The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15
Live In the Present.

"a live man resps cts the nineteenth CEN
fury. He does not think that wisdom died
out when its eighteen prede depa ted.
His ey IS are not in the back OF his head. He
reads books, but he studies men. Great po-
cts have, for the most part, passed their lives
in cities Never write o page said the
late Lord Ly sion to q young London author,
"till you have walked from your room to
Temple Bar; mingling with lien and rad
ing the human face"
The men who make their mark on the
age are those who know 1t and sympathize
with its life. A professor in theolog cal
9 smipsry confessed that for half q century
he had read mere Latin than English. He
failed to impress his students for be was OBJ
olete, even waile facing them.
GuIzot says that Shakespeares success is
due TO his mastery knowledge of his own
age and co0ntry and to the fact that ne
y rote in spite of loyalty to them both
Raphael went about Rome aud Fioren ce
seeking faces and attitudes worth reprOduc-
ing upon canvas. Curran stuoied law dur
| ing the day. At night be studied men III
the coffee houses of London, selecting those
| which were most fertile in game for a. char
acter hunt"
Napoleen's boast was, 81 know men," He
disguised himself that be might talk with
sailors and fishermen. When he wished TO
study some great subject. he would gather
| about him those who were AUTHORITIES on it.
and set them arguing with each other
When he said. "Good night. gentlemen" b,
knew all about the matter that was worth
knowing
Walter Scott would talk with any one VIII,
| would talk TO him. He visited the fish
marketat BiliinRsgate in order 10 learn th
dele It of the nshwomen. His novels ar
read to day because they are true TO life
though they are cal led romances.
Students who cJntiue themselves to tn
past are as dead, SO far as serving their gen
Grafton is C 1ncerned. as the eras they love
They are almost sure to mourn over the pres
eut and to distrusr the future. The former
days are to them better than these, aud TIT
futre is likely to be worse than either.
Il Professor Phelps, in his instructive an
interesting Men and Books tells a suggsl
tive necdote about two cl srgymen, which
illustra es the difference in character betwee
the student of books and the student of mer
The two ministers who had been assmate
in the seminary. met after separation
twenty years. Each had had fair measur
of success
'Iiave bad bard life of it, but enjoy
bard l'fe," said, in CHEEKY tone, he who ha
lived among his brethren. II pays to hav
a hard life. have such glorious trust i
the future"
II have he'd ha life too" said th
other. who had lived in the dead Tast, sps III
ing In q niouruful tone. IL lry 10 euduI
1t ratienty bat i shall be glad when it
over Tue future looks dark, very dark
me. My chief satisfaction is in the past
This man. Gays Professor Phelps, w;
weary aud foot-sore from walking backward
A few years later he was gathered To n
fathers, with whom his mental life bad bee
buried for twenty years" His friend sti
lives. enjoying his hard life, not CROWN
old. bat keeping his heart young that
may do good work for the men with whol
he loves to associate.
The past has It's uses, but 1t is no place fc
a man 10 live In. The apostle of Burmal
Adonira N Judson. was an old man when 4
died, full of good works But his wifi
Fanny Forester, thirty years his jnnio
knew" He kept himself young by his fsil
in Gcd and his hope for man.