The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-02-16
LoNoFELLow's "ExcELsIoR

M :. Hickman, tn Cleveland Leader
 \ mother was once telling her little son the story of the boy who stood on the burning deck and penshed n the flames rather than disobey kis fathers com mands. The little child listened very at Ientively 10 the s,on heard hts mother grandly said: " Ma l think that boy WAS very good. but he wasn't very smart. To my mind the youth Tn " Excelsior was neither very good nor very smart. If he was inspired by any worthy motive ,o force hls way ,o the top q the trozen Alps: If he went there in pursuit oftru,h or to resc C the perisishing, or for an, other worthy purpose. his conduct de- serves eommendatlon. othervise he acted very foolishly Ambition IS not safe guide. The youth m " Excelsior is by no means the only person who has been ruined by Il. I, IS dangerous 10 despise the advice of the old, or the experienced. or the simpler pleasures of home. all 10 gra,ify foolish ambition 10 go higher
 The Ambitious Youth. who climbed up the side of ,he natural bridge of Vlr ginla that he might cut his name above
  friends in terrible trouble l, is the spirit that animated Alexander, Cesar. Nape leen. and oonquerors generally. A de sire to go higher simply for the sake of going higher. not to accomplish any worthy purpose by doing II. IL IS not the splnt c: Columbus or Washington or Lincoln. The best work of the world has been done by men who carried no flags and sounded Go trumpets before them They wrought patiently in secret. ull sud denly the world found them a, the top of the mountain before II scarcely knew oi their existence.
 So intent were they on the work they were doing. they scarcely considered whether they were going up or down. Indeed, general 10 human vision, they have seemed to be going down. The world laughed at Fulton's fbliy. but tul- ton persevered and now Is distinguished as the inventor of s,eamboats. Had Luther been inspired simply with desire 10 go higher, he would hardly have ar rayed himself against the 20, and kings and princes generally. He followed his convictions. wi,hou, stopping to inquire whether they led him up or down. The same thing IS true of St Paul, of Wesley. Knox. Tenn. Hancock, Adams and all really great men wherever found.
 Ii the youth in " Exec lsior had walk cd ,houghtfully up the mountain we would have supposed he was engaged in some !audablc enterprise, perhaps study Ing the glaciers. or the geology of the mountains. or possibly searching for wanderers lost Tn the snow. But his only apparen, motive m spurning the advice of the old man. the experienced peasant, and desplsing the endearments of hom. and love. was that he nigh, carry his flag up the mountain side and yell, Excel sior something after the style of wha, IS called " blowing your own trumpet. i hu; nights which great men reach and keep are not attained in that way or ~ith such spri,. Doubtful whether this youth ever reached the summit Men never attain true greatness whose only inspiration isto compare themselves with ,heir neighbors and then determine al every cost to cary their own flag still higher.
 Blowing your own tTumpe,s and carry ing your own flags IS very anwer,hy em- ployment for men anywhere. The hound which found the youth
 Sill grasplng in his hand 0; ice lhai banner slth th. strange device. Was doing better work than he. like better he spin, of song ,ha, tells of a nightingale which once sang a note out of tune and was almost ready to die oi shame. Surely, |, thought, every bird in , the woods was laughing al it.
 But afer a season of humiliation the nightingale openel it's mouth again, and sang 10 the skies. not caring who heard or wha, they thought, and such divine music never before vas heard in the woods.
 l Le, men he intent. no, on carrying their flags ,o the high places of earth bu; on dong he work before them in the hes, possible manner. and from the bes, possible motive. In tha, way only IS true greatness 70 be found.