The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-07-25
WHAT ARE We LIVING FOR?


contains many things that cause US
to think it is bubble and a dream !;
there is something that tells US
Life is real, life is earnest,
And the grave Ia not its goal -
and yet how many we see daily who
are hurrying along with the great
bustling world, thinking only of
pleasures that fade into nothingness
when grasped. How many lives are
fitting themselves for the darkness
and desolation of He'll, while others
in the same Christian land are fitting
themselves for the brightness and
glory of Heaven. Young man, are
you trying to make your life beau
tiful one =? Are you using the mind
and heart that God gave you for
noble purpose Are you doing
aught to cast a ray of light to guide
an erring one back to the path that
leads to the golden strand ? Are you
exerting an influence that shines like
the blessed rays of truth upon the
troubled waters of the soul, making
it all haloed and glorious ? All /! if
you are, forsooth the angels smile as
they hover over you and watch over
your noble life. If you are hurrylng
along the sluice, ways Of vice, Turing
the unwary and superficial into the
path of sin and shame, exerting an
influence that places the cursed bowl
to brothers lips, sends despair and
anguish to mothers heart, drags a
father to the grave in sorrow, wrings
| all the brightness from sisters life,
and hurls the chill Of desolation
throughout the old home. you are
fitting your soul for the region of the
damned and the company of fiends.
Oftentimes a word spoken in obedi
ence to the tempter's whisper, falls
like seething spark into the immor.
tai mind, burning an impression that
eats into the soul and emits a venom
more ruinous than the sting of an ad
del. Look at the wasted lives all
around us ! Look at the shiny, coil
ing, glittering demon Intemperance,
as it glides mockingly onward to-
ward the drunkard's hell, Turing SO
many precious souls into its cursed
embrace, blIghting the lives and
running the souls and you will real
ize that
THE age wants heroes-heroes who shall dare
TO struggle in the solid rank of Truth;
| To clutch the monster error by the throat,
| And bear opinion to a loftier seat
Think Of your unimproved ability,
of the talent that must be used to be-
come developed, and then tremble
over neglected duties, and weep re-
pentant tears over the dead ashes of
the past. What did Cataline do in
attempting to overthrow the liberties
of Rome !? He began his work by
corrupting and demoralizing the
young men of the city and fitting
them for deeds of daring and crime
for well he knew that the safety and
welfare of the people depended upon
the virtue and morality of the youth.
What do we need to-day? Men and
women who will dare to trample err
ror beneath their feet and take the
erring one by the hand and lead him
heavenward. Lead him ? CARRY him
in your arms until he gains moral
courage and strength of character
to enable him to walk alone until
the gilded haunts of vice have lost
their influence over him. Don't
waste your life in idle dreaming, be-
cause you can't revolutionize the
world. Remove the "chinks" of our
governments foundation and allow
the vitalizing power to ebb away,
and the first fierce storm of war that
sweeps over it, will lay it in ruins.
Have an aim in life, and remember
| that
"If you cannot cross the ocean
And the heather lands explore,
You can find the heather nearer
| You can feed them at your door,