Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-06
AT ALTON.
AN ELOQUENT DISCUSSION OF "a
STILL NOISE"
CLOSE MOUTHED CRAEKS.
Some of Them Dcscribed-IIomily
Upon Non-LOGuaciOus People
Ynbies Who Can't Talk, But Who
Can Make Themselves Heard, &c.

ALTON, VA, June 4.-(speciai.) ISL
lence is a still noise" says Josh Billings.
Our quaint philosopher might have thus
apostrophized from lofty pinnacle noun
tain or viewed from the broken rock Of
Humpback the noisy stiffness OF CULVER
ing leaves and leaping waters in the wild
panorama. Upon these bare, bleak sum-
mits the world Of man is forgotten
Forests whose depths no human eye has
penetrated; serrated blue peaks, covered
with pines; giant oaks and cedars and
balsam, that, tapping their long limbs,
hide the secrets Of the birds; tangled
underbrush, where the partridge escapes
the keen hunter, and gorgeous naples,
parting to disclose glens and gorges of
marvellous beauty On the dead stiffness
whir and a rush Of wings; the scarlet
tannager fits by from the gray lichens,
or a fox leaps stealthily along Only
this-and the still noise Of the murmur-
ing wind. In the midst of civilization,
no whistle of steam or clatter OF car;
no CLINT Of cycling wheel nor neighing
of horse; in a land of harvests, no sound
Of reaper. 1t is the domain Of Natures
silence.
The highest forces are the most silent.
Ages ago. when God revealed himself
| TO Elijah, lie was not in the tempest.
nor in the earthquake: lie was not in the
fire. but in the It'll. small voice; in Eden
He was known by the zephyr.
TREE GROWTH.
Did YOU ever watch a tree IN the growth
| Of trunk limbs leaves, and fruit2 Silent;
| all silent. - think, personally. we 40
not cultivate this sweet and powerful
silence half enough; we live. as it were,
/ too much in the Martha age, when we
would better. like Mary, be still and learn.
| whether one profted thereby in added
wisdom. certainly silent peope are the
most impressive. Retcent men nave
been from the earliest time popularity
supposed TO be men Of power. Gold
smith was one of the most lively and
| loquacious men who ever lived. yet he
| knew the mystery which surrounds a
! silent man. He said: Language was
given us for the purpose OF concealinS
our thoughts" This is an axiom which
implies a ,lot more of deceit in humanity
/ than is pleasant for us 10 contemplate,
and yet it has the grain of truth.
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
In criminology. it is well known that
there is no Cher form of punishment
so dreaded as solitary confinement. Men
have been known to go insane from what
is called the silent system. For myself,
/ am afraid of silent people. / have an
I overwhelming awe OF the man or wo-
man, who closes the lips with chary
''umi umw instead OF the frank and
open eyes" or mo-; but that does not
detract from the inner and repressed
power feel they have.
There are, however, some curious
anomalies among these human sphinxes
4 friend of mine. well known 10 the
readers of the humorous papers. is one
Of the most eXasperatingly silent crea-
lures alive He spends an existence
among the busy crowds of New York
like a Trappist monk. He rarely speaks
and / think. has not smiled since he
cashed his first check. The fact of his
being a sort Of free lance in vens de
! societie accounts for the serene solemn
| ity Of his countenarce. and an entire
| distrust of humanity at large for his
| taciturnty. Every Friday he goes down
| to Puck" or Judge" for he Is as
| impartial In his politics as his wit, and
| leaves a bundle Of jokes and poems
Bright, sparkling things they are. too
| The editor hands him back OF the last
| batch what he does not need, and re-
mits for the balance. All this. In COM
plete silence--the more lugubrious in
manner the merrler the matter Is. This
is the .'sllence that is golden"
THE CRANK.
One Of the most perplexing cranks
alive Is the silent crank-men who elect
| TO live alone, though in the hustle OF
| a city or in the wholesome activity or
country life: hundreds of men there are
upright and just. breathing the air OF
freedom. who lead lives almost as soil
tary as those serving sentence In prison.
These silent cranks are n host into
themselves. They prefer solitude to
companionship. and We are happy only
| In being left severely alone
/ abominate fiirtations. but the Hash OF
eva 10 eye from the man In the pit to
the pretty girl in the dress-circls at .