NOTES FROM BANNOCHBURN.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XII, Issue 626, 8 November 1881, Page 3

NOTES FROM BANNOCHBURN.

November 5. If I were in the habit of saving prayers, I would, most undoubtedly, oiler tip a speciality for rain. Anyone who has a nice garden, and believes in the efficacy of such implorations, has a splendid opportunity of benefiting and distinguishing himself in this locality. As regards myself, I am a “ religions indifi'ermitist." 'iliis is very sad, I know, but this vast rotundity wo tread is made up of all sorts and conditions of persons. The idea strikes me, however, that if our supplications for rain were attended to, some poor devils, in other parts of the world, would have to run short in consequence. 1 do not pretend to know exactly how these things are managed, but this place seems to bo awfully neglected in respect of rain. Cultivation and tree planting do not appear to have improved matters so far. “ The rain it raincth every day,” someone says, somewhere in Shakspere. The context and surroundings might qualify this expression, otherwise it is a most infernally stupid one. The rain it rainelh hero about once in three months, and then it doesn’t give much satisfaction. If there were more rain, there would be less crime in this district, and I should not have laid myself open to the charge of profanity. The larcenous propensities of those who have trim garden patches, upon which they have bestowed much care and labor, are cunningly exercised » here water-races are handy. It is not a venial offence, when the aggravating effects of these protracted droughts are considered. A tig for the water squatter 1 Who is going to see liis garden languishing, and all his cherished hopes, and watchful care thwarted for the want of a little drop of water, when there is plenty alongside of him ? Doubtless it is wrong to steal—“ convey, the wise call it” —lint there are times and seasons when circumstances should be considered as very extenuating. lam sorry to say that 1 have done a little “conveying," when the water has been clear ; water, charged with impurities, is not generally approved of for irrigation. This is a complaint I have frequently heard, and causes much ill-feeling to be entertained against some of the raceholders. Some little consideration should be bad for the wants of others, but some people can never bo brought to see things in their proper light. They might indulge in thoughts quite in opposition to the tone and spirit of these remarks, and talk of being more sinned against than sinning. ’Tis useless attempting to convince such people. lam not going to make the attempt, until I have given the matter further consideration, only, I wish they would’nt send ns down dirty water.

I hope there will be no occasion for the Bannockburn volunteers to go to “the front,” whatever and wherever that is. They would be ready enough to go if 'there were need of their services. There is quite as much pluck here as in any other district. As a general rule, if we know a person we do not like to acknowledge that he has any quality in particular worth talking about. We do not mind believing in strangers ; we will give them credit for all they pretend to; but it is not so easy to think and speak favorably of our friends. We can stand anything but that. Familiarity does not generate our kindliest wishes and thoughts. Tho old adage is a painfully true one. Contempt is engendered in our minds, and becomes intensified as acquaintanceship progresses. Thus it always was, and, I fear, always will be. But time and circumstances sometimes upset our petty and unjust thoughts, and then we feign astonishment, instead of evincing pleasure. Ah me ! what a deal of truth is revealed in La Rochefocauld’a celebrated maxim. For my own part, I incline to the opinion that, when the cry of “Volunteers to the front” is heard, there will be no lack of heart and readiness shown here by those who have learnt to handle a rifle. It will come hard upon some, perhaps, to leave their snug and peaceful homes to face the dangers of the fight ; hard for the married man to leave his wife and little ones ; hard for the young bachelor to pucker his lips, and whistle “ The girl I left behind me,” with his usual confidence and light-heartedness ; hard for the man who has a good claim, and a decent banking account, and contemplates a life of future independence. But “human life is not all beer and skittles.” When duty calls, and there is fighting to be done, we must look to the front, and wean our thoughts from home ties and comforts. A truce to all sneering, say 1, and sneering in the face of the saw that a “ volunteer is worth two pressed men !” It is consoling, however, in one sense, that disparagement does not always act as a deterrent, but in many cases as an incentive. Both it and encouragement have their uses, through tho springs of action arising therefrom are very dissimilar.

There will be much fun to be taken out of the coming elections. There will be cause for sorrow, too, as there always is. Electors are so easily diddled by plausible and insinuating tonguesters—at least a good many of them are—and that’s where the fun comes in. The sorrow comes in when one sees men of doubtful political integrity, but having the “ gift of the gab,” become successful candidates for Parliament. Is it not strange that, before any one can become a servant in the civil service, he must adduce proof of his capacity; whilst he who has the art of making a triumphant appeal to the shallow susceptibilities of a constituency, is elected to fill one of the highest positions a man can assume ! Oh ! it offends mo to tho soul to sec what I have seen and hear what I have heard at election times. 1 never proffer advice, but this is what I have a burning desire to say to some political aspirants My friend, if you would only give up politics, and renounce the desire of attaining to a position for which you are by nature eminently unfitted, and would condescend to entertain tho question of bread-and-butter, you would be more respected, and get along far better 1” And, then fancy returning a man to Parliament for the sole reason that he is clever, apart from all other considerations ; as if the principal that capacity confers a right which should be always acted upon. Surely there are plenty of things to be thought of before electing a man of ability to a situation of honor and trust. But no : speech is a power that sways the most of us. It charms the car, tickles the fancy, and—humbugs, ‘lt is,’ says Macaulay, “ the most highly prized of all the qualities which a politician can possess ; and that power may exist, in the highest degree, without judgment, without fortitude, without skill in reading the characters of men or the signs of the times, without any knowledge of tho principles of legislation or of political economy, and without any skill in diplomacy or in the administration of war. Nay, it may well happen that those very intellectual qualities which give a peculiar charm to the speeches of a public man may bo incompatible with tho qualities which would fit him to meet a pressing emergency with promptitude and firmness.”

This is what tho North Otcujo Times says about the New Licensing Act: —“lt took tho Legislature six weeks to pass it, and it would take any ordinary person a week to study it thoroughly. This, however, is not likely to prevent sensible men, whether interested in the liquor trade, or in tho cause of temperance, from making a careful study of tho Act.” Ah ! but who is going to pay tho sensible man for devoting a whole week of his life to tho careful study of it. Would ho bo likely to derive any pleasure from so doing, or must ho look upon it in the light of a duty. Would any man do all this for nothing ! I would not; ergo, write mo down

an nti:t! I do not oven want to bo classed as an ordinary person. A weult, forsooth, of the digest of dry details and revolting tautology I Not if I know it. This kind of tiling will got played out one day. Is it absolutely necessary to make Acts of Parliament so distressingly tong and wordy ; or is it done to create difficulties, and so make work for the lawyers? Why does not a Government depute some one to abridge and simplify its Acts, so that one and all could catch their spirit and meaning. There would bo some good in this. Or why do not the newspapers give their readers a compendium—give them the pith—the multum-in-paroo, so to speak—without the antiquated and conventional surroundings, which so fog and irritate the uninitiated ? There is no excuse, it is said, for being ignorant of the law ; and yet—to the mostof mortals—it is circumvented with such unnecessary verbiage as to contuse instead of edify.