The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-02-02
BALANCE.

the circus or the amusement park,
fills us with wonder. on the slender /
cord he walks. advancing or retreat
ing, lying down and rising again, un-
der the canvas or over the water as B
the case may be. 1t may make us F,
dizzy to look out of high window, /,
or peer over onto the street from the
roof top He, with nothing larger
than foothold for a bird, feels en-
tirely at home Truly, it is a Won
derful display of nerve and steadi-
ness and self-control.
But there is something in his hand,
though nothing very wonderful, how
ever necessary it may be. There is
long rod, to which he holds as a
child might cling to his fathers hand.
Yet it is we'll called balancing
pole. 1t makes the precarious task
possible With its play, its thrust,
it's rise and dip, it is like an anchor
to a tossing boat, or like rope in
the grasp of a struggling swimmer
We may not have tested it, nor ex-
perienced it's use, yet we know it to
be a real help. Rope walking takes
nerve; still more, it takes balance.
Inventive minds are still at work
on some means of locomotion where
by car can travel upon single
rail. In this age of the world, it is
reckless to say that the thing is i'm
possible. Whether it be CONNER
cially feasible or not, the instrument
depended upon is the gyroscope.
With wheels revolving with incredible
velocity-3 900 turns minute-on
each side of the center of gravity,
it is fact that balance is preserved,
The top is the simple illustration
of the principle. A college profess
sor cannot make a top stand up
straight on the sharp pointed end,
but a five year old youngster can if
he spins it. The motion does it; the
activity gives it balance.
Sometimes it is necessary to send
out a special train, when pressing
business or a case of life or death
cannot wait upon the regular sched-
ule The railroad official orders
clear track and soon all is ready.
Perhaps one man only is to make the
trip. Even so, he is not asked to
take a place in the engine, nor is
single car added to the engine, but
a train OF several cars is made up.
For maintaining the unusual speed,
the engine needs to be balanced by
the weight, the pull of the train
behind. Safely lies not in lightness,
but in having something to draw,
lest the swiftly moving locomotive
be hurled from the rails.
Human nature needs to be bal
anced. The mentally defective are
conspicuous for fixed ideas, obses-
sions, exaggerated notions on some
particular subject Danger lies in
brooding too entirely upon one thing,
no matter how good. Poverty of
life lies in making the range of in
terests narrow.
Life cannot be made too abundant,
which is to say that it cannot be too
well balanced. Let the child collect
/ postage stamps and he has a healthy
/ resource, even If he later discards
his collection. Let the business man
know art or sport, actively, and he
/ has an offset to great dangers. Let
the advocate of causes know history
and human nature, and he will not
/ become narrow fanatic. Knowing
| something about many things, or
rather being interested I'm many
| things, balances a man so that he is
not tied to one little center of gray-
ity. Hobbies, even, are not to be de-
| spised, If they are playfellows and
not tyrants. Most of all, doing some
thing that is worth while, over and
above the days bread and butter
work, is like the balancing weight
which the train hauls.
Balance, poise, activity, interest
possessing these a man is sought not
stunned, for he is then a force of an
inspiring sort.
CONCERNING THE SPARROW.