A WORD ABOUT KNOWLEDGE. 



205 



the local papers ! Impossible snakes, no less 

 impossible birds, and creatures too strange for 

 even the nightmare of a zoologist, figure now and 

 then as captured in the neighborhood of an in- 

 land town, yet no one contradicts the reporter or 

 sees the absurdity of it all. The mythical hoop- 

 snake bespatters the " patent outsides " of many 

 a village weekly. Better, by far, absolute igno- 

 rance than half the truth. Quercus, white ; alba, 

 an oak, indeed ! 



While the aforesaid intellectual status causes 

 us to pity our fellows and at times to laugh at 

 their expense, brazen assumption of knowledge, 

 which is far more common, is often positively 

 exasperating. 



What a sad spectacle, yet very common one, 

 to find, even in our larger towns, thousands led 

 blindly by a half-dozen who, by reason of brazen 

 assumption, have stepped forth as leaders, and 

 been meekly accepted as such ! The intellect- 

 ual status of many a village is sometimes ludi- 

 crous. In Smalltown there live a lawyer, a doctor, 

 and a clergyman, who are great cronies, past 

 sixty, and puffed up with pride. As a matter of 

 course, they rule the little community with a rod 

 of iron. Not a great question of the day but is 

 referred to some one of the three or to all, and 

 nothing concerning the past comes up but their 

 opinion is sought and relied upon. No one ever 



