Year: 1861

MahkIhd are nothing, If not critical j"
and nothing would seem 10 be criticism with
them but faut.fnding. 1t is astonishing
to see what q number Of architects there
are in the world-bow many people there
are who feel competent to give an opinion
upon buildings in course of erection on the
public streets. If dwelling is going up,
there is not day of its progress in which
its builder or architect is not convicted of
being fool, by any number of wise people
who Judge him on the evidence of half
finished structure. When the dwelling is
completed, it usually looks better than
they ever supposed it could :" bot they
learn nothing from this, though the poverb
that "only fools criticiSe half finished work"
is good deal Older than they are Every
man who builds is obliged to take his run.
ming fire of faull-fnding Passing a new
church recently, in the company of an ar
chitect, asked him what he thought of the
building. i can tell better when the sta.
ging is down, was his reply. BE knew
en- ough not to criticise half finished work,
while probably a hundred men, knowing moth
ing Of architecture whatever, had, during
that very day, freely given their opinion
Of the building in the most unqualified
way.


Did it ever occur to the reader Of this
essay that nearly all the judgments that
are made up and expressed in the
world relate to half finished work We
hear great deal Of criticism INDUCED in
with regard to American society, l have
no doubt that this criticism is just in q
certain sense, but American society is only
halffnishcd structure. If it had arrived
at the end of improvement and growth if
the elements which enter into it had al
ready organized themselves in their highest
form If the creation of high, refined and
beautiful society we're not thing OF time {;
if such society did not depend upon the
operation of forces that require great range
| of influences and circumstances, then the
criticism might be entirely just but it is as
unreasonable to expect high grade of So
cial life in America, at this point OF Ameri
can history as it is to expect perfection in
church before the carpenters get out OF It,
and the staging is down. Wealth, learning,
culture leasure-these cannot be combined
in this country yet as to give US the hIghesl
grade and style of social life. We are al
at work upon the structure, and unles;
American ideas are incurable bad, and We
are faithless to our duties, American socle
ty will be good when the work upon it Il
completed No society is to be condemn
ed so long as it is progressive toward
goodly completeness.


Men and women are always judging on
another before they are finished A raw
boy with only the undeveloped elements
manhood in him, is denounced Ounce. 4
! light hearted sportive girl, with an inconti
nent overflow of spirits, is condemned as


holden. Neither boy or girl is half made
There is only the framework of the ma
and woman up, and it does not appeal


what they are to become. A young ma
Is wild and Judged accordingly. II is no


remembered that there are various modify


irg influences to be brought to bear upo
him. before be will be man. We see tn
bold outline of new house, and we ss


that it is not beautiful. Soon, however


the riazza is built here, and dormer


pushed out there, and gracefully modele


cbimneys pierce the roof, and corniee an


tower are added, until the structure stanC


before us complete in beauty, conVenlenc


and strength. When we condemn youn
man We do not stop to think that he is nc
done.-that there is wife to place upo


one side of him, aud children to be grouPe


upon the other, and Sundry relations to
adjusted before we can tell anything abor


him at oil. -


There is nothing more common in expeI
: ence and observation than the partialit
felt by yonOg and unmarried men for Il
, society of married women, aud the love
/ unmarried young women for the socle
| of married men. suppose that nea
5 ly every young man and young wom
has a time of feeling that all the deslrab
matches in the world are disposed of, al
! that the manageable young persons L
t are really very insipid companions. This
= entirely natural, but exceedingly unreasC
!, able. To expect man to be as much o
/ man without wife as with one, is Just
: reasonable as to expect half-fnished hoV
J. to be as beautiful as finished one, II