I therefore have to
record my sympathy with such persons, and to recommend to them a course
of conduct which I have now for a long time myself adopted--namely, the
habit of forcing my attention upon _all_ things that go on around
me, and of taking some degree of interest in them, whether I feel it
naturally or not. I suggest this the more earnestly, though humbly,
because I have very frequently come to know that my indifference to a
thing has generally been caused by my ignorance in regard to it.
We had much serious conversation on this subject of the tides; and Jack
told us, in his own quiet, philosophical way, that these tides did
great good to the world in many ways, particularly in the way of
cleansing the shores of the land, and carrying off the filth that was
constantly poured into the sea therefrom; which, Peterkin suggested,
was remarkably _tidy_ of it to do. Poor Peterkin could never let
slip an opportunity to joke, however inopportune it might be: which at
first we found rather a disagreeable propensity, as it often
interrupted the flow of very agreeable conversation--and, indeed, I
cannot too strongly record my disapprobation of this tendency in
general--but we became so used to it at last that we found it no
interruption whatever; indeed, strange to say, we came to feel that it
was a necessary part of our enjoyment (such is the force of habit), and
found the sudden outbursts of mirth, resulting from his humorous
disposition, quite natural and refreshing to us in the midst of our
more serious conversations.
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