Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-08-27
PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY, AUGUST e. 1857

His eyes may open prison cell, but the bare
walls glow with energy.
His ears may be filled with execrations, but are
listening to the music of sweet thought;
He may dwe in IA hOvel with heroes heart anC
canopy his penury with peace;
For mind is king 10 the man, who gathered Il
his pleasure from IDEAS
All should remember, that any thing
great must be accomplished by patiently
taking one step at time; we must first
learn how to study and think; realizing
that books, and teachers are bat helps in
the preparation of he mind; the work OF
discipline and education must be our own.
One great thing to be learned IS palien:
application Very few are willing to set
down day by day for years and labor for
an education; vet il is not small part of
education to have acquired this trait of
character. Students should learn to think
for themselves, thus learning inependence;
For thought shall strengthen thinking and image
ry speed iml gnation,
Until thy spiritual inmate shall have swelled to the
giant of Otruto
And sec thou discipline thy strength, and point
thy aim discreetly;
Feed on humility and holy things, weaned from
covetous desires;
Hour by hour and day by day, ply hysef with ideas
Cf excellence,
And win, by gradual alluremens, the still expand
ing soul.
To rise from contemplated universe, even to the
Hand that made it.
Thought is the key that unlocks the in
exhaus.lble store house OF truth and spreads
Its wealth. in rich profusion before the ca
ser earnest seeker af,er knowledge, who
d living in the rich mines of entimes brings
hence new truths, which have at first daz
zled and bewildered the astonishcd multi
tGde, bu afterwards eleva'ed and purified
them in their relations to each Other and
their God, and thus have led them on to-
wards those delectable fields of purer exist
ence which lie spread out in inviting
spendor and beauty before them.
Yes it is the ''baacon blaze on he rock"
and though its light may be occasionally
obscured by the ragings of anarchy and
bloodshed, yet when the mist and dark
ness have given place to calm and quiet
ude, it shines forth with increased brillan-
cy, inviting the teeming millions Of earth
onward and upward TO partake of the rich
banquet of truth. which is spread for those
who have toiled and labored through the
dust of opposition, and even through fiery
persecution, fsr The attainment Of that
knowledge. which shall reach on and still
on through the never ending cycles of
ceaseless Eternity.
Often have we listened with capt admi
ration to the u:terance of deep, sublime
and well matured thoughts as they have
fallen from the lips of some master spirit of
eloquencc until swayed by the stirring pa
thos, and glowing warmth of expressions
we follow him enchanted under his magic
al influence through the labyrinths of pro-
found logic-the de,ious wndings of met
aphysical speculations out into the broad
arena of Heaven inspiring truth, and felt
ourselves hindled with glorious emula-
ton as he was descanling upon the won
drous beauties of nature, the immortal des-
tiny of all created intelligence, and the il
llmita6le power and goodness of Cod un-
til the soul catching the inspiration of
words that breathe and thoughts that bur
row, leaves for a while the contemplation
of all low, groveling things, and feasts up
on those which are heavenly and divine.
1t is concentrated, powerful thought,
which has reused in man that spirit Of ac
tivity which has resulted in such sublime
Godike action, thus investing him with
new charms and powers; giving him kind
of ublquity and eternity Of which enables
him 10 outwit death and ehshrine himself
amid an earthly Immortality, and erects
monument to his memory whose material
may bid a proud defiance to the wither-
ing. touch of Time. This monument
resting upon immortoi mind as its founda-
tion will remain notwithstanding the cease
less changes upon the great sea of life,
and its summit rising upward into the
heavens far above the reach of tcmpests. 5
will be continually guided with light, and
around which the bright beams of Eerni- I
iy will forever love to lnger.
Let us remember that thought, noble,
energetic, perseverng thought is the only ,
true manhood, the only true aliment upon
which the IMMORTAL SOUL of man can feast
and be satisfied, and that without this ali
ment. the spirit OF mans mental and NOR
al being would become literally dead, aud t
instead Of kindling lofty emotions at the I
of DIVINE TRUTH, he would c
drag out miserable, british existence. 4
The great battle Of life is before us, and c
shall we shrink from the contest? Shall we {
fold our hands and move on through life |
with a cold ind fp renee to all the oloriouS