The Recreations of a Country ParsonBoyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
General
The Recreations of a Country Parson
Boyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
Clergy -- Anecdotes; Country life -- England; Rural clergy -- England
When we begin to copy a passage from this work, we find it very
difficult to stop. But the thoughtful reader will not need to have
it pointed out to him how much sound wisdom is conveyed in that
playful form. And here is excellent advice as to the fashion in
which men may hope to get through great intellectual labour: says
Ellesmere,--
I can tell you in a--very few words how all work is done. Getting
up early, eating vigorously, saying "No" to intruders resolutely,
doing one thing at a time, thinking over difficulties at odd times,
that is, when stupid people are talking in the House of Commons,
or speaking at the Bar, not indulging too much in affections of
any kind which waste the time and energies, carefully changing the
current of your thoughts before you go to bed, planning the work of
the day in the quarter of an hour before you get up, playing with
children occasionally, and avoiding fools as much as possible: that
is the way to do a great deal of work.
Milverton remarks, with justice, that some practical advices as
to the way in which a working man might succeed in avoiding fools
were very much to be desired, inasmuch as that brief direction
contains the whole art of life; and suggests with equal justice
that the taking of a daily bath should be added to Ellesmere's
catalogue of appliances which aid in working.
We cannot linger upon the remaining pages which treat of Biography,
nor upon two interesting chapters concerning Proverbs. It may be
noticed, however, that Ellesmere insists that the best proverb in
the world is the familiar English, one, 'Nobody knows where the
shoe pinches hut the wearer;' while Milverton tells us that the
Spanish language is far richer in proverbs than that of any other
nation. But we hasten to an essay which will be extremely fresh and
interesting to all readers. We have had many essays by Milverton:
here is one by Ellesmere. He had announced some time before his
purpose of writing an essay on The Arts of Self-Advancement, and
Mildred, whom Ellesmere took a pleasure in annoying by making a
parade of mean, selfish, and cynical views, discerned at once that
in such an essay he would have an opportunity of bringing together
a crowd of these, and declared before Ellesmere began to write
it that it would be a nauseous essay.' The essay is finished at
length. The friends are now at Salzburg; and on a very warm day
they assembled in a sequestered spot whence they could see the
snowy peaks of the Tyrolese Alps. Ellesmere begins by deprecating
criticism of his style, declaring that anything inaccurate or
ungrammatical is put in on purpose. Then he begins to read:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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