The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-05-08

A mother was once telling her little
son the story of the boy who God on
the burning deck and persisted in the
flames rather than disobey his father
commands. The little child listened
very attentively to the story, heard his
mother commend the boys obedience,
but then grandly said: MA, / think
chat boy was very good, but he wasn't
very smart" To my mind the youth
in Excelsior" was neither very good
nor very smart. If 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 for any other worthy
purpose, his conduct deserves common
dation, otherwise he acted very fool
ishly. Ambition is not safe guide.
The youth in Excelsior is by no means
the only person who has been ruined
by it. 1t is dangerous to despise the
advice of the old or the experienced, or
the simpler pleasures of home, all to
crafty fooli.h 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 conquerors generally
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 Wash
ington, or Lincoln. The best work of
the world has been done by men who
carried no flags and sounded no trum-
pets before them. They wrought pa
tiently in secret, till suddenly the world
found them at the top of the mountain
before it scarcely knew OF their exist
ence.
So intent were they on the work they
were doing, they scarcely considered
whether they were gong up or down.
Indeed, generally to human vision, they
have seemed to be going down. The
world laughed at buttons folly, but
| Fulton persevered and now is distin-
| guished as the inventor of steamboats,.
! Had Luther been inspired simply with
! desire to go higher, he would hardly
have arrayed himself against the Pope
and kings and princes generally. he
followed his convictions, without stop
ping to inquire whether they led him
up or down. The same thing is true OF
St. Paul, of Wesley, Knox, Penn,
Hancock, Adams, and all really great
men wherever found.
If the youth in Excelsior" had walked
thoughtfully up the mountain we would
have supposed he was engaged in some
laudable enterprise, perhaps studying
the glaciers, or the geology of the
mountains, or possibly searching fol
wanderers lost In 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 hag 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 spirit. Doubtful whether
| this youth ever reached the summit
Men never attain true greatness whose
only inspiration is to compare them.
selves with their neighbors and then
| uebeIlHlue III eNcI1 COoI w Gail Ilicll
own flag still higher.
Blowing your own trumpets and car
rying your own flags is very unworthy
employment for men anywhere. The
hound which found the youth:
Still grasring in his hand of ice
That banner with the strange device,
was doing better work than he. L Ike
better the spirit of song that tells of &
nightingale which sang a note out Of
tune, and was almost ready to die o.
shame. Surely, it thought, every birc
in the woods was laughing at it.
But after season of humiliation the
nightingale opened its mouth again
and sang to the skies, not caring who
heard, or what they thought, and suol
divine music never before was heard il
the woods. Let men be intent, not or
carrying their flags to the highest
places of earth, but on doing the worl
before them in the best possible man
ner, and from the best possible motive
In that way is only true greatness tx
/ 10 fo,pJ Mr. UioI.,o11l IA, (Jopo