The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-04-20

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Opportunity some days for eecl ID:
en- age, lt4&opld be i rather nafi6e dcI
of thisg3 ii only one individual h each
century should posses the opportunity 81
making very much out Of life. II must Be
that our earthlofes each generation that
comes to spend upon its surface 4 few
years, and thatit must offer an infinite va
riety OF prizes and be constantly renewing
them. We niayinicr that prizes are num-
berless and perpetual from the fact that
nature has commanded man to pass thro'
period OF amazing mental and physical
power-a command not easily explained,
unless, there are always victories to be
won. In all the realm OF naturej an adap-
tation 10 particular work teaches US, in
fallibly, that there is such a work to be
performed; the wings Of the bird bearing
witness to the existence Of an atmosphere.
and the fins OF the fishes assuring us that
there must be, somewhere, collections Of
water. The rich endowments OF youth
command us to believe that there is an air
on which such wings can beat and rise. =
Let US, instead OF seeking to find and emu
merate the tasks to be achieved by the
worlds young men, look inward and mark
the endowments OF these young man, and
then from such equipment We must infer
that the benevolent Creator has made
achievement just as possible as the endow-
ment is great. Nature is full Of atlapta-
ton. The presence OF great power tells US
that near that power, is great task.
Let us believe with Solomon in his age
of materialism, and with John, in his time
of more spiritualism, that the glory Of
young is their strength. Each human be-
ing is permitted by the Creator to pass
through form Of golden age. 1t is call
ed the flower OF YOUTH" or the "flower OF
manhood AS plants have. Q blooming
period, SO man passes from the weak con.
dition Of infancy UP into the magnificent
bloom OF youth. His power assumes ma
ny forms, and altogether makes an inheri-
tance richer than that of the children Of
CrRsus. His gifts help each other His
body aids his mind and the activity Of his
mind arouses all the physical energy of
his nature.
Men, mentally active, live longer than
those who are welded to Incidence and
equally, physical activity leads the spirit
along its peculiar career.
AS basis Of the other forces, the young
man receives from nature legacy OF ply
sical force. Transporting the words Of Sol
omon, young man has glorious strength.
The Greeks made this power almost an OBJ;
ject of worship. But the Greeks were stu
dents of beauty only, and not OF the high
est forms Of utility. This gigantic form Of
man they turned into chariot-races and
foot races and wrestling matches and box
ing contests, and made physical things an
end rather than means to spiritual end.
Parents were overcome with ioy-one faith
er is said even to have died of ioy-whena
son was crowned victor in somo battle OF
bone and muscle. The greatest nation OF
antiquity may be said to have died OF the
beautiful, for amid tic worship Of the
games OF the athletes statesmen died away,
or rather failed 10 rise up into vigor. The
Greek statesmen were singular in their
ability to run and leap, and box, and to do
without food or clothing, but in discover
ing good reasons for that running or leap
ing they were singulariy deficient, They
worked up the power to suffer, but did not
equally learn to suffer in a good cause
The little group led by Leunidas was COM
posed, doubtless, OF soldiers as hard in
nerve as iron, iron, soldiers wh9could fight
10 rty-eighthours without rest, Bat the re-
Election which could send so small a band,
the statesmanshipwhich had omitted un-
ion OF Greek States, and which could only
quarrel in presence of IN invading enemy,
was as weak as the muscle OF Leonidas was
iron-like, 1t is almost certain that plain
Americana Lincoln or a Grant-has more
craftsmanship than was possessed by all
Greece in five hundred years. To be an
Apollo in form and gracefulnessis not very
desirable il that perfection is to exhaust it.
self upon foot-races and wrestling; but
when the feet OF this attractive god are
busy on errands OF music and literature
and eloquence, then is the physical grace.
fulness complete. The strength OF yonng
men is glorious when it is made the basis
OF powerful mental and spiritual action
Z ,al1npnu 6