Year: 1871


torture which man can devise than this fear
of the folk, they cali it in Scotland We
are TO less ready to ScOurge ourselves in this |
way, than others are to scUurge US. We re-


fuse to rely upon our own sense of what is |
right, or TO repOse upon our own individuality, |


but cling to others in the hope of their good |
opinion as if man worth were not in him |


self, in his own sole, free, sovereign action |
Thus do we reduce ourselves to the position Of |
cyphers in the world. peep aud skulk about
with the air Of interOpers; become mere
| weather vanes to Indicate which way the opin
! ion Of others is blowing. Thus are error fraud
and injustice pcrpetrated from one age TO an
other; and thus are the most formidable Of
all barriers inerpOsed in the way Of human
progress. Our free action is circumScribed


we dare not look beyond our sect we must not
| quit our party; we cannot venture an opinion
| contrary to that of our class. ConventiOnalisn


rules all ; and we are afraid to step ont into the
free air Of independent thought and action.
| We refuse to plant ourselves upon our instiucte,
| and vlndlcate our own spiritual freedom. We


are content to bear others fruit, not our own.
In private concerns the same spirit is equal
ly delGteriOus to pursuit. We live as society
directs, each according to the standard of our


class We have a superstltlous reverence for


it. We dress, and eat, and live in our houses,


comformably to the Grundy law. We must


conform, though the order was to fatten our


heads as certain Indians do, or cramp our toes


as the Chinese. Mrs. Grundy directs. So
!, long as we do all this, we are respectable, ac-
cordng to our class notions. Thus many rush
open eyed upon misery, for no better cause
than foolish fear of the world. They are


less regardless Of their own happiness than of
the fear of what others will say Of them; and
in nine cases out of ten, those who might prOba-
bly, raise the voice of censure or dsapproval
are not the wise or the far seeing, but far Oft


ener the foolish, the vain and the short-sight-
; ed.


We are ready enough to admit the proprie-
g ty of paying due respect to the opinion OF


others, and due regard to public decOrum
p But in the cases to which we refer, this may
e be and often is carried to an extent which il
r almost injurious, and productive only Of con
d slant turmoil and misery. BY cultivating thi
e over-sensitvencss to the opinion OF others, WI
IS lay ourselves at the mercy Of tatlers and busy
v bodies Of all sorts, set ourselves up as mark
ID for the shafts of cOxcombs and Writings, which
&c are the destruction of every generous AM
1t heartfelt sentiment springing up in a man
le nature and especially do we give an increase,
t, power to that wretched class of people, VIII
Of are as ready to sneer at anything, save impu
20 dent vice and successful crime.


Where too great Difference to the opinion
a; of others is regarded Of such Importance, al
OF tention will necessarily be drawn away troI
:, the practice OF upright, consistent conduc
all and the ties Of morality will incur risk of b.
S. ing everywhere loosened. If we pay attentio
rn too exclusively to 80 what people will say
wv our pursuit Of happiness, there is very lit
ad hope of our ever reaching it. 1t will only
eff, to realize the fable of The old man, the bo
as and the ass" Veer and change as we may
wO suit the notions of others, there will always
Ic, found some ready to complain, most probabl
or, and from whom in our time Of difficulty al
nd trial we have to expect nothing. Were Il
elr time and the thought that are spent in comic
to turing what the world will say, and endeavc
not ing to adapt our ways to its opinion, bestOw
rm upon regulating our lives according to &C
are science, and cultivating our own minds a
vas hearts, how many practical evils would
I'D abated how many set-tortures avoided Y
vas still want an infusion Of greater moral coura
a throughout society. We want honester pGT
ide poses higher aims, and truer instincts.
ing want emancipation from the savish domini
ere of Mrs. Grundy