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Leader (1850-1860), 24th May 1851, Edition Town of 2, Page 490

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      jl will describe them , that so I may have more mastery ov « r them . Instead of suffering them to kaunt me as vague faces and half-fashioned resemblances , I will make them into distinct pictures , which I can giveaway , or hangup in my room , turning them , if I please , with their faces to the wall ; and in short be free to do what I like with them . " Hence we meet here with no set discussion , nb elaborate essay , but the rioting down of those thoughts" and trains of thought whi

      ¦;¦*—" Thus I thought in my walk this dull and dreary afternoon , till the rising of the moon and the return from school of the children with their satchels coming over the down warned me , too , that it was time toreturn home : and so , trying not to think any tnore of these things , I looked at the bare beech trees , still beautiful , and the dull sheep-ponds scattered here and there , and thought that the country even in . winter and in these northern regions , like a great man

      in adversity and just disgrace , was still ' to be looked at with hopeful tenderness , even if , in the man ' s case , there must also be somewhat of respectful condemnation . As I neared home t comforted myself , too , by thinking that the inhabitants of sunnier climes do not know how winning and joyful is the look of the chimney-tops of our homes in the midst ° f what to them , would seem most desolate and dreary . "

      Again ( and we call attention to the beautiful image in the sentence printed by us in italics ) :- * - -.. •? Such were my thoughts this wet day which I had made up my mind was to be a dreary day throughout , but I had hardly come to the end of what I had to say , when , may it be a good omen that the chapter itself may bring some cheer to some one in distress , the sun peeped out , the drops of ram upon the leaves glistened in the stinshine like affliction * beautified by heavenly thoughts , and all ¦ nature invited me out to enjoy the gladness of her aspect , more glad by contrast with her former friendly gloom . " And this : — ¦

      " " I went down again upou the bridge , looked up at the solemn sky , ior the moon was clouded noty , and beneath me at the dim waters , being able to discern naught else :.. and still with some regard to what I had been thinking of in the church-yard , hoped that , in a future state at least , we might have some opportunity of loving and making our peace with those whom we have wronged here , and of seeing that our wrong , overruled by infinite goodness , has not wrought all the injury which there was in it to do . " § o I walked on , having those dim apprehensions and undefined feelings wtrieh are yet , perhaps , the uipfashioned substance of our sinqerest and , most exqct afterthought , until darkness arid the cold and the thought of to-morrow ' s journey drove me homeward —the home so emblematical for raan in his

      pilgrimage—the home of an inn . ' In consequence of this novel form the essays have a quite individual character , and stand out from the class to which we might otherwise refer them . Those who remember the author ' s previous work , Friends in Council , will be prepared for the admixture of wisdom , sympathy , humour , and searching analysis of motive ; but the fonh of Companions of my Solitude is even more agreeable .

      It admits of infinite variety . It is made various . Au epigram sparkles amidst a grave discussion j a touch of humour quaintly illustrates a serious ; thought ; an aphorism generalizes a page of observation ; a period vibrates with the resonance pi honest indignation ; and then a bit of 'landscape soothingly reposes the mind . Our old frionds . Hllesmere , Ptinsford , Lucy , and the dog Rollp are introduced , and are welcome , and c 6 nverHati (> n breaks the monotony of the old man ' s talk .

      ( yriticisih l ' uns Into panegyric . We have nothing to question , nothing to disapprove . Th . 6 few extracts we are about to make will cofivoy no accurate idea of the work , but they will amuse the reader , and perhaps send hhn to the ftoiirce : —

      l'OPB AMU 1 , ' 1 / im'AN . ' The pendulous foll y of inunkind osoillatoN m far in this direction nfl it bus corye from that ; and an ab surd Puritan in only tt conr « l » tive . to n wioked Pope . " ( JJVl ' J A . DOO A , HAl > NAMIt . "Moreover thin < $ i ; n 8 ori « m » h < 'H « id not only a * in , but tho inventor of many huih . Indeed the mnnutio ^ turo of nin » is ho od , « y «» jnaimiiaotWG , that I um convim-od men could readily > be | KM « U « dml that it vrp * wicked to uso the left 1 « K as muol * «!» tJ *«* ight ; wholo congregation /* would oiily pormti Ahoi » Kf lv * - » Co hop i » nd , what i » more toou * orti ^ irt ^ rMv to > mM «< J »« u 4 « k that , when , they walked , m thw 4 >» dt » Vyi 4 » 8 j * ipn , thjeyi wero committing a deadly sin . Now I should not

