The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-15

Is not diolle lilt o'i1c1iN'7'
t!attery, but it is likewise the rule Dy
which we grow. Originality, as some-
thing which is of the essence o. pro-
auction or of conduct is almost utterly
myth. One man differs from anoth-
er by the variations of the copies from
which each has evolved his life. The
most beautiful of thoughts, the rarest
OF conceits, the deeps OF passion ana
the heights of love arc all things
which have been learned as monkey
parts his hair. Success is Il slow pro-
cess of perfect reproduction Of things
which have been long since thought or
done. That is mediocrity; pre-emi-
nence picks the flaw in the standard
which it has set for itself, chooses from
a multiplicity of pictures those details
best suited TO its purpose and comes
up smiling with a finished product
touched in its vanity to announce as
the work of its own hands. Yet that
thing which is unique is scarcely more
than daring in combinations, as a
new shade made of primary colors.
Like the new shade, too, il may spell
fame; it is more likely to strike harsh
" uuon eyes set in the fashion and be
forgotten as a failure. There lies the
danger, for that the product is fixed
and Inevitable. Who is not content TO
follow his copy closely, nays for high
STAKES, Dut taxes d greater pEOpOIli'ii-
ate risk. Who would be happy, must
not dream of originality.
Yet an ambitious imitation sights
high realms of thin air. Perhaps it is
worth the effort. Certain it is 'hot it
is necessary to the world 1t must be
that there should be failures, and the
number of successes is almost directly
in ratio to the Weaklings who. having
it within them to- become 1ine
Ito
dashed away their lives upon q false
conceit and an unattainable hope.
Starting with the child, the habit goes
on through the life of the man until he
has made his pattern, not perhaps TO
his own suitins, but TO the decree of
his limitations. And his ultimate
worth is fixed by this, the lateness of
the completed model That mans
destiny is fixed when he commences to
repeat and to enlarge, not upon The
thousand properties of other minds,
but to impose upon himself by the
variation OF his own completed indi-
yiduality. Some few there be--and
these are the great ones, whether the
world has seen or not-Who are still
occupied when the curtain drops Iii,
putting old wine into new boz.
ties; but soon or late, there comes the,
time with the thousands, when after a
they stand abashed and surprised at
the point at which they took the road
Thenceforth do their ecorts become as
the simple tricks which fascinate the
mind of a child; and, setting their
compass as they will, gazing ever SO
stoutly az the desired mount of their
destination, they travel to the flnal
rest in ever decreasing circles.
Perhaps the underlying secret of the
charm OF childhood is the knowledge
in the mind OF the grown-up of the
infinite number Of easy things which
come TO it to learn. One can watch it
as it grows, can see the budding of the
new thoughts old as the world, as
fresh az a dew-drenched morning.
And it is all 80 simple, this imitation
that is the breath of life itself, 1t is
so commonplace, yet SO wonderful, SO
surely the essence of happiness. No
matter what It's condition, no child has
time to be miserable. Its wide eyes
open constantly to marvellous secrets
of the every day 1t is STOPPING al
ways to pick new and undreamed of
flowers, to eat new fruits with an ap-
petite surprised into existence a hun
dred times week. There are so
many things to ask about, an infini-
tude of wants, a wealth of possession.
And there are patterns by the thous-
ands. many of them worthless, all in
teresting and suggestive. The child
changes from moment TO moment in
ambitions and in hopes and desires.
He is growing and finding himself
amid a perfect revel of shining mys-
teries Yet always. by virtue OF the
very riches in which is his delight,
does his life become more difficult and