NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
MANCHESTER, MASS., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1908. 
RANDOM THOUGHTS. 
BY D. F. LAMSON. 
No. XXIX. 
Flippancy, the treating of weighty and 
serious concerns lightly and as matter for 
jest, may be said to be one of the char- 
acteristics of our time. Our forefathers 
have been charged with moroseness, and 
that they were somewhat lacking in light- 
some humor must be allowed. But they 
had great matters on hand, and they 
treated them with becoming gravity. 
There is such a thing as seriousness with- 
out dolefulness, as well as cheerfulness 
without levity. Who will show us the 
golden mean? 
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It is one of the anomalies of every day 
experience, that many who boast of their 
breadth are of all men the most narrow, 
that many who think they are most pro- 
found are often the most shallow, that 
those who wish credit for liberality are 
often the most illiberal; such are the con- 
trarieties of human nature. It would do 
us a world of good often could we “‘see 
oursels as ithers see us.’’ 
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There is one thing that does not need 
to be proclaimed from the housetops, 
and that is that politics is no school of 
Virtue or manliness; statesmanship is a 
noble thing, but the chicanery and petti- 
foggery of ordinary politics is something 
that ought to breed contempt. 
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Distinctions are a good thing when 
they are based upon or express real 
differences; but a distinction without a 
difference is of little account; many dis- 
tinctions which have sometimes been 
matter of angry dispute are of the latter 
sort. And yeta letter or a diphthong 
may stand for a vital distinction, asin the 
case of the famous controversy that the 
great Nicene Council was called to 
settle. 
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Arnold of Rugby wrote to one of the 
assistant masters, ‘‘ I will not condescend 
to justify the school against attacks, when 
I believe it is going on, not only not ill, 
but positively well;’’ and he adds, “let 
us mind our own work, and we shall al- 
ways have enough to do, and enough al- 
ways to hinder us from being. satished 
with ourselves; but when we are 
attacked, we have some right to answer 
with Scipio, who, scorning to reply to a 
charge of corruption, said, ‘ This day I 
have fought with Hannibal well and suc- 
cessfully ;? we have done enough good 
MaAncHeEsTER Exectric Co’s STratTion AT MANCHESTER. 
THe Bosron & 
NortTHeERN STREET Ratrtway Now Conrrots THE PLANT. 
Set ACCOUNT ON PAGE 12. 
and undone enough evil to allow us to 
hold our assailants cheap.’? ‘This was 
the spirit, not only of the great Head 
Master of Rugby, but of Paul who 
answered his detractors and accusers by 
pointing to his work as his justification; 
and happy ts every teacher, and minister, 
and every other servant of the public, 
who can take his stand calmly on this 
high ground; it will make little difference 
to him what his enemies may say. 
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It would seem that some ministers go 
far afield for subjects for pulpit treatment, 
and when haply they have found them, 
they labor hard to find a title for them, 
as witness the notices of Sunday services 
in the daily papers; here is one, for in- 
stance: ‘‘ The Achievement of the 
Consciousness of God.’’ This is anew 
idea, certainly, achieving a conscious- 
ness. One cannot but feel sympathy 
for the mental throés that must have 
preceded such a deliverance. 
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Meeting a beloved physician on oné of 
our perfect October days, evidently 
hurrying to see a patient, the thought 
came rather thoughtlessly, ‘‘ there ought 
not to be people needing the doctor such 
weather as this;’’ but the second, better 
thought came in the words of an almost 
forgotten poet: 
‘* Leaves have their time to fall, 
And flowers to wither at the north wind’s 
breath, 
And stars to’ set; but all— 
Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O, death,’’ 
“v Ww Ww Ww 
Now that the election is over, we may 
hope for a little breathing spell; but as long 
as men differ as they do in their views of 
public policy, and are so much governed 
by personal interest; if it is not one thing 
it will be another; and with a world 
power, even if there is no domestic 
treason or foreign levy, there will always 
be complications arising, and new con- 
ditions to be discussed, and old questions 
to be threshed over again, which will be 
enough to keep us from political stag- 
nation, at least. Some of us _ have 
reason to be thankful that we are not in 
the fray; but we are all of us permitted 
to offer the petition, God save the State. 
N, S. H. S. 
The North Shore Horticultural society 
held a very interesting meeting last Friday 
evening. A paper by Eric Wetterlow on 
Chrysanthemums dealt with the subject 
in a very instructive and practical man- 
ner. ‘There was a handsome display of 
chrysanthemums. William Swan was 
given a vote of thanks for his display and 
was awarded a special prize of $5.00. 
Mr. Wetterlow was given an award of 
merit for his general display and James 
Mcgregor was also given an award of 
merit for his display of cut blooms. 
James Salter also had a table of mums. 
Joseph Clarke, James Scott and Thomas 
Jack were appointed committee on ex- 
hibits. Robert A. Mitchell was appoint- 
ed press representative for the balance of 
the year. The next meeting will be on 
Friday evening of next week. 
