The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-04-06
EROISM.

| WE tall INTO the abysses, saying to the
Almighty, why hast thon made mo so
weak r. Bnt notwithstanding our vain
rrctext he addresses our consciousness.
saying, have made thee two weak to
! rise froH, the ri., because made thee too
strong t" fall therein. - Rousseam.
To every. living being way is ap-
pointed and duties given. Over eatl,
Lille there rcigns law. which il * the
end of being to fulfill. From the work.
ngs OF this law there is no escnpe,-
every action has its antrctdcnt and
consequent, and figd lesic follows
MS step by step. We mnnrm the wreck
ni IA man. and soften our sentence nv
saving. An evil star ruled his DESTINY"
"Foittue WAS adverse to him." etc.
; Thus we wrong our natnles. and
ascrihe "nr fai'ings, not to ourselves,
but to some unseen evil power. For
time, Fate, Destiny! mere Snbterfngrs
under which we would conceal orr
c"wnrdly inaction, the appeal of all
weak minds. Man is his own star and
as is ths strength, of his soul. which he
angthrhts 0r diSsitrn,es at will, so car,
he conquer tie most advise power.
What pretty thing we make If life
We throw away or opportunities like
c!t'fl. and. then complain of the hard
ness Of on, lot; we yield continually
to temptation until we lose all control
over oar wills, and then complain of
onr weak natures; we rush into the
c"moat halt armed, and think to come
off victorious.
Few of rs, indeed, appreciate rightly
the deep. significance of life. On one
side we hear curses, on another pray
ers, but rarely strong, heroic words
from self-snliicing soul. The one
universal aim seems to he rest, content.
We have heard men, who having stifled
all the high aspirations of their spi,i,u-
I'll natures and narrowed themselves
down to mere physical pleasures, SAY,
"Tlank Heaven. TO longer know care
| have plenty of food and rainlent. At
night lie down on my he'd of ease,
and with tie morrow go TN my way
rejoicing. 1rst. am content. Poor
fellow mortals, why struggle We after
what is beyond your grasp? Why dis.
quiet yourselves or be troubled that you
have souls g-leave that to God and
your chnrcl.-,s it not enough that you
have bodies T.
There is no greater sin than such
c"ntentment; it is passivity, ig-
n"ranc~. cowar,lice, stagnation, the
tendency To nothing, death All hnir-
or t" the brave. heroic soul that stands
up fearlessly and says, 81 know not
ing hut this do know, that | live
now, and s" surely as do live, will l
live truly. n" pleasure shall conquer
me, and no pain subdue me. am su-
perior to both.-prerared as we'll for
the prnfonndest depts as for the sub
finest heights. Fellow men, ask but
yonr love and good wishes; other help
need not I; other help is not in your
power to give"
Oh, friend, be thus heroid. What is
evil tortnne9 Knew yon not You are
Your own chief "nemyq Do men tempt
y"n ? your taHlt the Welding. d" they
cypress You y"ur fault the suhmis-
sion. Look TO it: the fault is in You
/ Thnneh the foul fiends beset You in le-
gi"ns, they can d" yon no evil, SO you
i will that they shall not: nor has am
human being The power to harm you.
There never was human soul So weak
ly endowed by nature that it could not
do royal hattle with the ills of lie
There never was an aim too high tnI
any ncrtHl I" her auahi so sublime be-
| tween heaven and him Of which he is
: not capable"
If we wnuld but acknowledge it, we
are none of us innocent. Day by day
. we do violence To onr souls; we shnn
the truth; we slirk our duties; we
7 scorn what lies before us; we fret
away our strength; and in the end we
would Iain sink INTO the arms of IL mer-
r citul God. and yield mp to him what we
have made utterly useless.
Oh, friend, life is not easy it is nc
! clild's play, but lie is hard; it is one
p continual battle for the true and right
Nor does death mean rest. lit hnt make
f labor trecr; i, is bnt AN enlargement -
, lie's hnrizon. Shame on ynu. coward
p " prnfigate, who waste it in idle dis.
y sipation Shame on you who degrade
t its noble aims and slnn the workings
of its solemn problems! Say not, u
: enjoy life; do no harm; give hal
t my Substance to the poor; surely the
Lord will bless me hereafter"
p Oh, man. thy soul is so shrnnkan and
u wasted that it will scarcely survive tn,
| h"dy, and there is no heaven for the
Y Say not, 81 hnt endn," life: its woes
i weigh heavy npon me. Surely tn,
!, Lord will recompense me for my snt
! trring." In vain. Heaven is only Il
f lie won by heroes. Suffering is goot
q only so far as i, Strengthens and want
f so far as it leads tn labor. To each on,
is given soul. Let him make tin
n most of it ! Educational Gazette.