THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, JUNEIZ, 1858.

Colonist, Issue 68, 15 June 1858, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, JUNEIZ, 1858.

" As truth is truth, And, told by halves, may, from a simple thing By misconstruction to a monster grow, I'll tell the whole truth." . Sheridan Kno-wucs. " Great wits may sometimes gloriously offend," says one of the most pithy and exact of poetsBut small wits more often commit offence, without any glory whatever. Indeed offensive grumbling, is the boorish accomplishment in which these latter continually exult, when it seems to serve their turn. They do not " dare to mend" as " true critics" venture to do ; for something instinctively teaches their vulgar clay, that attempts in that line would only be ridiculous botches; and so like the melodious and eloquent blue bottle fly, they buzz about everything that smells of imperfection, with a most parental solicitude both to blow upon it and malce the most of it. To " mend" it is not in their nature. Were no one allowed to find fault but those who give honest promise of ability to improve, and pledges to accomplish betterment of the defective, what a sweet silence should we have! Were such a quiet to be extended through all domestic life, all our literature, all the churches, all the political world, —why it would be something like the " silence in heaven for half an hour," or like, it might be, the dawn of a new creation. Delightful would be that breathing time to both Church and State. Poor husbands and wives, and poor officials of all sortsi would be able to look up, and expand their chests fully, and would feel quite -manful or womanfiil, as their make and mode would allow them.. But. this eternal grumbling at what is called home, or kirk, or shop, or office, or some .parliamentary mart, where State interests are sold, or the printing machine, - with its myriads of type, and everlasting iron tongue,—faugh! it makes a sober man's reason reel as if all the world were drunk, and a drunkard as if he alone were sober. Its a base habit, this fault-finding, albeit the free, fearless,-wise and wealthy English, Scotch, and Irish, our honored and incomparable brethren, do laud and magnify the same —particularly in practice. Its a snappish, waspish fashion nevertheless; and, unlike some other fashions it does not change every moon, neither does it clothe with grace any naked deformity. The numerous readers of the Colonist being, as in duty bound we must presume'they are, sensible people, who know that politics ramify their Briarean arms through all departments of life, and not through even the stupendous intelligences of a given Colonial Council room only, we do most humbly trust they will feel with us, that it is perfectly political, and within the province of a newspaper's leader to descant, if not philosophically at large, yet truly in a. minor-degree, on one of the main sources of popular eloquence,—the acrid element of grumbling. With many'of the nasty medicinal waters that form the periodical drenches, to speak politely, of the British, it wells up wonderfully, and delightful perchance as addled eggs; and, when most preternaturally strong, it becomes quite a capital, a rich stock-in-trade to innumerable venders. How" it is produced none

