The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-06-25

BODLEY
We may go which way will but VIC
must 90, we may choose what course vi
please but we must choose, That we have
Tue power Of volitlOn Is no more o reality
than the necessity OF using It. To will
not 10 1ciA puts us in most absurd situa-
ton, for, in that very act we have done
inst the thing we would H0tdo. Nothing
80 distinguishes character as the native
wIll.poWer a man possesses and his man.
rrr If applying il. Decision occupies
lower ground than action, hence the
prophets exclamation "MultItudes, null
liludes in the valley Of Decision"
Decision ia fhe act Of settling or ter
miuating. BY ii are ended those.discus
SONS aud speCulaliOns which, without
1t, would run into infinite minutia
and never yield any result. De
rl4iOn leads 10 action, it is neces-
sary, therefore, IN all business, art
mental attainment Gnd scientific progress
II enters daily and momentarily into the
history Of every Individual, and what
ever does this must effect his physical, in
lellectusl and moral nature to an almost
unlimited extent. A habit Of thought,
feeling, or action is invariably formed,
according to tho degree Of the exercise Of
the will Each determination prepares
the way for another, partakiDgO i the same
nature, according 10 its degree Of connec.
ton, the whole moulding the character oI
the individual. For, as previously OBJ
served, decision leads 10 action, and life
itself Is but an infinite series OF nets be-
ginning in time and endless " eternity.
Decisive characters rule the world,
tue strOng.minded will inevitably take
the precedence and preside over the
weaker Hence history Is but the
biographical record Of few strong
and earnest lives "ThG survival Of the
tiurst" in point Of strength, though not
always In point Of excellence, for ter.
re,trial saturns have not been wanting,
who have LDthrOncl fathers that they
might enjoy their kingdoms, aud around
whom have gathered satellites oil lesser
magnitude attracted by their powerful in
tlaencc; for ip all uges inAn have sought
to he great ly J0lloibIag tho great. The
tendencies OF the present age are toward
independence of thought and action,
hence our public men must be tit repre-
suntatives OF their constituents, rejecting
their opinions and wishes, or they will
not long stand the test Of manly force.
The vasclllRting man is q mere autOmat0n
auong his fellows, moved Indeed by the
hidden springs oil lie, but only in ODE
diencc to the whims Of his superloTs.
lie becomes subserVienl, dulls his ill.,
rrllCct, falls below the mark his youth has
SET for his attainment, lOECs his sell.rG'
spcct and dies without a name.
In the world oil intellect God oilers to
every mind its choice between truth and
YsD0Se; take which you please; you can
aerer have DOih. lie in whom the love Of
repose pfedominates, will accept the first
creed, the first philosophy, the first ,polil-
iCal party he meets, most likely his
fathers He that would marry truth
must remember that she Is q coy maiden
that can only be wOOed and won by the
most assiduOus attention, the most de-
voted Affection, the most unIiring effort.
The results attending the act OF choos-
ing 10 the intellectual world are not 10 be
compared in importance, with those relat-
ing TO the moral nature.
BY single act Of decision, in favor OF
the wrong, sin entered the world and
changed the relations OF the entire race
TO each other and 10 God. The voluntary
act of Christ in tho purchase Of the
worlds redemption, was Just as compre-
hensive. The power OF choice involves
fearful responsibilities. There are times
in the life oil each when points Of the
greatest moment are 10 be decided. Who
tan estimate the consequences Of chOos-
ing when Christ Is the object Of choice
There is a small lake upon one Of the high
passes Of the Alps, the waters OF
which find their way 10 the ocean by
Two different channels. OneportiOn goes
forth 10 minglc with the stormy waves
and crashing iCeberg8 Of northern seas.
Another finds its way TO the Medltera-
mean along tho vine clad hills and the
sunny wales Of France. SO small is that
mountain lake that single flake Of
snow falling upon It's surface, and dissolv-
ng in It's waters, may supply a portion
Tor each OF the two mighty rivers. Dill
iCrcnt parts Of the same drop that shot
uut the rays of the same crystal star in
The snowflake, may have a subsequent
history, and a ha5itatiOn separated from
each other by ranges Of the loitiCst noun.
taIns, the utmost divrrsities Of climate,
and the diameter Of the globe. So there
may he influences which seem fitted to
CrystaliZo the members OF the same
family into one symmetrical crown OF
beauty. And yet some divergent force
n temptation may set them upon dilter
rnt tracks, and they msy go on IRON
slight beginnings TO great extremes, until
40 one Gun pass the guilt OtSCparaliun that
lies between them. The first step in TIT
downward courses Is easy, either 10 he
lekrn or avoided. But whoever takes
that will BIZ most likely 10 take another
aud then another, until return becomes
impossible.
BOUNDING URASs AND TINKIING GYM
DAIs."-BY sALLIE c. NORRIS.
Ia all ages Of the worlds history aud
ia all grades Of society, We llud spirit oil
controversy and sGlERdvanCcmCnt which
even the power Of christianity has not AS
yet destroyed; and one would sometimes
think this spirit Of antagoniSm rather on
The Increase than otherwise among com.
'Inunities, States, and nations, societies
sud churches, destroying often the orig
inal object Of their organization.
As a very large majority OF mankind
has not the faculty, or do not take the
pains 10 reason; but are satisfied by mcrC
casual observation, and deem him bes'
who makes himself the most conspicuous
the ambitious man takes advantage o.
this and tries 10 outslrip his fellows by
high sounding professions.
THUS deception becomes study, ant
70 become successful cheat, Is the high
est aspiration Of the mass,
Some Of our business men are fine types
Of sounding brass
Pick up the morning paper, Jones
Smith and Brown stand out In capital let
ten, The Arst has the very best and thu