Year: 1873




There are soms features IN the charac
ter of every man, who asserts his ind;vid-
uality, which may appear to the world at
large to be real defects, yet were these
seeming blurs erased the individual
would have little character to assert
These outcropings are but the indices-
pointing to the genus to which they be-
long, and by some termed peculiarities.
These peculiarities are by many good
persons regarded as foibles, or something
that is useless and that furnishes the good
maine of the posessor, but to every OBJ
server of human nature, it is apparent,
that these eccentricities (or whatever the
world chooses to call them) cannot be
dispensed with, without robbing the indi-
vidual of that which gives him Identity
among men. However much the pois is
of divergence from that of other men,
may annoy the student of human nature
personally, he will soon find, that if they
have not been produced by perversion
OF character; to climate them would des
poll the individual of his usefulness.


The chestnut tree produces delicious
nut, but 1t is encased within a hull that
may wound the hand that touches it.
All admit the nutritive qualities of the
nut but do sometimes forget that it could
not mature without this jagged exterior.
The rough bur is the popularity of the
chestnut, and there is no use philosophiz-
ing upon method to raise them with
out burs. Chestnuts wont grow in anv
other manner. When you produce fruit
| that natures III smooth hull it will not
be chesnut.


To carry the smile still farther
Many of the insectiroro of the animal
Kingdom have exceeding long antennae
and other appendages which appear use
ess, yet the naturist will tell you they
could not be trimmed off-without injury
to the animal of this class,-no more than
man could give up some of his fingers.


The pee uliarities of man are generally
ridiculed-they ought not to be-these are
his antennae, his jagged exterior, and be-
meath this rough character may lie encas-
ed mind more valuable than gold.


Much of the want of harmony in soci
ETY., and many of the annoyances of lie
proceed from these outcroppigs of char
acter, yet strange as it may appear it is
that which should produce the greatest
amount of good-the greatest delight to
the member of society. "Varietv is the
spice of life" The Ostrich is remark
able bird, yet no one who. visits the
Museum would be satisfied to see the
Ostrich all the time.


Why does diversity of character pro-
duce discord? On the principle that a
tender footed man can't walk over chest
nut burs without hurting his feet. or
nude one be thrown into a brier patch
without getting scratched. The former
should have on his shoes; the latter his
cloths. He who rushes indi. cretelv
against the excentricties of another is no
wiser than the naked infant sporting in
the brier patch


Many good wives find peculiarities in
their husbands character which they wish
eliminated if this be an i'll formed habit
they are right; but if it be natural don't
pluck it out; it would ruin the man.
husbands, if the wife be naturally i'm
perlous in temper don't try to wipe it out
should you succeed you may have to
nurse sickly spo use-Remember that
healthy Cactus or a thorn tree is more
beautiful than an unhealthy Ounce.
Every species of creation flourish and ex
cite our love and admiration most when
perfect in all their parts-This will apply
to character also. The only safe rule to
govern companions who have thorns in
their character is to handle them care
fully with gloves; and the same rule will
apply to society at large Many have
found fault with my wife Xantippe be-
cause they say she is pattern of scold
l now want it to go down to future
generations as my apology for her, who
think will be more charitable than our CO.
temporaries, that while | was almost gra
tuitously instructing my countrymen in
the philosophy of the times, my dear wife
was crying for something 10 eat. With all
my reason could not convince her that |
human beings could live without bread. |
W hat most particularly wish to incul. |
cate by this lessonis: that every useful |
person has their angularities and we have
no right to grumble at this. If we must
deal with such it must be cautiously.
Most times we are injured by such it is
our own fault. If we are handling sharp
edge tools we must do it carefully. An
excellent razor becomes ablessing-a dull
one curse. A dull man or woman is
laid by to rust. The sharp man or wo-
man have demends upon them for their
services every day and will never be |
laid on the SHELF" and if we do not want
to get hurt by them we must handle
them carefully. SOCRATES.


f.r - l.