but sagest alchymists or moral astrologers may be able to tell. By penetrating the earths centre, or what is pretty much the same, the human heart— not the force pump of the blood -as heterodox j puppies would whine—but the supposed seat o violition and mental power, we might find out the origin, or as some would say, the cause of this phenomenon. Conscience is said to be a central something that 'takes cognizance of a man's faultsf when lie takes time to think, or even to dream. T,, is f,c ully , so ,0 oa,. „, is ~ot peculiarly ,»,*- fortable to the generation of grumblers—it is quite a vixen, and allows them little ease. Feeling its power, they become disposed to think, that is when so unfortunate as to know no be ter, how . , . . , • :■ clever and mighty it must be to censure and condemn; and so, by a natural process, they try to treat others as something within them treats themselves. They exalt themselves into consciences „ x , /„. ~ c,. p., . for the good of the presumed imperfections of their neighbours; not good consciences that cheer and applaud virtues and merits; but evil ones that accuse and tormei:t. The more of demerit ~ , . ~ . , , . .they can descry, in their perpetual espionage, the more,, satisfied they become; and no marvel, Because in proportion as they fancy their acquaintance, especially their enemies, or public officers, ~.,i • "i ■'■]• -ii- -l l i are akin to themselves in frailties, it strangely comfprts.them.- When nearly altogether occupied by delinquencies, real or imagined, beyond those of their own generating,—that are too ugly for ren . M j.i r i. *i • ,1 . flection to smile upon.-they forget the imps that haunt them, being diverted by the shadowy things that attend the ways and doings of persons before the eye of general observation. If they go to all on one side about depravity, or the errors ot an opposite sect—-they do so too. but of course it is not upon their own evil. If they hear counsel in a <„„,, ,f ta^ta social pleading captivates the m , and confirms them in the custom of pulling opponents to pieces. If they repair to the Senate,— their own dear party—how admirably it shews olf t ,,0 blnndovs an t , p,uod» of .ta oihe-party ! As they may he so patriotic as to be out oi any lucrative situation, what nice amusement it is to see through and through the doings of the selfish gaping iu,-^ a,«. c,, rr s-fo r ,v.,a, else Km they be ?—who get rich by doing nothing— positively nothing—or else something would have been done which, according to them, should have been done lon- a«o!-Aks! for poor humanity, Dtcn aone ion D a o u. • v J-> what sad fools the want of practical candour and faithfulness makes of us—yes us—" Scribes and Pharisees " writers and readers, as we may happen +„ l-o ivL1 „,. +1-.P ntiipr or both to be the one, oi the otbci, oi botli. There is some morality and general wisdom too, we might say political science, to be acquired, alon<* with plenty of mire, when one is obliged, on a rainy day, to trudge knee deep in reflections, on a i«uuy uuj, iv o . i the trunk road conducting the weaiy teet to oi from our Nelson metropolis. Natural it is then to grumble at the weather in New Zealand, as if it were the most rainy place in the world-at the roads, as if they weaver mended-at Governinent, for not making winter firm, clean, smooth, and comfortable, by summer providence—at business for being always most urgent at the worst ": , „ " i c i. „ season-above all, at ourselves for not gvambling, grumbling loudly and zealously, long, long before there were such filthy roads, such sloughs of primitivemismanagement. Haply welately escaped by jh j -t ~ o . nn ',,U" tugging our paddles and sailing, as wt, could, through such a v bog "a3 threatened' to swallow " the Van " and its full cargo. 'Our hope is that the public carriage just named, with its +• . x ~ . j ~,„ ,1,.;,,™ r-nA i,nr Wa fair occupants, at least, and the dnvei and hoises were not suffocated. Good it is to have a light and buoyant spirit, not too much encumbered with either heavy cares or weighty-thoughts, or , ■, , t c i •„* ,ri,«^ cumbersome understandings of any kind, when compelled to flounce and flounder through ' difficulties like those that now stick many a poor team in the quags between Nelson and Stoke ■" ~ l b L c , , + t-\ And it is good too to get safe home, and to feel sound and warm all over, after the perils of such a journey; and Englishmanlike, to get into a good humor with everybody, road-makers and all, by i. /. ■;/ r.ii i ti V +t,» the comforting thought, that all who go the same road in the rain will grumble as lustily as we did the other day. After all, for the honor and glory of candid '~ t Irl „„+ i,. „,.,. tempers and dispositions, we should not be overearnest in grumblement, particularly about official persons here. No doubt they, have had their "hands full," as we may say. Have they not a thousand things to do? And who can say which should be done first? Government, it is true, can get money, but who can tell how to spend it for the best? Truly these are alarming questionsj o i. Still possibly, just now, they are best answered by advisin"1 the Road Commissioner and his staff, to sit still until bmk winds blow, and M, weather set-in. In very pity to mortal men and brutes, they should avoid mending the roads at this especial season,— by- contriving to make them infinitely ' , " , j. v , • t\r worse, by the mockery of dirty repairs. We know they are tempted to attempt this and that, to silence "complaint; but, as we might say, too 7x- z v i t i Q +<-,,. ATM-mnt-i'mifv iLn late sho'ild wait —tor a better opportunity. Meankm(, i««j«i «""" 1 , • j " it while it may be hoped, that an indulgent public will think of past meritorious services, as to good roads and all that, in a generous and Christianlike manner, and forbear to grumble bad roads ' ° into impassable swamps. ;■ "—"—-~~———— ...., >t ....' J";""'"''",**"" Sydney Dramatic Company.—This company, whicli has been successfully performing at Nelson, are passengers by the Tasmanian Maid, and intend, we understand, to give entertainments in this town. The company consist of Mi V Bruton, late principal comedian of the Victoria and Prince of Wales Theatres, Sydney; Mr. P." Devise, also from the Sydney theatres; and Miss Julia Clifford, late leadingactress of the Prince of Wales, Svduey. Report speaks very highly of the abilities of this little company, and we We no doubt but that they will meet with a favorable reception, if the plays selected by them are of that character to !, "■; , fi-i i ~ ~ ;, merit the patronage of the lovers of the drama.Wellington Independent June 2. ..,. . Dramatic Company.—On Monday last this company took their departure in the steamer Wonga Wonga, for Wanganui. The company includes the names of Mr. and Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Foley, Messrs. Bertram and Miller. After a short stay at Wanganui, we understand that it is their intention to visit Nelson, and to return to Wellington in about six weeks' time. — Wellington Independent, June 2. • A Christmas Foundlino.-A touching custom has prevailed at Lyons for many years. The first child that is abandoned to the care of the Foundling -Hospital on the eve of Christmas-day is received with peculiar honors, and attended to with every care. A very handsome cradle prepared beforehand, receives its little body, the softest coverings give it warmth, the kindest solicitude watches over its slumbers. The whole is designed to present the strongest contrast to the scene in the stable, 111 which the Saviour was received m entermg on his earthly existence, and to show that the being condemned here below to perish the victim ot vice or misery, is saved by the bivlhoi Him who was sent on earth to moulcate chanty among nmu-Gahgnaw.