      think that the man who were to invent this sin would be a benefactor to the human race . " You often hear in a town , or village , a bit of domestic history which seems at first to militate against what I hav « beeii sayings but is in reality very con * sistent with it . This story i * of some poor man ^ and is apt to run thus . He began to frequent the alehouse ; he sought oiat amiisement ^; loet © was « neighbouring lair where hx firs * showed , bis qwarrpianmo riinnnait . inn : tiien came w *> rse things , ; and

      now here he is in prison . Yes , I should Teplyv » fc frequented with a stealthy shame those placer whlofe you , who would ignore all amusement , have , suffered tebe most coarse and dexaoraKaing . J&l alotag he had an exaggerated notion of the blame that he was justly liable to from his first steps in' the downward path i the truth -unfortunately is * that you go a long way tamake a small error into a sin ^ when you m « H call it so . I would not , thertfore have a clergy man talk of an alehouse as if it were the pit of Aeheron ; oni the contrary , I would have liim acknowledge tha ^ considering the warmthand cheerfulness to ? be : fouad in the sanded parlpur of the village inn , i | is ^ ery

      natural that men should be apt to . irequent it . ± would have him , however , go oh to ShoW what frequenting the alehouse mostly leads * o , and -how the ; labourer ' s home might be made id rival the alehouse < : ; and I would have himhklp to mcike it so , or , in some way to promote some substitute for the alehouse . " -

      SMALL MISERIES . " It is a strange fancy of mine ;; but I cannot-herp wishing we could move" for returns , as their phrase is in Parliament , for the suffering caused in any one day , or other period of iime , throughout the world , to be arranged under certain heads ; and ye should then see what the world has occasion to fear-th ' ostV What a large amount would corrie under the heads of unreasonable fear of . others / of miserable ; quarrels amongst relations npon ittfiriitesimally small subjects , of imagiriaryslights , of undue cares , of false shames , of absolute misunderstandings ; of unnecessary '" pains to maintain credit or reputation , of vexation that We cannot make others of the same mind with ourselves . What a wonderful thing it would be to see set 3 owri

      in figures , as it were , how ingenious , we are plaguing one another . * Myown private opinion : 1 s , that the discomfort caused by injudrcirtus dress wbrri entirely in deference , as it has before been remarked , to the rnost foolish of mankindj in fact to the tyrannous majority , would outwei g h many ! ah evil tft ¥ t sounded very big . . - ¦ " Tested by thefee perfect returns , "which I imagine might be made by the angelic world , if they , regard human affairs , perhaps our every-day shaving , severe shirt-collars and other ridiculous ! garments are equivalent to a great European war once ih -fibven'years % st did about

      and we should find : ' that women ' s ays as much harm , i . e . caused as much suffering , as an ^ accasional pestilence—say , for 'instance , the cholera . We should find perhaps that the " venations- arising from the income tax ' were ' nearlyequal to' those ' caused ' amongst the same class of surFterern by trie ill-natured things men fan cy have been said behind tWir backs : and perhaps the whole burden and , vexatiorf resulting from the aggregate' of the respective , ' national ; debts of that unthrifty family , } he European race , tli ' e whole burden and Vexation I say , tlo not cpihe up t ^> the aggregate of annoyances inflicted ili ^ ach Ideality . the illnatured rsoi iniesis

      by one - pe f wno generally each little villiige , parish , ¦ ' house , Or Cohiriiu ' iiity . ' . ';" *' There is no kno ' Wirigf' Wh / it 'strange' comparisons and discoveries I ahould iri ihy fancy have been led to , —perhaps that the Idvo , said to . be inhe ^ ht i \ i ( the softer sex , of having the last word , causes as much mischief as silt'the ' tornadoes ' of the tr ^ 'ics ; or that the yexiition inflicted by Bervniits ontheir master ^ by assuring them thatsuch ui > d such duties do hot belong to tbeir place , is equivalent to ' all the ^ BuffeVinga that have' been caused by mad dogs since the ' World be £ im . In touching upon , the necessity for arniisem ^ nt , he says t } ie rnan must havo aoiac of wljnfcthe pluld , is so trrecdy Qf :-r ,,. , : , . - ' . "'• ¦ , pf vie

