West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-05-05

In this, 90 in al other ciu! 8 or societies,
" ere ~e are as tn mb - OF one bOoy,
we feel pledged 20 perform whatever task
Is g'v,n IL, TO be cO-~orkers in The field
of literature. An old sdage tritely says !:
"He who would be benefited must ehare
tho burden" confess Ia ~ishit g in this
instance that 1t were not so ,rie snd true,
and pIeterring IN it's place that wise say
ing, the bUebear of children, and, 20
doubt, coined by some cTusty bachelor
When this task WIS assigned me by our
honorable Chairman and Secretary. / re-
gretiei that it was not NV privilege To-
"be seen and not heard = but finding no
loophols of escape, trust you will bear
Wi the thoughts, that by the weight of
years and long di,use have come rusty
and inexperienced, and / viii venture
them ON the subject of "Rippies."
On bright June morning. several years
ago, Ms we g'ided down the noble Ohio,
admiring the beautiful panorama which
| eveIywherr surrounded us, broad stretches
OF lowlands, green with waving grain.
fen aw-y from tn rivers brink and was
lost in the gloom Of the grsnd old forests,
while away in the distance rose the orr
pie mouutsins, their dusky outlines
kissing the sky. Turning to the river, w.
could see, as it lay dotting the water lik4
an emerald. the hiatoric BlennerLssset IL
and. soon my attention was attracted by
a long line Of Rpples, deepening, widen
ing, disappearing, sparkling in the sun
light like jewels. How came it ther, ?
! that raised line in the beautiful river. like
the ridge left nv the folding Of a glossy.
sileen fabric, aud following their psth
found they came from the stern of the
boat as it g!ided onward. i, LETT behind the
ripple we saw. With this insignificant,
fact came 8 Grificsnt lesson We are all
leaving ripples behind. We are cnntinu-
| ally influencing those around us, and who
are rs susceptible to that influence as the
pnr'cles OF water to the pressure os the
steamboat Do we ever pause IN think
what The harvest Will he-whAt will be
the ripple we leaYe behind?
! Men In all ages, Of every cline and ma
/ tiou, fron the mightiest Prince 10 the
lowest SORT. The poorest are here rich
the sovereign is here q subject. All Weld
| their Influence. That subtle, indpscrihable
power of the soul, HAT prompts our ac-
| tions aud impulses. whose cause and effect
can be seen. heard acd felt but. like the
! wind, from whence it comes and whittier
it goes we know not. Note! men and
women of the even;ful Past ruled and
s"ayed the nations by the might Of their
influence, which has become historical.
and the ripples are still seen fpa,ng and
sparkling adown the stream OF Time.
N'r ere these ripples alike; Influence is
not frlt in one particular alone. l, may
. be the impression trac i'm beauty, or the
broken and distorted lines into which the
storm vcxos The water. :, our influence
ia exeriei in all ,he pths and c,rdili ms
Of life, leading ~ 40 beautiful and purs
results, or casting blight on The human
souls a:ouHd us. Behold jbp lovely Mad
anne Rrcamier, who s~ayei a Queens
sceptre Of social Influence midst host nf
admitting and loyai fliends, who by her
very beauty and briliancy of wit and re-.
parlee, numbered among her most devo-
ted subject some OF the mighlcst men Of
France.
Nor can we stop here; for at that time
a great and different T. fuencr was alsp al
work and tn noble Madame Roland's p~-
litical Influence was strongly fen and ac-
comphshed great ends during all that dark
Reign of Terror" What of Madame
Du Stael, who yielded such fascinating
and intellectual Influence that even toe
great Napoleon acknowledged her his supe.
rior by bic envy aud fearof her intellect and
pen. Even punishment from her loved
Country could not quell her spirit. and the
creations from her per are numbered
among the best in literature. Though
storms Of adversely have ragged and passed
by though Peace has spread her white
wings and lulled the waves TO rest. vet out
ON tue water are seen these three ripples
s'ill deepening widening, drawing nearer
and nearer the shores Of the great heresf
ter. These are Of course peculiar and an.
usual INSTANCES, but living aB they did. st
the same lime and IN the same country.
three such notable women, yielding such
various Influences, they afford 10 you aud
j, my sisters, noble examples Yet,
though our names may not be handed
down in the annals OF bistory we are ex
eriiug az great an Influence Tor good or
evil around us. Honesty aud dishonesty
leave their rpples behind IN the lives of
other than the actors. The same OF tenn.
peroDce and intcmperance, oheerfulntss.
charity to our fellow creatures, all these
qualities make and leave their ripple be
hind
And this is bore to be noticed We
caught no sound Of clashing particles. bni
silently the riple swept toward the shore
Noisr is not essential to the effectiveness
Of work. Your vessel mag be bpt n
small ono, and ) our place % tius iusta
nook In the river, yet your ripple Of I'm.
/ ilueDco is pushing ont steadily and doing
greater work, either for good OF evil, than
we can conceive. Let us then heed tf.
words OF Chat grand old pott, who h.s 30
/ lately passed over TO that other apa
brighter shore. whose Tipplre 81 b. n,,,,.,.