ty
and of the individual.

But some of these, you may say, are the demands of luxury, of indolent
ease, of man setting nature to work and lapsing in self-indulgence. To
some degree this result may grow out of the present state of things; as
some portion of evil will follow in the sweep of an immense good. But
what is the precise sentence to be passed upon this prevalent luxury? Of
course, admitting the evil--which is apparent--I maintain that there is
a great deal of good in it; that it is inextricably associated with much
real refinement and progress. Men are accustomed to speak of the
simplicity and purity of past times, and to compare, with a sigh, the
good old era of the stage-coach and the spinning-wheel with these days
of whizzing machinery, Aladdin palaces, and California gold. But the
core of logic that lies within this rind of sentiment forces a
conclusion that I can by no means admit, the conclusion that the world
is going backward. I never knew of an epoch that was not thought by some
then living to be the worst that ever was, and which did not seem to
stand in humiliating contrast with some blessed period gone by. But the
golden age of Christianity is in the future, not in the past. Those old
ages are like the landscape that shows best in purple distance, all
verdant and smooth and bathed in mellow light. But could we go back and
touch the reality, we should find many a swamp of disease, and rough
and grimy paths of rock and mire. Those were good old times, it may be
thought, when baron and peasant feasted together. But the one could not
read, and made his mark with a sword-pommel; and the other was not held
so dear as a favorite dog. Pure and simple times were those of our
grandfathers,--it may be. Possibly not so pure as we may think, however,
and with a simplicity ingrained with some bigotry and a good deal of
conceit. The fact is, we are bad enough, imperfect, not because we are
growing worse, but because we are yet far from the best. I think,
however, with Lord Bacon, that _these_ are "the old times." The world is
older now than it ever was, and it contains the best life and fruition
of the past. And this special condition of luxury is a growth out of the
past, and is the necessary concomitant of much that is good. Opening new
channels for industry, it furnishes occupation for thousands; while, in
many of its phases, it indicates a refined culture, and a sphere
elevated above the imperative wants of exi