It is said of General Grant, when he was approaching Vicksburg,
that his officers, brave enough and willing enough, had so
little military experience that his orders to them were not
mere directions as to what they should do, but instruction in
detail as to the manner in which it should be done. It is said
that a collection of those orders would form a compendium or
handbook of the military art. The man of liberal training with
us has always much of that experience. The sculptor in America
can confide nothing to his workman. The editor often needs to
know how to set type. Many a time will you have to instruct
your bookbinder. Wo to you if you expect to hire a competent
translator! The educated man in America is only a helpless
Dominie Sampson if he can not harness his own horse, and on
occasion shoe him. He must in a thousand exigencies paddle his
own canoe. And the first danger which comes to him is that in
all these side duties he will forget the great central object to
which his life is consecrated.--EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
(754)
=Detected, Loss=--See THEFT, A CHECK ON.