The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-08-12
Life and Hone.

Life is almost ~ great a mystery IA
death-and no one knows what death
is. You cannot iithom the secrets of
nature you cannot solve the problem
Of mind and matter; you know not
the why, the whence, the what, the
intinitude of the intinite-you never
can grasp the full idea Of that God
who IL omnipotent, Omnipre-ent and
omniscient. Life il not always life -
II IL sometimes but mere existence.
Death is not altogether death only
transition, or a contamination of i'm,
mortality. Science may resolye some
things into what are called constituent
elements what are these elements?
What are oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen,
ozone and all these elements, ingredi-
ents or principles in matter? What il
mind? Well, no matter; We are getting
far out into the unbelievable, the
illimitable and the unknowable. Ii is
serious question, whether life is
worth the living ?'-and were it not for
hope, that looks for better things, aud
the natural instinct of self representation
life would not he lived. Hope, which
springs eternal, mitigates the troubles
of existence and prepares for the hour
Of dissolution but il cannot transfer to
blissful futurity. Only faith and
obedience eau do that, in conform ity
with the will o. God. The promises
of hope are sweeter than roses in bud.
Many different views of life are taken
by many different persons. Some live
for all the world, while others exist for
one |. How circumscribed and small
the one, how grand and glorious the
other. Life is half spent before one
knows what life is, and all do not even
then know the truth. Life is duty
to God and to your fellowman an
obedience and II purpose to both God
and man.
Now, there are some who teach the
doctrine of the Survival OF the Fittest,"
and thereby they imply that all those
who live are the fittest. The Implica-
ton goes still farther-that it is the
will of God that they should live
Well, all the cunning rascals live
all the selfish and unscrupulous live
unless they become so high handed in
their devilish or sly games that either
man or the law gives them quietus
of earth. Are these the fittest? Il the
man who will buy your labor or your
produce, taking advantage of your
situation and your needs, for one half
its intrinsic value, one who is tit to
survive?
No man who will not he generous
enough to adopt the motto, "To live (,
and to let live" is unworthy of life. 1t
is right to do what is right. 1t is Just
to be just. No matter what your AL.
vantage or power may be, or what !
another's necessity or weakness is, you
are morally bound to pay fair, just
price for his labor or produce, aud to
has natural rights like yourself.
If those who live for self alone, who /,
are avaricious and tyrannic in his life. !
are "fittest," who are untitled? No, no !
1.-The Fittest" do not always survived /
Give greedy, selfish man the pO,0er,
the opportunity and he will prove to
you that where might Is master Justice |
is servant. Indeed, a covetous man
does nothing that he should till he
dies.
Wealth, after all, Is relati ye thing,
since he that has little, and wants less,
is richer than he that has much, but /
wants more. Let us take into contem.
plation the fact, that "a contented mind
is continual feast, while greed is
never satiated. Besides, the truly good
and benevolent are rich in graceful
acts and kind words-rich in faith,
hope and charity-rich enough for
mansions in the skies" But no esq
tate can make him rich that has a
poor heart.
o, poor ones of earth, you have the
blessed hope of heaven, if you but
serve God. w. III. CUNDIFF.