Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-07-30

perhaps the mOSt tapoiUuo " 80
the school-room, like the
coliseum, requires muscle. Butaddsd
TO all should be proper appreciation
81 the grave interests involved in your
work. st. Paul, when speaking OF
himself, declares, II am least Of the
but when Of his sacred vo-
cation, he says, II magnify mine Of
foe" So may you be INDUCED in that |
pardonable professional pride, which
only just conception Of the dignity |
of your calling brings to you. 1t is
one worthy Of a higher estimate than
that put upon it by the world. The
world is often unjust in its Judgments.
When the Great Teacher himself came,
with the sublimest teaching that ever
fell upon human ears. It rejected him.
aHe came unto his own and his own
received him not" So does thunder
value yours. But you, at least. should
be just in your appreciation fthe inn
portance Of your work and the grayi-
ty Of your responsibilities. With
out this you cannot be successful.
To accomplish great results you
must first have great conceptions.
The perfection Of aYh lies not only in
the artists ability TO execute, but also
-----.-----I---~sf,.-a-.
IN IN hi BIZ aass ifES1 The greatest soulp-
tors have beon those whose inspiration
made -isible to them those lines Of
beauty and forms Of grace that the un-
touched marble kept yelled from other
eyes.
"Nothing the greatest artist can conceive
That every marble block doth not contain
within itself"
The highest art is the conception of
this hidden greatness, having, in q
sense, no existence, to bring II forth
in patience from the bosom Of its
mother rock, to breathe upon It the
breath of artistic inspiration, to make
a reflex Of thoughts that are pure and
holy, TO give Il being among its fell
lows, that time may accord the crea-
ton fitting place. 1t was the love
Of these conceptions, it was this vision
Of the beautiful, unseen to other eyes,
that held the old masters captive at
the chisel, and sweetened with SAVIOR
only impaired by love, the vigils Of
their toll. And thus affection grew as
each touca, taking away the enshroud-
ing shell that hid the charms of their
ideals, reyealed new beauties, till the
cold marble warmed into life, and,
Pygnalion.like, they stood snamoured
oftheir own creation.
You, fellow Teachers. are artists, and
your vocation is elevated above that
Of those who work in stone. as is your
material capable Of a higher devel-
opment, as the masterpieces Of your
A. hsya q AiassssaEdd HsscF a; .gIaFi..
our destiny. Let US make tthe COM
parison: The great ones Of Phidias's
artetroveuntiringly upon their marble,
bringing out symmetry and grace,
stamping upon the cold, lifeless block
the wonderful Forfeiture Of what the
living heart feels and reflects, placing
high in the inches Of fame, what had
been made worthy Of the admiration
Of the world. But, "Op,.s matriem
superabat'--Thsir work was better
than their material. Time crumbles
the proudest monuments Of mere hu-
man glory. Where to day are many
Of the fairest forms that ever sculptor's
chisel outlined--the Jupiter and Min.
erva Of Myron. the olympian Zeus of
PhidiasP Gone back to dust Mother
Earth has claimed their elements ito
be resolved to earth again" Not so
with the works of your Art. More
plastic than marble, they will carry
heimpression you haveputupon them,
when everyehild the ages have brought
forth from Carrara's bosom shall have
persisted from among the things that
are. Perfect the marble statue; spend
upon it q life of patient toiling; stamp
upon it every outline Of the grace and
majesty and beauty of the human
form give to its changeless features
the expression Of every virtue Of the
human heart; make it seem to live in
the lifelike vividness ofits representa-
ton; make it tell Of the light-heart-
ednesa and mirth Of L'Allegro, Of the
melancholy and recollection Of II PEN
serOso, or, with a holier inspiration,
make it show forth the anguish ofthe
grief-stricken Mater Dolorosai But
no Venus in these days brings life to
marble form. Toll ~ you may, you
can only put representation there.
You can only give life that seems to
be and is not. Place il as high as
human hands can raise it. Time will