May 19.
Public opinion is largely moulded by adage and catehword, Not the least potent of these is, "They who are not for us are' against us," and prejudice and partisanship play so tremendous a part in determin ing whom we shall be for, and whom against, as to make the possessor of an open; mind appear almost super-human.
Lack of open-mindedness eve: manifests itself most prominent ly in the endeavour to assay' strange people, strange, that is to say, for the reason that their Are not our ways. Obser in such instances, are immediately divided into two great camps composed, on the one hand, of those who turn away sorrowfully with the clamation, "There ix none good among them, no, not one!", and, on the other, the fulsome adulators of all that is bizarre, si is bizarre. no greater instance this wide division of jon than all that has been ave doubtless sincere, even as may be a few who can nothing bad. The of the first class, how.
ver, recall to mind a conversation' between Mr. Tony Welles and his son, Sam, at the time Mr. Pickwick was imprisoned in the Fleet because of his refusal to pay the costs in the celebrated action of Bardell ickwiek. For the hundredth time Weller. the elder, sighed, "Samivel. why weren't there a alibi?" and then proceeded to hint darkly "piano-forty," finally explaining to his puzzled son that the instrument was to be brought into Mr. Pickwiek's room, and that worthy was to conceal himself? in the packing-case, thus permitting himself to be transported to America, On his return from that strange land, Mr. Tony Weller went on to suggest. Mr. Pickwick was to "write a book bout the Merricans vich would pay all the costs of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.