Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-03-08
Is IT EXTRAHAGANCE,

~ II Extra lAbANCEF
Charles Dickens, with his keen insight
into the "seamy side" of nature, makes his
Gradegrfnd potent satire upon a class of
people who will see, will hear, will con.
slider only facts Life to them is one hard
incontrovertable fact People are hungry
and must be fed to live. People are naked
and must be clothed for the sake OF warmth
and decency Money must be had for these
things, hence work for wages is necessary
for their acquisition. knowledge is neces
sary for the accomplishment of work, hence
education, up to certain point, and here
their creed stops These principles are
founded on solid facts. Any thing else they
cannst comprehend and will not look at.
rDo we put herses in upon our wall paper ?"
asks Mr.. Grddegrind, in effect "No. Why !?
Because it is not fact that horses ever climb
over the walls OF houses"
Many of Dickens characters seem exag.
gerations, even to those who know and like
him best, and yet even those who do not
admire his writings are forced to confess
that every where around them do they see
people of whom Dickens characters are but
the slightest exaggerations. So Grddegr1nds,
though unpleasant people, are not uncom
mon by any means.
Education is too often regarded as means
instead of an end To have read so many
works, to be able TO recite so many lines of
Virgil, to quote from Horace, to understand
mathematics, history, geography-this is
education in the estimation Of the masses.
And vet ii is the least part of it, Edu
cation is development of the mind, ex
pansion of ideas, it is knowing how to
think for oneself, understanding or striv
ing TO understand the problems of life, it
is learning to make ones own deductions
and at the same time being able to slit the
true premises from the false.
An this is education. The parrot.lke
knowledge which one may repeat conveys
to the brain only the expression OF one
color, SO all central nerves convey to the
seat of acquisition only that which can best
be retained Were this not so where would
he our brilliant scientists. Further than
this, even all that one brain can absorb is
not to be gained through the effort of &C
QUESTION. This would be work. BY I'M
conscious absorption Of surroundings i'm
mense strides may be made without the
least effort or sense of mental fatigue.
Men with small pocket books but large
brains are frequently censured for their ex'
,ravagance in the purchase ofpictures, books,
rare objects, beautiful china, flowers, hand
some fabrics, with rich dull coors, and all
the other beautiful things that money can
buy instead OF laying up money in bank
But is it extravaganza to surround oneself,
ones children and ones friends with pic
lures and colors, and lines of beauty that all
go to enrching the soul and broadening the
mind?
Is one happier or better or of more value
to the world in general if one persists in
abiding in dull room surrounded only
with stiff haircloth furniture, but, at the
sametime, possessing balance in bank?
What soul-except the rare one which
can be utterly obllvious to surroundings and
dwell only in beautiful dreams-what soul, |
we say, can reach its highest and best
thoughts in such cramped environments as
this9 God, says Marie Corelli, is composed
of love aud beauty. Surely where there is
no aspiration for the beautiful, there can be
but little for love.
We say distinctly, aspiration for the beau
tilul, because the soul may possess the as
piratioD and appreciation and yet be denied
the material. But where the aspiration is
some day il will be fulfilled
Year after year this idea is being borne in
upon the public mind, our villages and towns
and cities are being beautitied and filled with
elegant and artistic buildings, our railroads
are making their stations an education in
tile work and other architectural decorations,
our little shantes by the road side are re
placed by artistic cottages, and so through
all these grades OF life.
If all this be approved as an educational
process, how much more effective in private
life, where the influence would be felt every
day and all day?
Rather than extravaganza is legiti-
mate expenditure Of money, and would give
big per cent. upon the Investment, even
If little economy were necessary in some
other directions