The record-union., 1896-10-04
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
BY MEMO.
lCOpVrightedO

every State of the Union. In this county
they can be found in the columns of this
ments with the author for their exclusive
appearance)
Mark it down that amateur efforts
score few hits nowadays. A geologist
is of more gain to a party of pros
pectors than fifty picks and shovels.
An analytical chemist sees further
than the sharpest eyes in detecting val
ues. The scientific farmer with his
microscope and test-tubes has i'm
mense advantage over the man who
knows nothing of the actual foods and
constituents of plants. Be thorough OF
be nothing. but to this latter you will
need no commencing if you neglect
the former. 1t is not for us to repine
because the competition along the lines
of every successful life is grow
ing so intense. We are here
here now. and we have to ac-
cept that fact with the best possible
grace. To me it seems that life is just
as full of opportunity as it ever has
been for those of us who will comply
with the conditions. In fact, our age
appears to exceed all others in the
chances it offers. Since the branches
that call for exact information now are
possibly as 100 to l when compared
with the avenues open before the young
man of a century ago: and. further
more, keeping pace with the need for
complete special knowledge, is an in
creasing ease in mastering the branch
that we may select. 1t is possible to
acquire in a few days what Newton
strained a lifetime to discover The
tortuouS ways blazed through the for
ests of ignorance by the pioneers are
now smooth. Straight highways where
on the wayfarer need not err III his
search for the tree of knowledge Let
me draw an illustration from the bi-
cycle. A few years ago a mile done in
three mnitueS was considered wonder
full riding. Now the minute line is be
ing rapidly approached, not because hui
man legs are stouter than formerly
but because the vehicle is more perfect
ly constructed. So the pace in every
line of life is faster than it used to be,
but the friction is less.
But if you are specialist and moth
ing else, so wrapped up in your one
ism that you have neither heart nor
mind for the many diverse interests of
your neighbors, you are in a fair way
to becoming a wearisome, bumptious
nuisance. If you are known as one
who talks shop in the home and on
the street, you are liable ultimately to
be avoided as a bore, and thus, from
your own fault, lose the advantage to
your mind that comes from mental
friction. Your descent thereafter to
narrow -mindedness will be rapid in
deed. My advice is that you drop your
speciality absolutely when your busi-
ness hours come to an end and fill
your leisure hours (most of us have at
least six) with conversation, or reading
or writing of an improving character.
This bars out a good deal of the bum
ble-bee buZZing" in the front parlor:
that is the angel cake food of the mind,
never good as a steady diet. 1t also
bars out the perusal of trashy, exciting
novels. Fiction is excellent in its way,
but an indulgence in it should be con-
fined to the masters, in order that your
language, your moral ideals, and your
reading taste may remain high. 1t just
occurs to me, however, that the in
ventor of the steam engine, James
Watt, in his old age sat down with his
wife to read voraciously all the mawk-
ish and flabby love stories that he could
lay his hands on. But this proves moth
ing in opposition to the advice of the
preceding sentence. In the first place,
you are not in your dotage, and in the
second, the world will gladly let you
follow your reading tastes, no matter
how puerile, when you have accom-
plished one-half that Watt did against
obstacles Of the most heart breaking
character.
For mental health, I would strongly
recommend the taking up of one or two
hobbies. They give definite purpose to
leisure and usually grow SO absorbing
as to drive business completely out of
the mind. Rest assured that your brain
cannot retain it's strength for long, if
you deny it these changes of activity.
When business cares stretch their ner-
vous fingers out over your hours of rec
reatiOn and rest, modern life VIII soon
prove too eXhausting for you. A hobby
comes in as a mental tonic. 1t is i'm
possible for me to suggest what it should
be. The lines of useful investigation out
side your own one business are as many
and as diversified as are the individuals
who read these words. The writer's own
hobbies are SO varied that every day OF
life is full of the pleasure of gaining and
storing. Primarily he believes that
there are none SO humble but that they
have information or warning to lmpart,
and thus conversations, speeches, SER
mons are made to pour helpful KNOW
ledge into the brain day by day. Three
other main hobbies fill the crevlces
of time that remain-accumulatn MS
torical and geographical facts regard
ing the United States; watching foreign
events and endeavoring to understand
their meaning; writing in these 'Ramb-
ling Thoughts each week those things
that MUST reach, touch, enthuse some
heart somewhere.
Along the line of that last mentioned
hobby let me set down here in closing
for the week a thought that came to me
as I turned away on recent evening
from the house of friend upon whom
deep sorrow had fallen.
The hot-headed and foolish youth
saws to himself, ''I will see life,'' and he
associates himself straightway with
those who are clawed all over with the
finger marks of Death. Life is not self
qualification. To really live is to be mon
2rcn OF OU6Sell lIllC uocS liol even COi-
sist in having where to lay the head,
nor somewhat with which to be covered.
nor wherewithal to be fed. The animals
live such a life almost. To live is to
gain and give away; to gather of good
in order to scatter it abroad: to travel
if needs be the via dolorosa (the way of
Sc dness) so that the strong hand may
be acquired for leading others to the
DeIectab BILE Mountains: to throw ont the