Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-07
Unidentified.
Observations Of a Philosophical Friend
of Ours)


| Observations Of a Philosophical Friend
of Ours)
Dignity, the least bit oyerdone, Is an
unpopular thing. It is a very bad garment
to put on, and forever arouses suspicion
of one sort or another.
Rochefoucauld describes It: A mysterious
carriage of the body, assumed TO cover
defects OF the mind.
1t was very wicked for our old friend TO
characterize a very large case of it as "a
pompous old ass" But the words have
stuck and are not to be gotten rid or,
and sometimes they find themselves APP
piled, in spite OF their wickedness. Whose
fault is it? Plague take 'em!
There are divers instances In history,
interesting in this connection. When Da-
vid brought up tho Ark into its place 1t
IS reported that in the exuberance Of his
delight "he danced" Theologians say he
danced very piously, professionally, and
ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Mrs. David evidently did
not look at it that way; for she got very
mad about It, forgot her own dignity, ana
said a great deal that she oughtnt to
say-and was punished for it-besides
what her husband had 10 say. The good
man, no doubt, Just Let himself out, and
didn't care fig what other people had 10
say about IT, He was as happy as he
| could be, and he wanted everybody TO
know il. They say, too, that after the
battle Of Cheroneia, IN which Philip OF
Macedon gained an overwhelming victory,
that great man took upon himself 20 have
high time, much TO the disgust OF his
Il m
his own hands. Whether Henry ", as
King, dealt only I'm dignity, is not so en-
tirely certain. Shakespeare makes him say
when he got a draft OF old-fashioned
small beer: These humber considerations
make me ashamed OF my greatness.
worthy friend OF ours owns TO a little
ambition, but he protests that 1t is not
that he cares a farthing for the celebrity,
only he is anxious 10 win his spurs" or
ganize great railroad, win battle, make
big speech, or DO something a good deal
stunning, so that ne may be Just as young
and undignined as he pleases. Simplicity
Is a characteristic OF greatness and free
heartedness bespeaks a good conscience
and an enlightened mind. Uneasness and
effort and anxiety tell OF something wrong
and OF essential dissatisfaction. Preten-
sion means Disgusting. covering up, and
claiming falsely. And whenever dignity Is
over much, or put on Tor occasions, IL IL
more or less a robe OF snobbishness and
fraud. And so is every grace that is exo-
genous-that Is, from without, instead or
endogenous, from within. How very dig
nfied and proper were the Scribes and
Phariseesl There IS nothing undignihed In
nature. Design, beauty and grace charac-
terlze all that proceeds from the hand or
the Almighty; all His works declare His
glory and show His handiwork. A pure
and true and honorable heart, that is set
on things true, honest and tust-pure,
lovely, and Of good report-can never move
its possessor 10 thought feeling. or
word unworthy OF IL. He has no con-
cealments, no shows. He can no more do
an ugly or undignihed thing than the lily
or the oak can disgrace itself. The issues
OF life that proceed from the heart involve
the motion OF the body. the tone OF tho
voice, the glance OF the eye, every mani
festation OF manhood. II Is the heart
that makes US 6ignifed or undignihed-
right or wrong-in the least and greatest
matters OF social intercourse and or duty.
II is not In the nature OF things for chart
ty, truth. duty, and amiabllity 10 behave
itself unseemly. Its gayeties and liher-
ties are fascihations and charms-inhnite
vsriAtIsA But lust let a donkey try 10