The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-02-02


tute, at Jackson, December 27, 1881,
by L. Woodson.
This is a grand and glorious world
in which to live, and we are living
just at the right time in which to dc
the most possible good for fallen hu-
manity.
Our universe is just large enough to
give us ample space for labor; our
trees grow just tall enough to cause
nature to put on grand aspect; our
mountains are just lofty enough and
just craggy enough SO that the pines,
which find moistness in the rifted
rocks, spring up just thickly enough
to make garlands for their most lofty
SUBMITS; our rivers are just long
enough and just wide enough to make
this sphere of ours a perfect realm Of
paradise as they go ripping and glid-
ing along to the billowy deep where
they seem destined to remain forever
But while all Of these blessings are
thrown around US SO lavishly, We are
too apt to forget the duration Of time
and the small portion Of it that is al
lotted unto each one of US to prepare
for the great work of life which
awaits US. Or if we are left to battle
with adverse circumstances we often
pine like Micawber and wish for things
to turn up which are not in store for
the idler.
Our lives are short even though we
may live to arrive at the good old age
of three score and ten years; but when
we turn to find the average longevity
Of humanity and find it to be only
about thirty-four years, it causes us to
shudder Yet the life of man is long
enough for him to accomplish many
things of great value, if he only take
care Of the spare moments which are
being wasted daily.
Time is so very precious that our
Creator only gives US one moment at
a time and that is taken away before
another is granted But still we let
moment after moment perish and they
are laid to our charge.
It matters not what our employ
ments are, we always find some time
for idleness or trivial conversation.
For this prevailing vice we would fain
substitute reading,-an important fac
tor which shapes our work and fixes
our destiny. It is true that m ny
business men, and even farmers claim
that they have no time for reading.
But they who make this plea have
never tried it, for there are but few.
who do not waste more or less time in
some way. Now since this is the
case let us keep some good, interest
ing, and ennobling book in our pos
session SO that these spare moments
may be well provided for, and in few
years we shall have acquired a reser-
voir of most excellent information,
which will fit us for the highest type
of society; for the books we read are
true indices Of character. But we
must not make choice of books which
present false pictures Of human life,
for this life is neither a tragedy nor
farce. Men are not all knaves or he
roes. Nor neither are women angels
or furies
Our value in society is placed upon
our general intelligence and culture,
and not upon the fragile basis of
wealth. What is it that marks the
standing in society Of one nation over
that Of another? Culture. What is
it that places value upon the civil
lied Culture. What is it that causes
one man to rise higher than another
in the same vicinity? Culture. Now
there are none whose daily labor claim
so much Of their time that they can
not acquire this requisite The time
has passed when ignorance entered
into society, and riches are no longer
looked upon as the only necessaries.
When we peruse the annals of biog-
raphies we can find that would be fit
criteria for us to follow, just because
they were persons who took care Of
spare moments, which has caused their
name and achievements to be handed
down from generation to generation
Taking care Of spare moments opens
up avenues to the highest honors that
are conferred upon rational beings of
the present age.
We may begin life surrounded with
friends and have plenty Of money,
and still make life failure. There is
nothing worth more, to the person
who is aspiring, than spare moments.
The men whose names stand out on
the pages of history, in bold relief like
GASES in the Sahara, were not those
who were put into the lap of fortune
with which to begin life, but to the
contrary. They were men born into
this world penniless: and we might
say almost friendless: but they re-
membered the value Of time and let nc
moment pass by without being wei
improved.
: There is no other nation that prof
| fers such rich rewards to the industri
] Gus as ours. Our subjects owe hom
age to none save the Ruler of the uni
, verse, for,
But thoughts, and hands, and tongues are free.'
: And humble parentage prevents III
one from rising to the most lofty pin
nacle of eminence. To verify thi
assertion, let us lift the curtain tha
4 has fallen and look back into the din
}. vista of the past and we will ohserv
an orphan seemingly penniless an
frIendless, driving the brQte that pre-
Y pels the canal boat for his only SUP
: port Here again the curtain fall:
+ In few years it raised again and W
l. beheld the same person but not at th
same employment. No, for he ha
been elevated from the most humhI
+. walk in life to the loftiest positio
# that u ReDNb!ic eau grant. ThrOug