      " Do not imagine we ^ row that ; di 6 fmi *« ourselves by various solemnities ; but we have no » e qt us lost the child nature . ( yet . "

      OO > M »« dNvl > IjA « IB 8 < , " But indeed all--moral'writing * teetn with thi « rcioiark in . oiw f <» rin or otlM- *»» You nan not have fnconsiotent adv » nt » ges . Do not hIiuii thi » maxim , because it in' oommon-pluce . ' On " tho contrary , take the closest heoel of Whrtt olmorvftnt 'teion ^ 'wko would probably like to tho vr . originality , are yet ' coti . Htraineil to roptmt . 'i'heroitl lied tho marrowof tho windom of tUo w © ild . "' > ¦

      There iitti Bomli serious and noteworthy pasSa ^ eq in the cwaay on the ^ reat ' sin of ^ rcat cities ' r that which iluum % i » t > W ^ H' ^^ ' f ^! ^ , iV } f ¥ ^ ^' j ? \)»< ly and Houl ^ -t ^ aVvV . H 1 ^ » ° ^ ophStit cut * jjajlliMc , yet wl > i cn few Imvo U > e courage t <^ . ^ p ^ ik opqhly i \ bo \ iX m our fa ^ idious vowpty . Having ; np /»« d povtirty « a the primary « : au «« , tho aujlhtw noict oddso ^^ 'l 1 le ii » Jtt > «*•*> UMluao 1 » in th « o ^ oamigidiiviiPmtk » r& . QybttoPk / &pG >(>*» &y ** * t £ * nat woh ^ i ^ «^ pcot * i in reference to unchastity . Christianity hns been in

      comes . Of course -dispose * ^; opp - nity Witt neve * be wKfttihgT but whennone pereon or claMs of persons is ' fr 6 m ' efreu « litBn « e » peculiarly ex * o&& W tempttrtiony awd ^ oe » wronf ; it is n < v great stre ^ eh of ah * rity fo r dthete tt > conclude tba . < that person , or claee , did liot begin with wowe dUpwwtion « than th&y the »* elve 8 who-are « tiU without a stafaa . This is very obvious ; but it » to be observed th « t the reasoning poweri which are very prompt m mastering any simple scientific proposition , experiGrice a-wonderful halting ift their logic when applied to the further * i « e of Charity ; / - _ _

      to fttteVil min ortu spme . rAeasur ^ blame thia ; though ^ if 4 ^ " ? applied , it would have been the suitest cure . PublicanB and sinnesrs ! ' Budh did he prefer befote th « cbtnpany 6 f pharisees and . hypocrites . These latter , however , have been in great Credit ever since ; and , fop « ty faurfc * I « e no-ead '¦*» their being : pronounced for ever fae ^ hoi ^ e «> cwty , ^ 5 * h « &cvWL " The virtuouus ; fiantW&jW ** n 4 f& an 4 caTeC ^ lly brought up , ought to bethink themselves how little they may owe to tl ^ eif bwn' merit that they are virtuous , for it is in the eyil conctirrenfcie of bad disposition and masterlees bpponuhity that crime " " " - r " - - ' * ' ^ "" ' * «" •"" . * ' «_ *• _ x ^ a . 1 .

      _ 4 t There is '<¦ % very homely provetb about the fate of the pitcher that goes often , t © the ^ ater which might be an aid to ^ fearity , ftrtd which beats ekwely on the p * e « ittt case . The Spaniards , from -whom I der * say we have the proverb , expresa it prettily and pithily : — "' «• Can ^ arillo qtie much as veaes yb a la fuente , *«' ' O dtexa U asa , o lafrente . ' "•• The Httle pitcher that goes often to the fouatwri , either leaves the handle or the spout behind some day . *

