After the Storm

Social theories that favor our passions, peculiarities, defects of

character or weaknesses are readily adopted, and, with minds of an

ardent temper, often become hobbies. There is a class of persons who

are never content with riding their own hobbies; they must have

others mount with them. All the world is going wrong because it

moves past them--trotting, pacing or galloping, as it may be, upon

its own hobbies. And so they try to arrest this movement or that,

or, gathering a company of aimless people, they galvanize them with

their own wild purposes, and start them forth into the world on

Quixotic errands.

These persons are never content to wait for the slow changes that

are included in all orderly developments. Because a thing seems

right to them in the abstract, it must be done now. They cannot wait

for old things to pass away, as preliminary to the inauguration of

what is new.

"If I had the power," we have heard one of this class say, "evil and

sorrow and pain should cease from the earth in a moment." And in

saying this the thought was not concealed that God had this power,

but failed to exercise it. With them no questions of expediency, no

regard for time-endowed prejudices, no weak spirit of waiting, no

looking for the fullness of time could have any influence. What they

willed to be done must be done now; and they were impatient and

angry at every one who stood in their way or opposed their theories.

In most cases, you will find these "reformers," as they generally

style themselves, governed more by a love of ruling and influencing

others than by a spirit of humanity. They are one-sided people, and

can only see one side of a subject in clear light. It matters little

to them what is destroyed, so that they can build. If they possess

the gift of language, either as writers or talkers--have wit,

brilliancy and sarcasm--they make disciples of the less gifted, and

influence larger or smaller circles of men and women. Flattered by

this homage to their talents, they grow more ardent in the cause

which they have espoused, and see, or affect to see, little else of

any importance in the world. They do some good and much harm. Good,

in drawing general attention to social evils that need

reforming--evil, in causing weak people to forget common duties in

their ambition to set the world right.

There is always danger in breaking suddenly away from the regular

progression of things and taking the lead in some new and

antagonistic movement. Such things must and will be; but they who

set up for social reformers must be men and women of pure hearts,

clear minds and the broadest human sympathies. They must be lovers

of their kind, not lovers of themselves; brave as patriots, not as

soldiers of fortune who seek for booty and renown.