Essays on Social Subjects.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 140, 17 October 1868, Page 4

Essays on Social Subjects.

BY A LADY.

No. Y.—“ ON LITTLE THINGS.” “Little Things!” How many thousands of them crowd into our mind in the coarse of a day, and how unimportant they at the time appear; yet their invisible influence may affect the whole of our after-life, and reader us happy—either happy or miserable, as the case may be—and there are few of us but know from experience the full meaning of both these words, although we may not always know the cause from whence they spring, and consequently cannot take such means as would increase or erase them. As the oak springs from an acorn, so do great events spring from “little things,” and we would do well to give them their due share of consideration. Scotchmen will tell us that “every little makes a muckletrue to their character, they no doubt mean in a pounds, shillings, and pence sense ; but we may apply it in many ways, and with equal force. So many chairs, tables, sofas, &c., &c., may furnish a room, but it takes the “little things” to finish it; and from these little things an observant person may form a tolerably correct estimate of the manners, pursuits, and general character of the occupants. And so with the mind—reading, writing, &c., may furnish it; but it is the little things rightly considered, and duly applied, which finish it, and to these little things many men owe their success in life A man may possess wealth, station, and every ennobling attribute, and still be the most miserable man in existence, through a succession of “little things” which daily occur to mar his peace ; and he is ignorant of the why or wherefore, because it arises from a series of trifles—“ little things.” Were they to come in the form of one great trouble, the causj would be apparent, and the difficulty conquered, let us suppose by another “little thing.” A thief just in the act of departing with his spoils, may betray his whereabouts by a sneeze ; now to sneeze is a very ordinary matter, yet it may have cost him his life. A man full of amiable intentions may purpose spending a sociable evening at the house of a friend; and just as he is about to enter the family sittingroom tumbles over the poker, placed in the way by another species of “little things.” He enters the room, but alas ! without any of those social sentiments which were to have given pleasure to himself and his entertainer ; now all this comes of one “little thing” doing another “little thing.” Again, there are many in the world who affect to despise “little things;” hence the saying, that “ Little things please little minds.” Now if some of those who pride themselves upon their exalted minds would condescend to take a greater interest in “ little things,” there would perhaps be fewer “little minds” and “little hearts” too in the world. It only requires a little calm reflection to convince us of the importance of this subject, and it addresses itself more particularly to parents. Many a boy owes his advancement in life to a civil “ No thank you !” or a polite “ Yes, if you please !” not forgotten by his employers—the lasting effect of a mother’s early training. How easy it is for parents to enforce the practice of such-like “ little things,” and a day will most assuredly come when they will forget the trouble it has been in the happiness of seeing their children respected, and useful members of society How often wo hear men say to their wives, “ My mother did not do it in that way ; my mother did it so-and-so,’ 1 which shews us that the “little things ” they noticed in their early days are still fresh in their memory. Now it is a very simple matter for a man to make such a remark to his wife, and just as natural for tier to retort and say, “ Ito a pity you didn’t stay with your mother.” One word ofttirnes makes irfany, and thus clouds arise, which neither deeds or words can ever totally disperse. If it were possible, or, if any of us would take the trouble to trace, step by step, the effects of “little things” which we have said and done, we should be appalled at the consequences of our carelessness, and, like “ Frankenstein,” afraid to face his own works; we should wonder how it was possible for us to do so much mischief without knowing it; and to do ourselves justice without intending it. An amusing but rather disastrous circumstance occurs to me which I once read,; it never struck me until this moment as being the result of “little things,” but so it was, as you shall hear. In a small village there lived a highly respectable young—what shall I call him?—gentleman, named "Tom Brown,” whose ambition stood somewhat in the way of his contentment. Tom’s father was a blacksmith, but this did, not at all accord with Tom’s ideas of gentility ; he would not be a blacksmith—he would not be a baker—he would not be a brewer —he would not be anything that bore the remotest relation to trade. Now, Tom had some private ideas of his own on ihis subject. The only thing which prevented him from putting them in practice was that he had bartered his affections for those of the village belle, “ Polly Perkins,” and he could not bear the idea of parting. Tom’s secret ambition was to be, as he expressed himself, “in a profession.” However, in the course of time his ambition proved more powerful than his affection, so he resolved to leave home without acquainting any of his friends, or trusting his resolution to the liquidating influence of poor Polly’s tears, and one fine morning he was missing. A few days after, Polly received a letter stating that he was in a profession, and was ordered off to India. From this we may learn that Tom was a soldier. Polly’s grief was without limit, and while she was indulging in that “ woman’s” luxury, a good cry, her friend and .'confident, “Jenny Jenkins,” happened to drop in, and with tears and sighs Polly imparted the sad intelligence that her lover, was in a per/essicm-i and was sent away to the “ liigees.” Polly’s friend, not understanding the meaning of the word perfesaion, together with the fact of his being ordered off to the Ingees, and his sudden disappearance, thought he had been guilty of some serious misdemeanour, and lost no time in imparting the gossip to her friend and confident, who with various fdditions-7-“ little things”— conveyed, it to her friend, and' so losing nothing in its travels it! went.the rounds of the village, and iaithe<ohurae of; time returned to the ears of .“Poller JterKfins” m.sucha way as to persuade her of hec.estefin; so she avehged'ltOTnhw fiewaffectibns to aoothec OSr bev caaay admirers. In the mean-

time Tom was rapidly rising in his per/ession, and soon returned home to tind all his dearest hopes blighted, and—if we like to suppose so—went back to the “ Ingees” and got his head blown off, as an effectual means of putting an end to his misery. Now all this came of a very very “little thing”—simply through Polly’s friend not understanding the meaning of one little word. 1 have endeavored to show the effect of things —“little things”- which we do ; what, then, is the effect of “little things” that we leave undone ?. How much this question involves ; and how serious the consequences if we neglect to answer it; or if it fail to arouse in us the desire to do so. If we linger but one moment on this vein of the subject, its vast overwhelming importance will rush into our minds, bringing with it such thoughts as will aud can only act for our eternal good. If we but remember that there is One always watching us who sees all things—nothing is too little for Him to see—nothing we either do or say too little or too insignificant to be put down to our account —if we pause to think how many, what we deemed “little things,” may already stand out against us, we should feel at once the absolute necesssty of being more watchful over our words and actions. Let our prayer then ever be—to be preserved from the too common error of thinking too lightly of “LITTLE THINGS,” Q. Blenheim, October 9th, 1868