The Somerset reporter., 1893-03-09
FARM. GARDEN and
HOUSEHOLD.
Butts. Ifs, and Barriers

At A dinner given in town not long
since. the talk about the table drited int
A discussion OF certain books on meta
physics which within few years had
made deep impression on many minds
of our constituents.
Some one was speaking OF the quality OF
the authors work. OF It's peculiar value Is
A preparation for an understanding oil
subtler subjects which subsequent writ
ers along his line had eNPounded- he
beautiful woman who sat near the host
looked up and said "Nou do not mean
YOU find anything of value in that man
Ills tone is so irritating to me, ! can't I'M
derstand anybody'S liking him This
ended the discussion Of the man tor the
talk. As it always must among people
careful not to destroy by dispute the
charm OF a dinner when II runs upon a
snag of disagreement, swept easily about
into another and different channel. The
next day however. the beautiful woman
called upon the interrupted speaker. 81
have lain awake halt the night she sad
thinking OF what did. 1t was so
stupid in me to speak in that way. |
contributed nothing to the discussion
and shut Away from myself an oppor-
tunity to widen my knowledge IN a new
direction.
This shutting away OF opportunities
from ourselves is a sin OF which the ma
iority of us are guilty. though few OF us,
like the lady at dinner, are so wide awake
spiritually as to perceive our fault. We
are indeed for the most part, much
buster in throwing up barriers about
ourselves. in closing avenues through
which wider knowledge and perception
are approaching, than we are Kidding
ourselves of those clogs to progress which
inheritance has bequeathed and environ
ment helped to bind about out feet,
Untimely criticism is a barrier, shutting
out affection from us. and spontaneity.
Don't wrigge your feet so, my son,
says the critical father to a boy vibrant
with enthusiasm. The correction could
have waited and the boy with dampened
ardor, turns away, telling his next story
elsewhere, while the father some day
wonders why BOYS are sealed books TO
their elders ..Where did you buy that
dreadful cravat? Mary say to John, In
the midst of his cheerful salutation, when
he is lust about to tell her of bit OF
good fortune. "Such silly sertmentalityl
saws John. with 4 shrug of Indifference,
to Mary. at some new thought sprlngng
out of her heart, dcwy in freshness as a
newly plucked rose. And John and
Mary each grows to mourn the TACT that
the best of the other sheds its fragrance
elsewhere.
There are hundred other barriers-the
dwelling on material cares, the wanton OF
disregard of social amenities, the sensl-
tiveness to personal peculiarities. Her
voice worries me; ! can't listen, says
some one of another who is speaking
pearls of wisdom. Then there are all the
butts and ifs of everyday life, with which
we rake together all our past experience
and present condition making OF them
bulwarks no remedy can pieree-"lt !
were only sure, If you only knew,
But YOU do not know how peculiar my
condition is, III were only situated as
YOU are, perhaps We hear these al
most every time we proher help OF hold
out promise to the weak, the suffering
and the troubled. and unless we are
strong in purpose, poise above dlscour-
agement, we are apt to flee away dlsmay-
ed. For no one wants to fight an lndl-
vdual with one hand in order to bestow
a gift with the other