      The dainty vase which is k > pt under a ^ lass-case m a drawihg-foom Bhould riot be too pfOUd of remaining without fjaw , cbnsideritig its greatf advantages . " In ihfe New Te stamtrit wfe have such mattera treated- in a truly divine mfcniier . There is no palliation " of- crime . ' Sometimes our charity is mia ; ed up with a Wash of sentiment and sickly feeling that we do not know where we are , and what is Vice and what is virtue . Bat here are the brief stern words , ' Go ,

      arid sin no moire ; * but , at the same time , there is an infinite , considerati ' pn for the criminal , not however as criminal , but as human being j I mean not in respect of her criminality , but bf her humanity . Nbw an-instance of bur want of obedience to these Christian precepts has often struck me in th& not visiting married wom-en whose previous lives will not bear inspection . " Whose will I Not merely all Christian people , but all . civilized , people , ought to set their faces against this , excessive retrospection . which

      * ' JBrut if ever there ware an occasion on men , ( I say men but I mean more especially women ) , should , be careful of scattering abroad unjust and severe sayings , it is in speaking of the frailties and deiinquencieB of women . For it is one of those things where » # . unjust judgment , or the fear of one , breaks down the ' . bridge behind the repentant ; and has ' . often made an error into a crime , and a aing l ^ erf me , into a , life of crime . " 4 . daughter has , left hejf home , madly , ever so w ' i ^ k . edly , if you , like , but what are too often , the dcrnons . tqmpting her onwards and preventing her return . ? The uncharitably speeches ehe h » s heard at home ; and the feeling she shares with most of us , tha . t ' .-those we have lived with are the sharpest judges of our : . conduct ,.. '

      ' ,, " ., Would you , t h en , exclai < n » some reader or hearer , take back , and r , < iC ( eive , with tenderju / esa , a daughter who had erred ? ' Yes , ' I reply , « ' she had been the most abandoned woman upon earth . ' •• t A-f . ) Olish iiimily pride often adds to this uncharitable way of feeling and speaking which I venture to reprehend . Our Care is not that an evil and an , unfortunate thing has happened , but that our family has been , ' diagrue < id , a « wo call it . Family vaiiity mixes up with and exasperates ri ^ id virtue . Gtood ileavetifl , ' if we could but see ' ' where disgrace reully lies , Iww ofton wieon would be OBhomed oftheir ribheB ' and their hotiooTH ; und would discern that a bad temper , ' or an irritable difipoeii « ion , was tho greatest family Idisgraofe that they posbessed . "

      We will conclude ' with ah excellent protest against the unreasonable dyinand with which rcfuruicrs u , rc alyvaye met when they , havo only a doctrine , but no nyateni , to HUggest :- * - , " 'Oiio of the kind of r ^ rdaohe * that will ovot be matle with much , or little , ' ^ u $ i ( A o « ( generally with little j « ietiw «); ngtrinkt nny nieti wh < n < driduavour lo rotorn * Or iritprove any things 1 b that they ara not toady with deftniu ! pr 6 po « ir , iotib ; ' that thoy ure liko'thoclkorus in a Wreck I ) lily , mnking ' geutswul ronmirkH about nature i . » . — <« ^ * ^_ ^ s » h ^^*^ ¦ y mmirn *^^^ - *'' ^^ y ^^ ^ — ' —^ — ^ cleat

      $ . ud' huinah affttirs , ' wilhout suggesting any ana d «{ 'id » icl « ouyhu' to b « tukwv . Boniuiiiues tfhis reproach U jutti but ve » y * often . ort tho othojMiand , it ; is utterly ^ m * i «« a 8 Oiiubl < k Fi ^ uoritly th « s covrfito Vo he tfcken in « oitih indiviUuiit inwt ^ no * ie ono thut it wolild bo a \ uhmi itt \ p < mlM * t ^> < 4 *< ii ( Iov « tjll n >'<»»« to lay down tviih mrrtuiw » e «« i-vvithrt ^ l k kno * k dge «> f % hn faotfl i&j'th © pkrtitedriu'V ihnttMuvai :- whoreas « vkut i « wan tea m nut' t o ' mti&Hil a ^ cAihia of aolionl but a habit o > | bt » Uight whi « Jh wlU » iodify not on , o <^ r t wo ;«© t »^«'' ortty ^ butrnlViawtDtti $ Mt' tH > Vtt » wltihlft- th * wopft or that thought . "

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 24, 1851, page 490, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1884/page/14/