The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-02-25
Lite is for n Purpose.

Editor Patron. Would it not be
well TO pause on the threshold of
life, and ask ourselves why we live?
Life means something, it is charged
with eternal significance, it is full
with sublime realities, every step is
word, every day is sentence and
every year is book as full
OF meaning as the sun is of
light. Life is book, and we write
in it something, be it rf1ueh or little,
sense or nonsense. And what we
write we can not unwrite, our pen
Is time, our ink is indelible. What
we write is written for eternity.
Life is not mean, it is grand; if it
IS mean to any they make it so.
God made it glorious, its channel
He paved with diamonds, its banks
He fringed with flowers, He over
arched it with stars, around it He
spread the glory of the universe
all that is magnificent in motion,
sublime in magnitude and grand in
order and obedience. God would
not have attended life with this
broad march of grandeur if it did
not mean something. He would
| not have descended to the blade of
grass, the dewdrop and the dust, if
every moment of life were not let
ter to spell out. some word that
should bear the burden of thought
| How much life means words refuse
to tell, because they cannot. Then
should we not pause, even in silvery
age, if we have not thought to stop,
as we step upon the threshold of
life, and ask why We live, for what
object? The very doorway of life
is hung around with f1owery en-
blems, to indicate that it is for some
purpose. The mystery of our be-
ing, the dependence of one thing
upon another and the mutual infiu-
ence of all things assure US that life
is for purpose.
But do men study the meaning of
life? Do we find out for what we
live? Some there are, scores of
them, who appear to live as brutes
live, for naught but because life is
in them. They neither ask what
they are, nor what they ought to
be. They take no solemn thought
of day, nor forethought of to-
morrow. They live for what? Their
lives are the sport of what is around
them. See the thistle that grows
on the river banks and is tossed to
and fro by the breeze, they emblem
such lives. They have no plan,
they live for no purpose, life to
them is may network of circum-
stances, they make rauch noise and
hustle, but who cares for them more
than to get out of their way? They
live among neighbors, but they are
a nuisance, their judgment is not
respected, their friendship is not
wanted, their hatred is not feared,
and nobody cares for them. What
are they? To themselves nothing,
to the world nothing, and yet they
work as hard as anybody, talk and
feel as much as their neighbor, and
have a great deal more trouble
Many such are who seem thus: be-
cause they live for no purpose. In
deed, there are too MANY Of us who
lack the one thing needful-an OBJ
ject in life, something to live for.
But what is the purpose of life? Is
it not for the formation of genuine
character? By this mean real, in
bred cast of soul; not reputation,
for one may have a reputation for
that which he is not The knave
may be reputed an honest man, the
villain may be believed to be good,
the hypocrite may have reputation
for what he appears to be. But
character is what a person is;reputa-
ton is what he is thought to be.
Character is within, reputation is
without. Character is always real,
reputation may be false Character
is substantial and enduring, reputa-
ton may be vapory and fleeing.
Character is our real worth, reputa-
ton is our market price. Therefore
let us live for real character, for
worth of soul, for worth of heart,
for the diamond dust of the mind
Then fame will come delighted to
crown us with her wreath of honor.
Then reputation will shake hands
with character, and the twain will
be one forever. LoULA NANCE.
Okfihhaha county Miss Feb TT