The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-07-08

gent and persevering effort will place
the palm in his hand
Second. Striving after what? Facts,
truths-everything that is implied in the
great generic word knoUiedge. In the
language of Webster, Treasure up
something beyond the reach of acct
dent" What is an idea, a fact. worth?
Can its value be estimated as that of
material things? The philosoph zeal
idea that land must exist westward
from the Old World to equipoise the
sphere was the germ from which grew
the discovery Of the New World.
What was the value of this idea? Com
pute the gold Of California, the sill yer of
Nevada, and the incalculable treasures
of material wealth elsewhere i'm our
land, and then you will have but a
glimpse of its value. Taken i'm all its
hearings it would he illimitable. Hour
upon hour could he spent in moralizing
on the value of ideas in the various de-
partments Of physics aud ethics. The
telescope, microscope, telegraph, tele'
phone, electric light, each depend W.
on an idea.
Facts are things established. Some
men speak of fixed facts" as il there
were facts not fixed. The "eternal
stars" are not more fixed than facts
are. Facts are historical, scientific,
literary, legal, etc. The man of facts
is sought after, is found aud honored
He cannot he inveigled by stratagem
or downed by rant and uproar Amid
the storm, he is placid; and after the
subsistence Of the clamor, he wins.
Many speaker, reckoning upon the
ignorance Of his audience, and his skill
and polish as a declaimer, has found
his cause and himself pierced to the
death by the sharp, cold steel of pitiless
facts.
IL We knew all the facts with regard
to our physical structure and the preser.
walton of health and the prevention of
diseases, and acted on them, human suf-
fering would be robbed of its
sting, and deaths approach
would be slow and long defer
red. 1t would come, when it did
come, like the long-lingering, mellow
twilight of a summers day gradually
and insensibly disappearing below the
horizon.
Facts are a coat of mail-a panoply-l
by which We are protected from the
harmful effects of assault; and, also,
they enable us to act on the aggressive
and irresistibly attack our opponents
to combat the wrong, to sustain the
right; this the man of facts can always
do with a quiet consciousness that he
will win.
Third. Eager for what ? striving after
what? 1 answer, in addition to the
trained mind and the well-stored mind,
the one furnishing the power and the
other successfully and unerringly di-
recting it, the student strives after that
joy, that pleasure, that felicity, which
are the sure reward of the worshipper
at Minerals shrine. To the historical
tourist, nature speaks most rapturOusly
and elOquently. If he visits Scotland,
from the proud, foaming crest of
Solway to the calm, polished breast of
Lock Katrine," every leaf and flower
will be suggestive of Scott's heroism
and patriotism. If he visits Bannock-
burn, the form of Bruce will rise before
him.
Burns, who "o'er the pillow dill sing
his wOod-nOtes weird" will rise before
him AS he stands upon the bank of the
Ayr. III he goes southwark to the
Avon, his every nerve will tipgle as he
cOntemplates that here the genius of
Shakespeare first flashed upon the
world. If'he gazes upon Mt. Blanc, his
very soul will seem to be lifted upward
and heavenward for ''all that expands
the: spirit, yet appalls, gathers around
these SUBMITS, 40 as to show how earth
may pierce to heaven, yet leave vain
man below" III he sails along the
Rhine, this object and that will suggest
many legend of Medieval time, and
he will realize that "there can be no
farewell 10 scenes like thine, D lovely
Rhine.
IT he visits Rome, o how redolent the
very air will he with historic perfume
How will his heart almost cease to
beat as he stands where the mighty
Caesar fell, even Eat the base of Pom
pey's statue" How will his soul ex-
pand as his eye rests upon the cross
upon the summit of st. Peter's-an
eloquent, though sad symbol of the
tragic death of the founder of Christian.
ity. As he stands on the spot of the
Capitolium, his ear will hear the tones
of Cicero, and he will be even trans
ported back two thousand years. If he
visits Greece, the mighty host of phil
osOphers and warriors and orators will
rise up in imagination before him !; and
Athens and Marathon and Salamis, and
the mOurnful ruins of the Parthena
upon the Acropolis, will speak to his
educated and cultured mind as il they
each and all were instinct with life.
Having briefly, and as succinctly as
possible, discussed the aims of the stu
dent, would warn him against the
danger of success. Many a one who
has borne off the honors of his school
has been overcome by success and has
ceased to act. Better to have been
defeated, for
"Sweet are the uses of adversely,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in its head"
Mr.. Webster's great modesty at Dart
mouth College prevented his worth
from being known. Piqued because a
-. Al.