Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-02-26

countersigns required for admission in
to good society are Enthusiastically
demanded by the several cities. Bos-
ton draws herself up serenely, and,
while raising her eye glass tn scan the
cerebral development of the importun-
ate one, coldly asks. What do you
know? New York. vulgarly display
| ing her silks and diamonds, looks at
the eostliness which the applications 5
apparel denotes, and pertly says, What
are you worth ? Philadelphia, proud,
| ly drawing around her covering Of
pampered aristocracy, demands, blue
book in hand, and lips pursed into
prunes, persimmons and prisims, Who
was your grandfather 2 While Wash
ihgton stops a moment in the gliding
German and while trying to obtain a
| sly glimpse of your pedal extremities,
with glowing cheeks and heaving breast,
inquiries, Can you dance"
What is character, in word
Nothing but the thought deposited on
the soul. Men who know tell Us how
the coral reefs are built. BY an in
visible insects life and industry depos-
ition after deposition is made, until
the tiny spots which even microscopic
lens could not detect; becomes the
grand island at which ships may an
chor, or on which life may do its work.
The geologist tells us how, down in
the earth, layer after layer, layer after
layer, thin as paper at first; has been
deposited, and the world of rock built
up. So nature characterizes herself.
The tree is built by deposition of mat
ter drawn out of the air, drawn up by
the root from the soil, year after year,
generation after generation: We can
see the layers, and that is the way the
tree characterizes ITSELF So with our
bodies. From day to day, and from
year to year, they are built by depos-
itions made through the invisible laws
and industries of life.
Thoughts work analogous to all
these, making her deposits on the soul;
for the coral and the strata, the tree
and the body Of character. Whatso-
ever you and [ may lose in other re-
spects, we never lose this character.
It stays with us, walks with us, wakes
with us, sleeps with us. We add to it
as the minutes of life are added. We
may gain and we may lose reputation;
but character, never Reputation is
external, character internal. Reputa-
ton is what men say or think of us
character, exactly what we are. A
man may go through all his life with
out repute; but he can never go
through without character One may
appear well outside, while inside, at
heart he may be sharhelesSly corrupt.
Another may appear to great disadvan-
tage, when internally he may have
meant all right, and may be right:
One is show; the other substance.
One often misnames the other. The
outward can belle the inward the in
ward hold no sort of conformity to the
outward. Joseph of old had a good
character. But he had bad reputa-
ton, and got into prison two years for
it. The Lady of the court had a
good repute, and a good retinue; while
at heart she was bad enddgh. The
Priest and the Ievite were spoken
we'll of by their order, the established
order of their time, and yet they
sneaked by on the other side when
work of duty or mercy was to be done:
But the Samaritan, who had a bad
name, who stood as an outcast among
men, had true heart, and was a.
"Good Samaritan" doing the work of
God. Reputation and character do
not always coincide. 1t is not needful
they should Poor Lazraus, we read
in the story, had no friends but the
dogs. And yet the parable tells US
that when he passed on. he went to
Abraham bosom: While Dives,
robed and palaced, and crowned with
honor, faring sumptuously every day,
followed by golden retinues, and living
in good repute; also died, and accord
ing to the story. passed to the other
side of the gulf. A brilliant writer
quotes Charles Lamb having said once,
on observing a woman's face marred
by small p6x: ''That woman's face
looks as if Satan himself had galloped
across it rough-shod: bit when |
come to know her soul, | liked the in
ternals exceedingly" Gold, with bad
character; though it outweighs the
Andes, is poor and blind, and naked
while, according to the highest author
ity of the universe poor man, writ
ing his daily bread from the valleys of
care, possesses a wealth transcending
the hoard OF Croesus.
God never looks at mans reputa-
ton never listens to what men say of
him. He looks at the character.
The Lord looketh at the man, the
heart. As a man thinketh in his
heart, so he is.
This is the second great thing set
tied. Heart thoughts give quality of
character, as intellectual thoughts give
qunntity. You can have no larger
character than you think into exist
ence you can have no nobler charae-
ter than your thoughts are right, and
pure, and true. Motive, purpose,
temper, spirit, these animating forces
are generating forces, born Of the
heart. They give quality.-Reu. j. l..