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The Essential Thomas Paine | A daily reading

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I cannot find it. It’s here somewhere, but not where it belongs.

That’s loose speak. There is an order of a certain sort to my little home library. There’s an Art Bookshelf which has art books and a few random collections. It of course does not have Daughter C’s leftover Art books– those are on another Art Bookshelf in the Apartment. The Encyclopedia Sets are mostly near the foyer, or on a bookshelf near the hearth, or by one at the back door. Or in the Bunkhouse Storeroom. Reference books are by the television in the living room, or on my desk or some shelves in the Den. Except of course references books dealing with foreign languages. Those are in the Living Room. Books specifically about wars are on the War Shelves in the Bunkhouse, or the Den. Cookbooks are on two shelves of the big bookcase in the living room. And on two separate small book/nicknack shelves in the Bunkhouse. There are some in the Apartment, too.

But my collection of American History is … well… everywhere. What I mean by that is there are hot spots of American History all over the joint.

I have looked everywhere. Not that I don’t have other books on, or by, that great corset maker, but this is the one I wanted today.

Here’s a Daily Reading for you. Not what I had wanted but… .

Of the origin and design of government in general. With concise remarks on the English constitution

Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the later negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one… .

–Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776 [emphases in original] Full text here.