The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-02-02


w. w. FARLEY, .
T# +. WAsHBURN.
.s Ottunlwa, Dec. 29th, 1859.
Dear Brothers,
| have your very kind and
fiatterlng note of yesterday, asking copy
OF my remarks-which your are pleased to
call an aidress-made at the Masonic Festi.
val of the 9th, for publication. -.lr..
send it herewith; would it were more
worthy, but state truly in my predatory re-
marks that had but a few hours for prep
aration. 't goa
Fraternally yours, JIG. KNAPP.
Hon. "A. HARRIS, and others. .. 81.
Sisters and Brothers:
Although am a Ma
son'i am as yet but little acquainted with
the usages of the order; was never before
present upon an occasion Of this kind, and
do not very well know what is expected of a
Speaker, or what line Of thought would be
most appropriate | hope, however, but
little is upon this occasion expected, as I
have had but a few hours out of very few
days to prepare few thoughts which assure
you will not rise to the dignity of an Address
practical trust upon the subject ofhnppiness
IN this life or social life in some of its more
familiar phases; and as this is social-to
appreciate the Importance of any relation of
life, we must to the fullest extent and capac-
'ity of our minds understand and realize life
s.tself and its paramount Importance
1t has long been an established conviction
ofmy mind, that an insufficient appreciation
of the magnitude ofour present is one great
cause of our neglect of its privileges, and of
our trifiing with its blessings so abundantlv
provided by tine good Being and brought
within the reach of our capacities to secure
and enjoy.
What causes have combined to produce
this condition Of the human mind it Is more
difficult to determine than it is, that such
condition ofmind is universal; for, assume,
that there is a universal want of proper
estimate of the value of this life, and as uni
versal failure to enjoy to anything like the
extent of our capacities to do So its mani-
fold blessings.
May this not to some extent be the result
OF the constant comparison everywhere pre-
senling itself to our thoughts, and the com.
parison by every one made between this and
aJnture existence? This mole of compar.
son is ready way, and doutless has the eff
feet of impressing our minds with that i'm
portant consideration. The rast,ess Of eter.
nsty. The result, however, is that thus COM
posed, Mis life seems but "a bubble upon the
Ocean of Time" morning dew, summe,
cloud, and all else in resemblance that con.
veys to the mind most forcibly the IDEAS Of
eoanesce,ce, breoity, nothingness |!
All such comparisons or smiles presenting
to the mind the nothingness of life, are very
poetica1 and very beautiful, but they are al
.tancgfM and cery aororg and induce mode
ofhinking, and a criterion of judging that
lead to error, and increase the evil growing
out of an imperfect appreciation of the priv
,'egies and blessings of this life. Every Poe
sings depreciative of life, and would make
you believe that
life is a Strife, tie a bubble, It's a dream"
'And man Is out a little boat that paddles
dozen the stream" a
Poetry has its charms that lure us to belief
and there is simple beauty about that lttl
song for instance, and many others of lik
kind, so musical, so sweet that they catcl
and arrest the attention, and though onl,
appetite fiction-it is nevertheless well cal
culated to gerninate in the mind contemp
: for this life as too Insignificant to be worth,
Of consideration.
Life is not, or should not be strife an
II It Is, It is because we pervert its purposes
and reject its offered peace; nor is it
bubble or dream, and yet many of u
make it as worthless as a bubble. an
dream of good we never reach. But III
properly appreciated and made to yield II
the full enjoyment Of Its inestimable gin
cannot with any degree of truth be compare
to a bubble.-Lifs IS all there ia Of eartl
without it, there is to us no earth, so with /
God gives the earth with It's seas and skie.
earth in all its greatness, its grandurc and il
beauty, and has He created this vast univers
and man SO wonderfully and fearfnlly mad