The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
ELOQUENT WORDS.
The Sense Of Duty Rather than the LOve
of Glory.
fprof TvndatI

The Sense Of Duty Rather than the EOve
of Glory.
Prof. TyndahI
In his own house had the honor Of
an interview with Humboldt. He raj
lied me on having contracted the habit
of smoking in Germany, his knowledge
on this head being derived from my
little paper on water Jet, where the
noise produced by the rupture of film
between the wet lips of a smoker Is re-
ferred to. He gave me various messages
to FarAday, declaring bis belief that he
FRraday) had referred the annual and
diurnal variation of the deolination of
the magnetic noodle to their true cause
- the variation Of tho magnetic condi-
ton of the oxygen Of the atmosphere.
was interested to learn from Humboldt
himself that, though so large portion
of his life had been spent in France, he
never published a French essay without
having 1t first revised by Frenchman.
In those days not unfrequently found
it necessary to subject myself to pro-
cess which ] called depolarization. My
brain, intent on its subjects, used to ao-
quire set, resembling the rigid polarity
of steel magnet, 1t lost the plianoy
needful for free conversation, and to
recover this used to walk occasionally
to Chsrlottenburg or elsewhere. From
my experiences at that time derived
the notion that hard thinking and feet
talking do not run together.
Far from seeing in this address dis
play of egotism, you will, | believe,
accept it as fragment of the life of 8
brother who has felt the scars of the
battle in which many of you are now
engaged. Duty has been mentioned az
my motive force In Germany one
heard this word much more frequently
than the word glory. Tho philosophers
OF Germany were men of the loftiest
moral tone. In fact, they we're preach
ers Of religion as much as expounderl
of philosophy. 1t would, to certain
extent, be true to say that from then
the land takes it's moral color; but II
should be added that the German phil
oSophers were themselves products oI
the German soil, probably deriving thl
basis of their moral qualities from Z
period anterior to their philosophy.
asked two Prussian> officers whom
met IN the summer of 1871, st Pontre
sina, how the German troops behaves
when going into battlefield they cheel
and encourage each otherG The reply
received was, Never in our experienc
has the cry, 'Wir musson siegen-w
must conquer-been heard from Germa
soldiers, but in hundred instances W
have heard them resolutely exclaim
: Wiz mussen unser Pfiicht thun-w
must do our duty" 1t was a sense 0
( duty rather than love of glory tia
strengthened these men and filed thei
= with an invincible heroiBm. We in Rn(
D land have always liked the iron ring {
the word duty 1t was Nelson
r talisman at Trafalgar. 1t was Il
guiding star Of Wellington
t When in his days Of freshness an
: of freedom our laureate wrote his IN
s mortal ode on the death of the duke
Wellington, portions Of which both !
g and others might well take to heart
f the present moment, he poured iato IL
praise of duty the full strength of b
snglish brain:
r Not once or twice in cur rough island story
a The path OF duty was tbs way to glory;
lie that walks it only thirsting
Fer TIE right, and learns 10 dsaden
Love OF self, before bis journey closes
q lie shah find the stubborn thistle bursting
Into GLOSSY purples which outreddsn
"a AL voluptuo,rs garden roses.