in their several vocations. This skill and experience,
by means of which society is influenced, were acquired
under different systems of education and discipline ;
and in the adaptation of these experiences, one to an-
other, and all to a general whole, theory and specula-
tion were in a measure thrown aside, and men became
eminently practical. All must discard something
of that j ust pride for the ancient and local customs of
their fathers under which their progress had been at-
tained thus far. This it was difiicult at once to
do. The way in which we are accustomed to do a
thing we cannot but feel to be the best way, and we
see no reason why we should throw it aside for an-
other which will bring about results less easily. Nor
need we, except in some instances, when we must per-
force adapt ourselves to general customs. And by
this discarding of habits formed on a framework of
technical philosophy alone, and seizing upon actuali-
ties as they exist, irrespective of their origin, the
grandest results are attained.
Until a late day we lacked home and the home feel- ing in California. We began by staying here a little while, and we have remained longer than we intended. We lack the associations running back for generations, the old homestead, the grandfather, and grandmother, and uncles, and aunts, and cousins. There is nothing around us hallowed by an indistinct past. There is nothing older than ourselves ; all that we see has grown up under our eyes, and for these creatures of our own creation we have no reverence. We are not yet settled, we are constantly moving to and fro like restless spirits, living in hotels and boarding houses ; or if we have a home we want to sell it and go into the country, or to Europe. It is so much trouble keeping house, with these Chinamen for chamber- maids !
The average intelligence of any nation in Christen- dom, not even excepting the great American people, is greatly overrated ; particularly when it
