Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-24
Longfcllow's Excelsior"

A mother was once telling her little
son the story of the boy who stood on
the burning deck and persisted in the
flames. rather than disobcy his fathers
commands. The little child listened
very attentiycly to the story, heard the
mother commend the boys obedience,
but then grandly said: MA, think
that 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 COM
mendation, otherwise he acted verv
foolishlv. Ambition is not a safe
guide. The youth in Excelsior" is by
no means the only person who has
been ruined by it. 1t is dangerous to
dcspise the advice of the old, or the
experienced, or the simpler pleasures
of home, all to crafty foolish ambi-
ton to 90 higher.
The Ambitious Youth, who climb
ed 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. II is
the spirit that animated Alexander,
Cesar, Napoleon, and conquerors gen.
orally. A desire TO go higher simply
for the sake of going higher, not to ac-
complish any worthy purpose by doing
il. 1t is not the spirit of Columbus or
Washington or Lincoln. The best
work of the world has been done by
men vino 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 or down.
Indeed, generally to human vision,
they had seemed to be going down.
The world laughed at Fulton's folly,
but Fulton persevered and now is dis
tinguished rs the inventor of steam
boats.
If the youth in Excelsior had
walked thoughtfully up the mountain
we would have supposed he was en-
gagged in some laudable enterprise,
perhaps studying the glaciers, or the
geology of the mountains, or possibly
searching for 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 FLAG up
the mountain side and yell, Excel
sior, something after the style of
what is called blowing your own
trumpet"
But 'hights which great men reach
and keen" are not attained in halfway,
or with such a spirit. Doubtful whe her
this youth ever reached the summit.
Men never attain true greatness whose
only inspiration is to compare them
selves with their neighbors and then
determine mt every cost to carry their
own flag still higher.
Blowing your own trumpets and car
rying your own flags is very unworthy
employment for men anywhere. The
Hbuud WulSI iouiu biO y ohNhs
"Sun grasping in his hand of ice
That banner with the strange device"
Was doing better work than he. like
better the spirit of song that tells of
n nightingale which once sang note
out of tune, and was almost ready to
die of shame. Surely, it thought, ev-
cry bird in the woods was laughing
at it.
But after season of humiliation the
nightingale opened its mouth again,
ana sang to the skies, not caring who
heard. or what they thought, and such
divine music was never before 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 the CleUelaHd Leader.