Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1906-05-04
THINGS


and more broadly inclusive in its
meaning than the word thing. The
word itself is thing, Is is every |
object or separate existence Ill 1t,
or on it including persous, for are
not our friends and relations often
mean old thing. or dear thing, o
or poor things? We ask: "Ho'
are things?" and say w d ,n'tkloW
a thing OF that we have heard
wonderful thing, which may and
generally does imply something
more than single fact, and tn t
we will put things to rights 1t
is also philosophical term, as when
we speak of the 'natuIe ofthings,"
and in law there is the thing iu
action" In its concrete St nse it
is often specially applied to gar
ments, as when we say, Lay eff
your things" or II must put Gil
my things" but it is in its broad
er concrete seuse, as including all
objects of which one may acquire
ownership, of which we wish to
speak.
In old fashioned country houses
there was a room always which
was never opened except on State
occasions, in which the housewife
kept most of what she called her
things, consisting of her best furni
ture and simple ornaments, relics
and souvenirs, all very precious to
her. As civilization has advanced,
riches increased and life grown
more complicated, things have
multiplied until the possession of
them has become burdensome, and
many people have grown to be the
mere slaves of things. They spend
most of their time i'll looking after
and arranging them, and if .ome
littleobject or other is lost OF ID s.
laid they are in despair I'm i! it
found, or mourn over its PERM
nent loss as though it were a near
relation. Many woman with hou> S
crammed with miscellaneous things
never have them off their mind, and
pass their existence thinking and
talking of them and taking care Of
them, until they become little More
than thing themselves. Man, of
these things taken by them selves
may be beautiful or interesting, but
they are often incongrous and SO
clustered and crowded together
that there is no harmony of effort
in the mass, and all interest and
sense of beauty vanish. One may
find things ancient, medieval and
modern, Japanese, Indian, Persi;
and American huddled and jun
bled in lavish profusion and confu-
sion till the effect is more like ba-
zaar or brica brack shop than
rational human abode.
1t is lust here that we can learn
more much from the japanese, tie
most artistic OF PEOPLE. They new
er have more than one or two pict-
ures or bronzes in a living room at
the same time. changing them at
intervals, thinking that they are
much better appreciated and en-
joyed when taken singly. There
should, of course, be museums, gal.
laries and collections for comparri-
son and study, but houses would
be more livable, more enjoyable
and truly artistic and vastly less
care with fewer things.
Things ir them selves are not OBJ
jectionable if they are kept in their
proper relation and proportion.
The greatest, most useful and hap
piest lives can be lived entirely
without them, and. much pride IS
people take in their manifold pos
session, we are disposed to think
they are most fortunate who nav
feweSt. We cannot imagine any
one with any really great or impor-
tant interest or occupation in lie,
any one with much capacity and
large tasks to perform, cal ng
greatly for them. A very large
proportion of those that are gar
nered and treasured belong in the
rubbish heap, another large proper
ton should be sent TO muSums, till
dwellings are pretty much clared
of them. Many a woman'S health
is broken by putting away and get
ting out useless and needless things
and worrying about them. In the
multiplicity of their owner ship is
wearing slavery and the truly sim
pie life will begin with Its abolition