The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-04-14
IDEALS.


An ideal is conception proposed by
the mind for imitation or realization.
Its a standard, a model of perfection
which We erect and vdinly strive to at
tain.
We take all the loyliness, the beauty
! and virtue Of lie and concentrate them
in one great idea. We clothe this with
a magniilcence, enshrine it with glory
unprecented by anything which exists.
This constitutes our ideal. Ii Icons up
before us In all of its splendor. We gaze
upon it with wisiful, longing eyes, and
strain every nerve and muscle in Our at
tempt to reach it. G radually we ap,
Droach, but it moves away, scars
higher still and is as far or further from
US than before.
We are like child chasing a butterfly,
which fits gaily from flower TO shrub,
now stopping for moment to sip the
nectar from rose, giving the pursuer
the opportunity to lay his fingers on its
delicate wings, and as he is about to
grasp it firmly it darts away, leaving the
child gazing after it with wonder. He
sees not the beauty OF the flower which
tor the moment had attracted the butter
fly. His desire Is tor the beautiful
creature with gay wings, and when he
sees 1t again alight upon rose he dashes
away in fresh pursuit. But he meets at
every turn the same disappointment, and
the longer he follows 1t the more des-
pairing he becomes Of ever securing it.
So with the ideals We make for our
selves in lite. They are pleasant pics
lures ever before our eyes alluring US on.
ward. We all have our ideals, but they
differ vastly. Culture and education has
much to DO with this, for the more per-
son studies, the more he understands Of
the world, the deeper he has inquired
into the workings CT nature, and the
more he has unravelled its mysteries,
the further away becomes his ideal and
he is obliged to work harder, to fight
more iiercely each battle, in order to ap-
proach it. Butas he advances, it recedes.
If we had not the power OF creating
for ourselves an ideal, life would be aims
less; We would 90 daily through the old
routine OF duties, accept pleasures and
cares with the same unrullled spirit. We
would not advance, for we would have
no incentive; we might, perhaps, not res
trograde but continue on in the same un-
broken calmness, the very evcnness of
viii ch, would 10 some, be sitting.
II we had nothing 10 strive tor we
would overcome no difficulties, sweep
away no obstacles from our path which
leads US onward.
The statesman has his ideal of govern
ment, and he raises his voice in tones
OF eloquence and power, denouncing the
iallacies and corruptions which exist
He works with untalterlng diligence
over barriers nsurmountable in his de-
sire to realize his ideal !; and though he
falls short OF it in the end, yet he reaches
a standard, which would never have be-
come his had he not his ideal continually
pressing him forward. Raphael's winged
cherublms were his ideal angels.
Lillian put upon the canvass his ideal
of womanhood, perfect in It's coloring,
glorious in its Low ellness I; the face looks
down upon its admirers from eyes which
could be conceived OF only in the brain
of one who possessed such n wonderful
ideal. Old, blind, poverty stricken
Milton In his garrett, without even a ray
of light TO pierce through the darkened
chamber of his brain, conceived his
Ideal, his immortal epic, though he had
been deprived of the power to gaze upon
the external beauties which surrounded
him; yet his soul was lighted by his
glorious ideal which his closed lids could
not shut out. There has been but one
lie that has ever attained to Its Ideal and
that life Is our ideal, our model OF per-
lection. A lite that passed through
trial and privation; was taunted, mocked
scourged, betrayed and cruciiied. but o.