It’s exciting when a revolutionary comes along and promotes all the right ideas. It feels like there’s a real change coming in the world when this person comes along, speaks what feel like simple and self-evident truths, rushing in like a fresh wind. The French Revolution was a revolution of ideas, coming in on the heels of the American Revolution, which had brought into the world a nation founded on the principles of self-government and fair representation for all. One such nation was founded, and now another one—The Republic of France—was on the rise. It was a big deal to the French, of course, among those who supported and opposed the Revolution. But the Revolution was welcomed by many people in other countries, as well. One admirer of the French Revolution was the German composer Ludwig von Beethoven, whose career was starting to take off at the time. Beethoven himself had recently gotten over some major humps in his personal life, as well. He was just starting to lose his h
Old Pennsylvania legend, it is written, tells of a creature called the squonk (lacrimacorpens dissolvens) . The squonk lives in the woods and is very hard to track down, though its cries are often heard, especially around twilight, when it’s said to wander about the hemlock trees. It is elusive, and it wants to be. The reason for this is that the squonk is one of the homeliest creatures in the world and it knows it. Its skin is ill-fitting, covered with warts and moles. It doesn’t like being so ugly, so its cries and tears are said to be caused by its weeping over its lot in life. Skilled hunters, it is said, can track the squonk by following the trails of tears it leaves. Even so, the squonk is very hard to catch. In fact, only one squonk is said ever to have been caught. This feat was accomplished by a hunter called J. P. Wentling, who lived near Mont Alto, Pennsylvania. He caught the creature by mimicking it and luring it into a sack. His success is attributed to the fact