The Indiana State sentinel., 1880-12-29
Tho Mind.

"If soils require the warmth of sunshine
the gentleness of showers, and the roughness
of storms, so do minds, according to the diff
ferent natures and conditions, need often to
be rewarded by smiles, frequently to be as
sisted by good nature. and at times to be
shaken and awarded by punishment. Only
obstinate and sullen natures, however, need
the latter"
Thus some one has cast out a nugget &c
ore, containing gold for each individual, and
made each the gardener of tharbit of per-
sonal property commonly called the mind
not very desirable piece of real estate, un-
less we divest ourselves of the old and, am
happy to say fast-passing notion of "Plenty
of weeds, but no flowers" We must shake
out the wrinkles of superstition, planted in
our earlier years by earnest if not wise
teachers, and realize that the mind is a
garden of supreme value, which is our own,
and which we should seek with never
failing zeal to cultivate. And just here let
US say that the duty of parents il to early
teach their children the idea of good for the
sake of good, not through fear. Fear may
IN some cases be the motive power which
! brings good, hut it certainly is far from the
correct or grand motive. When children
are taught to do right because of the right,
and obey through love, and not fear, the
mind becomes real estate of untold value.
We marvel at the charms of Nature; we
mark its growth and decay, commenting
upon its changes. Each fresh discovery we
hail with delight, going into ecstasies over a
new flower found in our ramble; yet too
often forgetting that within the grasp of all
lieth the opportunity to produce rarer bios
SONS than are strewn upon earth. In our in
tercourse with the world we meet some peo-
pie who make US wiser and better. They
are not perfect people. for none are perfect;
but it is because they use the spade, so to
speak, and keep the Objectionable seed in
the dark corner under perfect control. and
cultivate the good, making the mind one
vast field of rich blossoms. With others
we never get beyond the high, cold, marble
wall; we imagine that stately exotics exist,
but never a leaf or blossom are given out,
and wonder within ourselves how much hap
piness such minds might create, and yet
how little good they really accomplish
Again, we see the brightest, bonniest gar
den-surrounded, to be sure, By 4 hedge
which is ready to scratch every comer-but
every conner is rewarded If once they gain an
entrance, for the colors are dazzling, the fra
GRANGE delicious. Everything grows in the
rich, warm soil, weeds as well as flowers.
Such gardeners are occasionally
seized with reproachful sense OF duty, and
with fury wsge war against the weeds; only
for season, however, for We soon find them
resting.
There are the poor, unweeded, ill-kept
gardens. Should we pass them by? Is it
not our duty TO tarry for while, and lend
a helping hand to pluck the weeds, even as
we would from our own2 What ifa stain
or scratch should be our portion? Should
that hinder our assistance2 No, a thousand
times, mol Underneath this mass of tang
led briars and weeds may be found some
little wild flower that is dropping for the
light-a little plant that, under the infu-
ence of cautious treatment and sunlight,
will spring into worth and beauty in time,
uprooting all the weeds which hitherto had
choked it. The mind is ours to make it
what we will-indeed responsibility!