Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-04-12
Judge John Blair Hoge's Lecture.

the cltifouc OF Nnarlc>lNWu Aua Jeilcfc1u Cuuu-
" 90 Monday evening, the occasion Of a Lee
ture from Judge Ii1se iiap w II. Travers
briefly introduced the Judge and announced
The subject Of his Lecture as " Opportunities
their Want AMI Waste. Judge Hoge said
that he would be compelled 70 open bis re-
marks BY that least Interesting Of all possible
utterauces-a personal explanation For years
past bis pursuits bal been such as % lead him
away lrcn the bustiogs and the platform, and
tbe performances Of his duty this evening is at
tended by something Of shrinking and appre-
hsosion. Life is said @ be mAds mp Of COM
pensati1ns. THIS obssr vation Judge HOse
thought would be, it not truer. certainly m re
60 his purpose II il iecluiei retAliations; be-
cluse we. very often. encounter in our expert
eaces events which, while 10 % proper sense
consequential, are ye, 80 seemingly logical in
their sequence Of other anl previous events,
controlled by Us. that ss can not escape the
Sast dem )astrltioa Of thsir relation q our re-
spoasibilhy. Often some occurrence, or train
OF circumstances. puts one into the place Of
anothcr-or. as the modern phraeology is,
makes one % know "ulw it is. himself -
Therefore, his feelings tonight reminded hin
Of al incident which occurred sometime since,
when be received a delicate pink-tinted note,
Inscribed 10 the ehirognphy which is generally
considered a finishing touch Of modern female
elu,Atioaal institutions, stamped with device
which, though iilesible, was, no doubt appro-
pirate, and a faint olor Of patchouh. or rose de
cIcimsre, almost recalling the days when
he was young enough e. be made the recipient
Of billet dour. which, whea opened, proved Go
Be- from laly wal bal SON, business At Curt
bat wAa.sl O. ko3v it. i, could not De trans
a,iel without her Appearance, as she was
sure she would faint a, being compelled TO 90
before all those hoTrid men 2" As be could
not think she intended she aPpelA,iye ior HIM
self he was forced o consider it bestowed up
90 his brother lawyers This evening, he said
be could apply 20 such term to the bright eyes
aud kiniGng cheeks Of the geutler sex before
him. but be experienced some such sensation
as the author Of bis dainty note mus, have felt,
on accouot Of his want Of practice 10 this pur-
sui,
1. is a generally conceded fact thA. al TO-
selligsat creatures have implanted within them
some idei, however crude, Of a great Supreme
Being % whom they an bow in submissive
worship Even the bonish,el Kaiirs have
this faith, all untaushi as they are aud wher-
ever it exists, /, produces, Ia proportion TO its
Intensity and enlightenment, a desire or inn
pulse 10 improve 70 grow up 90 its standard.
AZ impulse which demands
"a purcr ether and sublimcr room"
10 which toe grand aod mysterious problem
Of human destiny may be solved aad filed.
Whoever studies the annals Of the past,
traces the influence Of this principle woven
Ike diyiuely wrought thread Of gold into
the warp aud woot of all thatauxious, hoping,
working aud doubling humanity has struggled
6r and accomplished Whoever seeks 20 fol-
low events to their conseq uenccs must discover
shat The source e an development lies 10 The
progressive impulse Of the individual nan
the unit Of humanity. As numbers ars COM
posed Of units. 50 al The results Of associated
effort are doe Aggregated fruits 90 individual
energies. For example De gave the Sate-it
is rich. set it neither plants nor sows, not
wishstanding its wonderful capacity o. gather
a harycst-in the I'M Of taxes. sun not a
plough Sums up the rich mould Of your fields
not h4nl sca,,ers ,bc seei-ao, sickle
gathers aud cuts Che golden grsio-oot a wa
ior-vbeel gives motion % The machinery Of
your m..ls that Che touch Of iudivijua. muscle
and energy d.es nos turn labor into gold
and add It's new coined earnings to The common /
wealth.
After 40 extended introduction be proceeded .
% say that be feared many Of bis audience .
would Wonder shy he fingered upon the tbresh-
old ofhis subject. but hoped hatthey would see
that he was lellios o. &c by ,he predatory re-
marks. Want Of Opportunity is the misfor-
tune * many-vasto Of opportunity the fault
Of most men. Dr. dtl not attribute 90 every
one both capacity and opportunity % solve the
problem Of his own destiny. that be wil. de-
serve honor because becoatri5u,es 20 Che grand
aggregate ol accomplished results. or. % bat
drone 10 the hive Of humanity, merit repro
baton. Circumstance 90 every lie are some .
times most cruel TO their restraints aoJ ,ep'cs-
siops The sssl may De per,ec, tbe soil fer
Gle. The baa3 Of Industrious labor may have
grown hardened by aa, yet che cunis may
not open OF the rain lcscani-ani there will
be no harvest. So, ooe may possess caPaci;y,
and yet the current % bis life NAV be-- bin
90. even to the eal. wi.ao1. Che way having
once been openei-ior whom TIE golden
door has never turned. tl.y have been made
ths butts Of adverse fortune. uoel az last. in ut-
ter despair, they l4,e ceased az once 90 strive
AMI Co live. These have always been and ale
ways wiz be men targets for
"The stiags and arrows .. aa'rcrcous fortune"
Often cas- hie is theirs So flr as ve may see.
not because Of rctrbuton but ~ calamity. To
broad contrast are those designated by the
grea. drama,ist. where Ma,v5.io cxclaims-
" Some are born great. some achieve greatness. /
and son.e have Greatness thrust mon them "