The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-12-07

IROBLEM OF LIFE.
From the Columbian Eeho.I

From the Columbian EehoJ
The mind of man it seems has eve
; been burdened with something in tn
life of probation; but like the uncult
E waited plant of the forest, it leaps fort
. when maturcd; or, like Moses on tn
Mount of Sinai, it gazes in admiration
Tor something beyond. We see b,
glaueiDg back through the dim vista o
the past ages, and tracing on the sand
of time the footprints of our fore
fathers, that there are some left on re
cord Cor a guiding star of our existence
Not only so, but we find by turning
back the dusty pages of centuries that
one great and good man hath said
Every man is the architect Of his own
fortune" And this is true of every
school-boy in our land; if he endeavors
to climb the hill of science he must
work his own way through, in order
that he may be honored by fellow
4 countrymen; or, if he is attempting 10
follow out the pleasures and vanities of
this world and face its trials and diff
culties, which will ever impead hIs
progress, he must rely upon his own
exertion If he is striving TO ascend
the ladder of fame aud make for him
self name which is as lasting as mar
bic, he should never look backward,
but should, with energetic power, press
forward, till he has reached the utmost
round Of science aud knowledge
''There is no excellency without great
labor" Workl the great master-key
of this problem. and of the universe,
has thrown wide the prison doors of
darkness; which, if pursued, viii
achieve the greatest conquest the evil
lied world has ever known Labor is
the great handspring of civilization and
refinement. Without it, our country
would be a barren waste, our fields un-
cultivated, and man, created in the i'm
age of his Creator, would be found by |
the calling chaos of vice and ignor- |
ance. So every individual must, by |
increasing labor and perseverance, work |
out his owu destiny in this world. |
Clay, Webster, Washington and even /
Munsey, whose bodies have long since |
mOuldered back to their mother dust, /
are some of the noted characters of our
nation who have written their names
indellibly upon the scroll of time, and
by their actions, have proven to us that
they have solved this mighty problem,
and worked out for themselves honor
in this life and a home in the celestia |
city. What man has done, man may do
again. Ought not we be encouraged
when we look back and trace the foot
prints of our fore-fathers, who have
waded through the blood Of millions of
their countrymenl Man has smote the
rock with rod and caused the water to
gush forth as it does from a flowing
and man, the highest type in
Gods creation, with his great ingenuity,
has stood upon the messy verge of the
vast ocean and bade its waters roll back
like hugh mountains, and they obeyed
him. In youth we are constantly look
ing forward to something higher and
nobler thar we have yet ever reached.
But after we have reached the summit
Of our Imagination, how reversed is the
on the opposite side. We sigh
IS we contemplate the dreary waste lain
spread out before us, and JRith a wistful
heart, we turn tot look back upon the
lowing path of our past life. But,
while ascending this hill, We are travel
ng the path to our home, whence we
IAN never return. Life is ike mon
,trous cloud ladened with thunder,
storm and rain; but religion, like the
streaming rays of sunshine, will ever
cover it with light, and fringe its shad-
1wy skirt with gold. How many, in
climbing this hill, will, before they at
ain its lofty summit, turn aside into
he pleasures of oblivion, forgetting the
sunlight spot to which they are ascend
ng. Let me say to you, dear friends,
t is christianity and religion that can
olive this great problem of life. 1t is
he guiding star to our future locality.
Without it, we are like mariner plough
ng the surging waves of the mighty
ocean without a compass. 1t is religion
hat brightens and strews our pathway
With flowers from the cradle to the
srave. 1t comes to the christian in the
hours of misfortune and trouble. And
when the great lamp of life begins to
grow dim, It's the comforting hope of
lis soul. Permit me to say to you, fell
let us strive to be
eady, so that when we come down 10
he colo, bottomless river of death, and
lear the echoing voice of our Master
.alling US from the other strand, may
III be able to mount the chariot of life
md over in safety TO yon golden city.