seeming, of progressive arrangement; of ascent from particular to general; of combination to one end of manifold forces. Proportioned to the impor- tance of the organ to be formed, is the extreme care with which its tuition is provided, -- a care preter- mitted in no single case. What tedious training, day after day, year after year, never ending, to form the common sense; what continual reproduction of annoyances, inconveniences, dilemmas; what rejoic- ing over us of little men; what disputing of prices, what reckonings of interest, -- and all to form the Hand of the mind; -- to instruct us that "good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed!" The same good office is performed by Property and its filial systems of debt and credit. Debt, grinding debt, whose iron face the widow, the or- phan, and the sons of genius fear and hate; -- debt, which consumes so much time, which so crip- ples and disheartens a great spirit with cares that seem so base, is a preceptor whose lessons cannot be forgone, and is needed most by those who suf- fer from it most. Moreover, property, which has been well compared to snow, -- "if it fall level to- day, it will be blown into drifts to-morrow," -- is the surface action of internal machinery, like the index on the face of a clock. Whilst now it is the gymnastics of the understanding, it is hiving, in -317- |