Year: 1861

E,." From The Boston Transcript.
Table-TaIIx, evidently by


DIR. Holmes.


KNIFE AND FoRKIANA.-"Lives of great
men all remind US we can make our lives
sublime :" but then this sublimity is attend
ed with some risk. 1t is a fine thing to
have great reputation, but it costs a great
deal to keep it up. You are apt to find
yourself in the condition of the man who
won the elephant in rattle. The world
exacts a dear price for distinction of this
kind eternal vigilance is the price of main
tenance-let alone liberty 1t you are on
the ground, or have mounted but a round or
two on the ladder, slfall is of little conse~
quenee but by the time you have mounted
so high as to peep in the fourth or fifth
story window of the Temple of Fame, then
if you fall you get an awful hoist-not to
mention the danger of dizziness as you get
up. To attain too great distinction, how
ever, is not always proof of inherent great
ness, for a worm will crawl up where a dog
cant climb and the eagle, that pirate of
the air, that gets his living by robbing the
fsh-hawk, can soar to prouder height
than the gamecock, the most gallant and
chivalrous biped that ever wore spurs or
feathers.


What is the drift of it? Why, have you
never been bored with the " example" of
somebody or other who has risen in the
world, g made his mark" as they call it
Though any snail does that, carved his
name on the finger-post of History (Which
rots off at the base and falls down, after
awhile) or, to quote the last line of the
verse commenced with, left his " foot
prints on the sands Of Time" Ito be oblite-
rated by the next revival" of the tide p
Then you are urged to do something of the
kind yourself; to be an example, a shining
light etc. They tell you that some score
or two of your fellow mortals are looking
to you to see what you do; to follow your
lead. This would do very well if they didn't
tell each of those anxious gazerS the same
story in regard TO himself You are re-
quested to contribute to the funds of the
Warming Pan Society for the amelioration
of the Hottentots or to JOIN the Sons of
Temperance or to join the church for the
sake of the example (bye the bye | can't
say that admire that style of argument
which intimates that the church is like a
secret society, whose rites and symbols are
only to be understood by the initiated. |
think the injunction, "Do this in remen-
brance of me" would be a sufficient answer
to any one who SReercd at the Lords Sup
peri.


This being set up for mark is not al
ways pleasant. 1t may be the post of hon
or, but it is also the post of danger. Death
is not the only one that leaves a shining
mark, and some there be that will not for
bear their attacks after Death has had a
shot at one See how Daniel Webster is,
reviled, and that too, by members of pro-
fession which ought, of all others, to have
CHARITY for human frailty. Not content with
abusing him in life, they must go out of
their way to throw mud on his grave.
say "out of the way" because their orbit
and his differ so materially, that if they
keep on the even tenor of their way, they
would not come within Columbiad range of
his ashes, let alone the reach of a pop-gun.
Perhaps it is the same with this as with
sin; heaven does not authorize it, it only
permits it for some wise purpose. Oh you
need not exchange such meaning glances
don't mean the one you are thinking of
my remark referred to that vast and unique
collection of " brains, rejoicing in a COM
mon paternity, and not unknown to theO-
logic fame-the third division of the genus
homo, whereof saints and sinners are the
other two.


Concerning those whom it is my privi-
lege to listen to, 1 am happy to say it does
not conflict with their ideas of the sacred
office to be what the world calls high mind
ed men. My admiration of their public
character is equalled only by the esteem
which an intimate personal acquaintance
has engendered as the political editors say.
To be sure, they let fly some keen shafts
occasionally, albeit, when the marksman
faces to the left, he don't always hit the
right victim; but the good humor in which
the arrows are dipped salves the wound
II - 81 IL.
defeat to be disarmed by a courteous -oppo-
nent. 1t is good to break a friendly lance
sometimes, for Glove and ladies' eyes. -
q Love rules the court, the camp, the grove"
and the church; which last is apt to
measure the degree of her lovers devotion
as temporal lady-loves do theirs, by the
value of their gifts. Like them, too, she is
apt to tease for more. You ought TO be
ashamed of yourself to talk SO, said the
lan0lady, who has so great reverence for
things spiritual that she sits cross legged du-
ring prayer time. She would stand but
that she fears the autocrats of the flock


You need not laugh, know all about it /;
| have had sweethearts in plenty, if am an
! old bach. Il is astonishing what COM
fort and relief it is to the female mind, to
/ get off that expression. 1t is neither more
or less than mild form of swearing, sort
of good-natured spite, respectful impu-
| dence, a dull Extremely so) sarcasm. -
! Why, how your tongue runs on" said


Miss p, " You have said nothing before for


weeks" True; the main difficulty is with


the premier pas, as the French say 1t is
1 like starting an oyer-crowded horse car ; the


poor horses nave to pull like the-well, no
matter what; and sometimes they are


bauIky, and the ark won't move at all


but how easily it glides along when it does
go. A great many people think that man
/ who has plenty of facts and ideas at his


tongues end, must of necessity be good


talker he knows so much, it is a pity be


can't say something. AS though a mar


who owned whole flock of pigs must of ne.


cessity be continually grunting. Do they


think that one can build up. conversation


by adding fact to fact, as he would build {


house by adding brick to brick q If there


plenty of bricks around" said the mic,


young man, the conversation is like I


brick sde-walk-it is unhaggiug, especial
Fly if the bricks are in ones hat" And a


fat as q brick sidewalk, too but SOM
E0AoDle's conversational pnafariaI ;e hatta