Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-20
POlyph eEus.
observations OF a Philosophical Friend
Of Ours.)
And we petty men

OF Ours)
And we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonorable graves"
Julius Caesar.
"Aldlborortiphoskiph Where left
est thou observation-disclosures
bastes FNurioso.
Nature dispenses her bounties with an
even hand. and a kind and true heart.
The universal law Of compensation IN
time makes the odds all even. And the
most terrible inequalities and discords
end IN equilibrium and in a long, harmoni-
Gus strain, that melts into silence. Her
general rule and aim Is to give to every
man according to his several ability to
make peace. The opportunities and privi-
leges Of the violet and daisy are as nicely
and amply adjusted and provided as the
environments OF the Victoria Regia and
the oak. a certain space and full sup
ply Of atmospheric air, and all the ele-
ments Of life and growth. When the in
diyidual Of any sort absorbs or appropri-
ates more than by natural equity it is en-
titled to, some one suffers. So the grass
and heritage dies under the all-devouring
tree. So great land-holders add field to
field, till there IS no place for the low'v
man. SO in every way. in few hanos
wealth accumulates. and men decay"
These are very serious considerations.
They make up one of the great problems
of human life that are 70 be worked out
on the grand arena OF our country. We
are not going to die OF social dropsy, local
swellings. We have health and strength
enough to effect healthy distribution Of
the Commonwealth. AS laws are abused,
and are turned to the advantage of the
few, and the danger of the many. natural
equity will find thousand ways to- re-
strict, to enjoin, to command, and TO
adjust and punish selfshness. And the
utterance Of the great statesman viii be
found a way Of nature: "Peaceably. il we
can; forcibly, If we cannot" When mid
medicines fail to accomplish a cure. great
disturbances and cholera morbus rack
the general system. Moreover, in the
days when there have been giants. there
have sprung up champions and knights
errant, and Jack the Giant Killers, equal
to tho occasions. This is history. And
this sort of history goes on. The old
and foolish king comes TO a deplorable
end. Croesus and Darius are carried
away captive, and the stockings of
wolf found an empire. Old empires go
to pieces in the Old World and the wild
erness and solitary place displays the
glory Of all nations. And Times last and
noblest offspring stands subservient 10 the
of nd Ia hf.-
BUSINESS exalteth nation, but sin Is re-
prOach to any people. And so forth!
But in common, everyday life, In bust
ness, IN social circles, we have our over
weening giants and polyphemuses. Poly
phemus used to amuse himself striding
from cliff to cliff. twirling on his thumb
great pine as his toy, scratching his head
with an uprooted oak, tossing huge boul- |
ders for the fun Of 1t, and making the |
earth tremble with his bellowings: and |
when he ate he took an armed Trojan |
for light breakfast; spears and shields |
to promote digestion, as a chicken would |
gravel.
Our ordinary giants are not after quite /
as large a scale as Polyphemus, but how |
hey do strut and play big! Not long since |
we had one who could only talk millions |
and regulate nations, yet could never |
bring himself down to the infinitesimal |
settlement with his washerwoman. Talk
ng millions. living life OF grandeur and
Is, no doubt very plea
jant TO giants. but It has very dwarfing,
,mothering effect upon an ordinary man.
Magnificent immense. and splendid ere
yery inconvenient and bewildering words |
md ideas among common people. And J
he extravagantly heroic and distinguish
ID is about the same.
Walking big. talking large, strutting
Ike a gobbler. and radiating self-conceit.
Ices not suit common life at all. And al
Ways our first impulse is to trip them,
o kick them, to smash them, to puncture
IT blow them up. When Aesop's lion
vas going about his business quietly he
vas startled and COMPOUNDED by terrific
oar just behind him. He fairly trem-
led with fear. and looked In every d.
ection to find the huge and terrible mon
ter from which II might proceed. Think
+ his disgust, when, on a sudden. his
yes fell upon a bullfrog, swelled TO his
xtremest limit. ana roaring like an
arthquakel And so he wiped him out
nth his forepaw. The DEVIL
Every man and woman in the world is
ntitled to a certain amount Of comfort.
Z space, OF air. OF notices And when
yer any one expands or swells beyond
Is or her limits, fills more OF the public
ye OF time than is their due. nature and
he world resent II; they are made to pay
Dr. their bigness.
So distribution does undo excess,
And each man has enough.
The day Of the Lord IL on every sns