody to restrain or critioise US if we
choose to roll in the dust. And yet, as
in the case of our baby boy, there are
limits.
A man is never allowed to forget that
he is a gentleman. Purity lost is lost
for a lifetime. Vulgarity and obscenity
are unquestioned signs of low breeding,
and an insult 20 any company. They
are not clean dirt, but are abominable
! filth An honest man feels no re-
straints within the rules of right; nor a
gentleman in the restraints of decency.
In common life freedom is one thing
and RIGHTEOUSNESS is III other. Life is
not a thing of mere discipline. 1t is
devotion to high ideals and service of
the Almighty. 1t is not freedom in a
child To defile itself, nor in grown per-
sor to indulge vile procliyities, and throw
away the chances of noble life. Free
dom begins back in the heart, and can
never be bought at the expense of self
respect. Obedience TO low impulses be-
speaks an enslaved and besotted soul
Indulgence in kind, and pure, and honor
able impulses is perfect freedom" Fol-
lowing what is right we work accord
ing to law; we know the truth and the
Truth shall make us free" The high
est conception of absolute freedom IL
the glorious liberty of the children of
| light"
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The people of Macon, Ga, who assault