The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-09-24

does not KNOW no Is OII6 C1i oAO1t oiA
I'll he puts his forefeot up to scratch
It ii. Only there, surely, are the thieves
so cute that they drew walnut log
right right out of its bark, and left FIVE
sleepy watchers all nodding as they:
sat astride q tunnel of walnut wood
rind.-North British Rerietr.- 'l "a -.
EIuss~ gr..Ii.1 ls..!x .1.....-.- - ,---4.5
n .lr.jit THE IDEAL sEFf !"
" hen we look back to the days OF
youth, we feel impressed that the ideal
world was almost the only one in
which we lived. It was difficult to
separate the real from the imaginary,
A thought, however wild or misshap-
pen, possessed all the power then
4 which stubborn fact does now.
Every thing seemed to be so tinged
with bright hopes and pleasant fancies
that as we now take retrospective
view, we can hardly realize that we
I lived then cin the. same, busy world
which now surrounds u.s., Oh, happy
days. Who does not look upon them
without mingled dopieasure and regret !!
pleasure in: barely, recalling their
sunny moments and regret that they
were doomed to fade so soon away.
EChiidhood is undoubtedly the period
| when the ideal, reigns supreme AT
lno time in afterlife does it SO hold US
in its charmed embrace. Our widest
dreams are not then troubled with the
! possibility Of a failure, WHICH in in latter
times ferIas ascserious a drawback to
our ideal pleasures. BY degrees, how
1 ever. we begin to feel that life Is not
"all our, fancy painted it, and the
| lessons of cold and bitter experience,
taught us in after years, would seem
to give the lie to our fond imagfnings.
No sooner is one chain Of imaginary
| ideas broken than, another rises and
i takes its place, but tinctured- slightly
with sober misgiyings. HoThe day
dreams of youth are superseded by
more staid and less erratic fancies, il
is, true, but comparatively as ephem-
eral.b The poets visions are but the
legitimate fruits of the second stage
in ideal history. The misanthrope
seeks in, mournfn1 numbers the lost
joys of early youth while the lighter
and more happy spiritindulges in high
hopes and aspirations of a glorious
future. The poets power is almost
universally felt and acknowledged
He who can stir the divinity within
! us, ,"rules us more efectually than the
monarch who 'sways q rod of iron
Too little attention. is given to the In
innate connection which the idea
realm holds to the common, practical
everyday world. 1t isl apt to be re.
garded as something too, remote to
merit a thought except when all other
business has been cared for. -,
To the elaboration and embodiment
J, Of the ideal in outward forms do We
owe those improvements in science
and art which distinguish the present
age .abeve.allrwhich have preceded it
This is. beginning to be acknowledged
; although the, relation, which all i'm
provements. bear to- the world ,o1
thought and feeling is notoyet. fully re-
4 aiize6. can perceive that any
connection canfexist between the wild
/ lvagaries of the thoughtless schoolboy
and the vast strides in physical, prac.
teal science which are shown by the
discoveries of a Newton, Fulton and
a Morse. 1t is by some supposed thai
their discoveries were the outbirth oi
sudden inspiration, not attributable
to the common law of mental pro.
| gress, They are examples of what
may be done in giving to inmost
thoughts and desires a tangible form
and power and are also guaranty
to the world that no thought or ides
|, is impracticable which has for it's OBJ.
ject the good of mankind and the
progress of the race. The "impossi.
} bilities" in the physical world arc
!, fast being overcome. Time and
distance are annihlated iby the tele'
; graph steam renders travelling a pos,
tive pleasure compared with all for
mer modes and astronomy has opened
up to us such a world of rational con.
. sideratien; that we must ever feel in.
debted for the existence of its discov.
erer.
Poetry, music, eloquence, sculpture
painting,-these form a small part Of
what may be called imaginative efforts
And yet their power over the mass
of mind is truly astonishing. The
more ethereal and evanescent are
ughtJaferIt and most eoHsted. And
why? Because they are the purest
channels for the manifestation of the
ideal. The tones of the human voice
when directed by the magic power Of
of genius, awakens slumbering echo
in our boso1lis, and we bow in rever-
ence to the master mind which has so
faithfully rendered in song what we
all feel and acknowledge to be true in
the ideal. .sboo,9 sssqU
The realm of the ideal has, not yet
been exhausted. It is storehouse OF
such immense resources that millions
of generations cannot exhaust it
Myriads of busy minds are now ex-
ploring and developing its Wonderful
and sublime powers; and ere long we
may expect to witness some new
phase which shall excite our wonder
and admiration and benefit 1o our race
more than any heretofore made
known.
=! lIstY Ts1ffIf4"i4- AfASSetf H5lIii
Whithersoever we go we meet with