, 1876-10-07

expires without action. The poet may
lament his fate in sorrowing numbers
the philosopher must pity both genius
and poet, One. might AS well talk of II
nightingale living long lite without
singing or lark not greeting the morn.
The music Is in them, and will out in
spite of cage or bars, and can only he
cXtinguished wthlifc. Boy ut the plow,
imagining yourself n dwaried Shaks.
pcarc, think of Burns singinga song
while tugging the furrow, Just AS you are,
which vibrntcd human hearts round the
world. The secret of his success was
that he was Burns. There are none like
him, and none need expect to be, nor
even desire to BE-. The world hates
duplicates: the last they always consider
a acaricaturc. Burns age wanted Burns,
and he came. Our age desires different
developments, and you are the one
called, be assured YOU will not die I'M
wanted. This view of mans mission is
liable to abuse. Believing that We are
wholly creatures of circumstances we
idly remain awaiting the issue, waiting
for n summons to take some great posi-
tion. When thus bcuighted, we should
consider that we are ourselves the great
est circumstance OF our existence, and
our own activity and energy must earn
the place we desire. The French Revo-
luton might have passed and never
called the name OF Napoleon, had he not,
educated in its spirit, seized with master
" grasp the control of its dscordant
elements.
Cincinnatus was called from the plow
to the dictatorship Of an empire but
this would never have been done had he
not, by long service, already shown his
mastery genus for command. Such
great turns of fortune never overtakc the
unprcpared and waiting droncs. They
may wait till the day of doom, and wait
till "God helps those who help them
Selves" and finally discover that fortune
is the only helper of the energetic, The
individual may blde his time gathering
strength and preparing only bidng that
he may be prepared in season TO grasp
the first opportunity he is :" lord Of"
then he makes mark wide and deep in
the hearts of mankind, us the path of an
avalanche. See how 1t is with that.
Through the long winter days it rests on
the mountains brow; day by day the
snow falls, adding flake TO flake and the
sleet and rain CONCEAL to its surface, still
it reposes, grasping she rocky brow with
tighter hand, and amid tempest and
clouds remaining. Spring comes, and
the breath of summer warns the noun
tain. Then it is ready for the dreadful
leap, tor which all winter it has been
preparing and with laundering crash,
reaching from chasm to chasm, and roll.
ing in dying accents from crag to crag,
it rushes to the plain. Generations of
men unnumbercd will behold its deep
furrow, almest cleaving the mountain in
twain. Had itnot waited until prepared
had it fallen by piece, had it otherwise
than thrown all the accumulated force of
year into the effort, the first grasses of
spring would have obliterated its path.
So it is with the effort of men. They
can waste their energies in truitless ef-
forts; they can waste in idle waiting
they can, by outstanding their strength
till the proper time, shatter the world,
and obtain the homage of generations
they have benefited. The old adage
" Seize time by the torelock," should
read, seize circumstances by the torelock.
Make the most of your surroundings,
using them for steppingstones to some
thing higher. Never impatient, never
content, active ever.-ELpress.