Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-03
perience of man. They re. ID the book of

perience of man. They re. ID the book Q
fate for MS and tell US its tn W incanins
And yet these inspired brains, ~nen ne.
have wished to show Us the beat y VI il'o
| have never led us up TO the do VI VI
palace, but always to some place "nel'
| the rose blooms by , quietspot, and y h.i'
| the. song Of the BIRDS and the light Of aa'
| sun meet in the same interlacing leave
| the waves of light and the waves of sound
| flowing together toward the heart. The
| magnificent kings have wished ofsen for
the peace of humble life. The court Of
Charles X, sickened by splendor, repaired
TO the country and dressed as shepherds
! aud toiled for time, that they might
touch life not in its cares but in its sweet
ness In the novel of Auerbach il was
not Irma in the palace that was so blessed,
but Irma in her mountain home that gave
| the writer such a picture of spiritual and
| physical beauty. The care of large prop
| erty Injuries the soul by turning it away
from those mental and moral paths along
which grow the sweetest and most imper-
ishable flowers. This Is no new view. II
Is not the telling of secret. The world
knows that the highest happiness Is found
| in the constant pursuit of an ideal, and
that the chase for riches Is only an intoxi.
| cation like the fascination OF the goblet OF
wine or the cup Of fiattery. We all drink
these cups, not because they are valuable,
but because We are weak.
What is called moderate proper
ty" or even "humble means" Is the best
| condition Of success. An educated book
keeper has within his reach a triumph
| which the owner of the bank" or the
business" may never reach. Emerson
says: Give me health and June day
and will make the pompof kings ridicu-
lous." II is necessary only TO throw
down the god money from his pedestal,
| TO trample that senseless idol under foot
and TO get up all the higher ideals. u neat
home, vines Of ones own planting, few
books full OF the inspiration of genius, a
few friends worthy of being loved and
able to love In return, ahundrcd pleasures
that bring no penitence, devotion to the
| right that will never swerve, a simple re.
ligion empty OF all bigotry, full of faith
| and love, and TO such a philosophy earth
| will give up what joy IL knows. With
| these sublime images around one, the
heart will rest in the center like the sun
| in the midst of his attendants, with all the
| bright planets around, radiant in light and
sweet in harmony.
This my young friends, Is not my
philosophy. Ii Is a theory OF life drawn
| from all the worlds experience. Not a
| generation has lived upon earth which has
not, after having tried all the paths OF &C
ton, bowed at last to the philosophy that
| IL Is the steady light of noble ideas that
makes life pass in blessedness and in
peace. Home, industry, education, friends,
| honor and religion are the ministering
angels that alone are worthy 10 wait upon
| the human sCll In their arms they shall
| bear YOU up.
To the young this philosophy comes
with peculiar power. There are many
| persons in this house to whom all this
| glowing theory of life Is In vain. They
| are far along in years. Ii Is too late for
them to think of placing before their
| eyes a star thatshall guide them and never
| grow dim. They must compose their
hands for death, crossing them upon their
| breast But To you, young men and
| young women, this divine philosophy,
wrung from the tears Of former times,
comes like the song Of the morning lark.
| IL greets you as you rise from your couch.
| This morning hymn, sung by the world,
| is for you. To us older ones come only
ginning hymns, the misereres Of memory
and sorrow. Before you the world lies TO-
day greater in its power and beauty than
ever before any young souls since II arose
from the sea OF chaos. Remember, then,
that you must grasp this life while the In
spira,ion Of youth Is pouring like torrent
| through your heart. You will not dare
exhaust upon sinful or tritiing pursuits a
nerve-power that Is, indeed, the first vi.
braiion of the strings that should make
immortal music. Use not the harp OF
God at dance of Bacchanals. Trample
under foot the new idol called Riches,
and remember that out of humble life the
mightest souls have come, and on the
threshold of cottage the holiest sunlight
mas always fallen.