Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-20

4
the college favorite place win lnysr. !
refined mental and social pleaenras ~
~ popularity seems confjpuallv ~, 49,
. increase. The lecture was 4 bishIv mr.
found and entertaining discourse On IN.
basis OF Mental Culture,v and n n "a
gretted that LACK Of space forhids cIv,nn
IL IN lis entirety. What follows ,vss ~
concluding portion. "' NV
Inc discoveries OF the cenfurv a,a ,,n
paraleledi and our advancement N ,ha
arts ana the sciences Is snch as ~ ~
truly wonderful, so that this age an
passes the age Of fable and Of the Arabian
n gnts. Every day lays It's tribute ~
invention at our feet, demanding that W.
utilize It's truths. They come with sprh
rapldity that they almost reyolutioniye
society, and we must be able nv sonnd
Judgment and discrete wisdom 10 annlv
tnese discovered truths so as To enhance
the strength OF our government and the
perpetulty Of our institutions. This 10.
qulres the highest mental culture.
Who can measure the guilt and folly ~
neglecting the advantages that come to
us oy correct application of these d,s.
coyeriesp The young man or woman
VINO has closed his or her ewes 10 the
power and usefulness that comes 10 him
or her In this age by mental culture. Is
guilty not only Of being blunderer. but
OF crime against humanity. The facts
ought to make his mind t-emulous veith
mental activity and fairly sparkle with the
intellectual stimulus OF this electric age
Mental culture delivers man flom many
evils. No fact is more potent than that
education largely lessons liability to evil.
Statistics show that at least ten
tim as many paupers and
criminals spring from the lift
crate, as from the educated classes OF
society. Vacancy of mind opens the way
Tor superstition, temptation, and the stu.
petying ettects OF moral debasement. L.
norance Is the mother of vice, bigotry,
and all kinds OF fanatlcism. Therefore,
store the mind with information, culti.
vate the taste, enlarge the views, and
replenish the mind with the noble riches
OF intellectual treasures, and life will be
exalted above everything mean, low and
degrading This fact adds its voice to
the many others that have spoken
to us, urging mental culture as
moral duty. The fear of sink
ing into bondage Of evil habits and
wrong theories OF life, ought to impel
every man to seek that culture whereby
ne can emerge into the beautiful sun
light of refinement and knowledge. The
evils OF ignorance beset us on every
hand. They are perilous vortexes which
we can only avoid by mental training, SO
that we may clearly see the right and
behold the ruinous effects of the wrong
All the truths which / have enumer-
ated, come to every intelligent person as
fhaat Ntna .NfA a.Nw, ~. -
is the voice OF God. Here we find the
ultimate authority for mental cul.
ture. The real basis is a.
seek its blessings and pleasures
should be to comply with the will Of the
infinite mind. And because OF this truth,
we hear the inspired book saying: "Add
TO your virtues knowledge and warning
US against the zeal that is not according
to knowledge. This book also commands
us: "Study to show myself approved
unto God; workman that needeth not
to be ashamed This book also comes
with the loving voice OF invitation, say
ing: whatsoever things are true, what
soever things are honest, whatsoever
things are of good report, and II there
be any virtue, and II there be any praise,
think on these things" The essence OF
this books injunction is, that with all
our getting, get understanding, SO that
we may obey the Masters command
go teach all nations" Aud here, sane
toned by the voice of inspiration, we
leave the subject of mental culture as a
moral duty 1t is only when we consider
the ultimate aim Of culture to be dIsci-
plined for another life that 1t reveals itself
IN It's far reaching compass. In the Ian
guage of another, let me say in conclus-
sion; eve stand upon the lower rounds
OF ladder whose top is lost amid
the splendors Of the empyrean.
At most, our culture here is
but preparatory course, in which we do
we'll II we but learn the rudiments OF
truth as will enable US to matriculRte in |
the great university of the heavens, whose |
chancellor is the Omniscient, whose in
structors are the archangels, and whose |
degrees are principalitles and powers.
The old legends tell Of wondrous genii, !
who, entering into the humblest cot, at
once its walls were transformed into Jas
per and crystal, and stretched away into |
magnificent palace halls; its floors were |
laid with the purest marble, its windows
were set with diamonds and all precious |
stones, and its ceilings were frescoed |
with fretted gold. So the fair genius oil
Christian culture, entering into the hum |
blest human mind, bearing the golden |
lamp Of truth and knowledge, may cause |
1t to spring up into an imperlshable pal
ace more magnificent than that OF any IA
bIed storyD