Middletown transcript., 1884-03-07

" 1 tn "a r..sSS hen grssndly said -
&C Ma, x.sa1IITK that boy was very good
but he was not very smart. To my
mind the youth in Excelsior" was
neither very good nor very smart. Il
he was inspired by any worthy motive
to force his way to the top Of the frozen
Alps if he went there in pursuit OF
truth, or to rescue the perishing, or fol
any other worthy purpose, his conduct
deserves commentator otherwise he
acted very foolishly. Ambition is not
a safe guide. The youth in Excel
sior" is by no means the only person
who has been ruined by it. 1t is dan
gerous to despise the advice of the old,
or the experienced, or the simpler plea
sures of home, all to crafty foolish
ambition to go higher.
The Ambitious YOUTH who
climbed up the side of the natural
bridge of Virginia that he might cut
his name above all others, involved
himself and his friends in terrible
trouble. 1t is the spirit that animated
Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, and con-
querors generally. A desire to go
higher simply for the sake of going
higher, not to accomplish any worthy
purpose by doing it. 1t is not the
spirit of Columbus or Washington.
The best work Of the world has been
done by men who carried no flags and
sounded no trumpets before them.
They wrought patiently in secret, till
suddenly the world found them at the
top of the mountain before it scarcely
knew of their existence.
So intent were they on the work they
were doing, they scarcely considered
whether they were going up OF down.
Indeed, generally to human vision,
they have seemed to be going down.
The world laughed at Fulton's folly,
but Fulton persevered and now is dis
tinguished as the inventor of steam
boats. Had Luther been inspired with
desire simply to go higher, he would
hardly have arrayed himself against
the pope and kings and princes gener-
ally. He followed his convictions,
without stopping to inquire whether
they led him up or down. The same
thing is true of st. Paul, of Wesley,
Knox, Penn, Hancock, Adams and ali
really great men wherever found.
If the youth in EXCELSIOR had
walked thoughtfully up the mountain
we would have supposed he was en-
gagged in some laudable enterprise. per-
haps studying the glaciers, or the geol-
ogy of the mountains, or possibly
searching for wanderers lost i'll the
snow. But his only apparent motive
in spurning the advice Of the old man,
the experienced peasant, and despising
the endearmentS of home and love,
was that he might carry his flag up the
mountain side and yell, " Excelsior -
something after the style of what is
called :" blowing your own trumpet .
But heights which great men reach
and keep are not attained in that
way, or with such a spirit. Doubtful
whether this youth ever reached the
summit. Men never attain true great
ness whose only inspiration is to COM
pare themselves with their neighbors
and then determine at every cost to
carry their own flag still higher.
Blowing your own trumpets and
carrying your own flags is very un-
worthy employment for men anywhere.
The hound which found the youth
''Still grasping in his hand of ice
That banner with the strange Device"
Was doing better work than he. Il
like better the spirit of song that
tells Of nightingale which once sang
a note out of tune, and was almost
ready to die of shame. Surely. it
thought, every bird in the woods was
laughing at it.
But after a season Of humiliation
the nightingale opened its mouth again,
and sang to the skies, not caring who
heard, or what they thought, and such
divine music never before was heard in
the woods.
Let men be intent, not on carrying
their flags to the high places of earth, |
but on doing the work before them in
the best possible manner, and from the
best possible motive. In that way only
is true greatness to be found.-MrS. |
Hickman, IN Cleveland Leader.