The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-04-27
ITo BE CONTINUED
LTHE ERA OF COMMON SENSE.
Echoes From Matilda Fletcher:
Recent Lecture.
BY IL. L EARNUM.

by II. L FARNUM.
"Many shall run to and fro" L. ok
ing down the ages the foregoing is pen
picture, given by the seer, of the restless
present. For what purpose is all this
running to and fro over the earth? Why,
people have been searching through all
the centuries for the lost Eden. Though
failure is the unvarying result, yet the
infatuation is not lessened. Rest, hap
piness and home are eagerly sought by
this means. Perhaps some one deems
his fair home i'm this bounteous land Il
little bleak and seeks in California n
remedy; but, alas! he finds 1t too dry or
too wet. Texas and Florida reach out
their charming hands, only to admins
ter the bane of miasma. New Mexico
extends cordial invitations; but all the
arid and barren lands contrast dismally
with the verdure of Minnesota. The
great Dakota, with its wealth of fertile
plain and hill, sometimes makes of its
hoarsc blizzard knell or 3 requiem.
The charm of earth's bustling and gor-
geous centers and cities is tarnIshed by
the abundance of poverty, dirt, pesti
ience and death.
The idea prevails that earth's bright
cality. How long shall we be in learn
ing that this notion is false? Happiness
emanatcs from within. A genuine home
is the best foothOld that anyone can get
in this world. Is this dependent upon
locality? By no means. Health, intel
ligence, love, graciousness, appreciation,
industry and unselfishness are its foun-
dationS; and these must exist in and be
disseminated by those who create the
home and preside over it. The real
home, the ideal of earthly bliss, may
flourish in any cline where these char
acteristics can be found. We labor as
siduously to surround ourselves with the
minor considerations of wealth and lux
ury and then because repOse and happi
ness do not enter we run away from the
goodly things gathered by so much care,
closing our eyes to the peculiar bless
ingS which any one locality usually
Yields; and grow weary in quest of the
| treasure which, in restlessness, we failed
to discern so near. Perchance life's
span is far advanced before we fairly
discover that happiness and repOse have
little connection with locality. True, we
| might le lrn from the ceaseless circle of
the earth; from the rising and setting
suns and stars; from the fertile earth
and its flowing streams; from the songs
of birds and the sweet balm of blossom
ing verdure, that the best repose and
bliss which earth gives or Its Creator
designed is found IN normal use and
expansion of the high faculties with
which his browning, earthly work was
endowed. How far from this design
have we fallen, and how narrow and
shrIvelled our souls have become, when
we look upon self ministry as the chief
work of life.
Nature itself paints before our eyes,
and MARBLES and thunders in our ears a
denial. With no other teachers we
might learn from this source alone to
rise above our selfishness, using the tai
ents placed in our trust to cheer and up
lift the people of earth. Thus, and thus
alone, are the nights of life's happiness
reached, But these things are recipro-
cal. We are dependent upon each 9TH
err. Our condition is one of mutual ohli-
CATION. We are braced and upheld by
each other. We cannot live alone.
Everyone needs sympathy and praise.
| What is fame? Just an accommodation
of appreciation and praise of men.
| When that is withdrawn we must fall /;
not, perhaps, for any fault of ours, but
because we are crushed by lack of these
needful things-I mean crushed in an
outward sense; for it is true that "the
everlasting arms" can uphold and bring
from such wildernesses and bands the
pure and patient who trust them. The
halo and restfulness represented by the
word home is not manifested by mac
ton or self petting. Every home keeper
knows that the word means "instant in
season and out of season." it means I'M
selfishness; it means a radiation of light.
| 20 nd rG nj on IN
reach every human being who may en-
ter the precincts of that home. 1t
means allegiance to the laws of mutual
obligation. 1t means that YOU cannot
do as you please, independent of the
| happiness of comrades in the life march.
1t means faithful cultivation of the
small vineyard which the master Hus-
bandman has assigned you in the
worlds broad field. 1t means a branch
establishment of Heavens harmony,
love, labor and veal.
When a couple start out in the Eden
ordained relation, can they expect to
reach such perfect conditions if they do
not take the right path or know where
it is? Thew must be as successful as the
traveller who would reach Mankato
without attention to the trend OF the
road which he might take. Yet, in mat
|
fully close our eyes and rush on like
idiots, vainly expecting that miracle
will be wrought to land us IN the right
part. The great Architect of destinies
| bestOws talents and commands improve
ment of them i'm order to reach any
haven or gain admitiance to His king
dom, or any other kingdom; and moth
ing but dissolving mists are cleaned
from life or any of its conditions, except
by adherence to these wise require
ments. In the first place we must look
for the right road; although the posi-
bilities within reach of beings, formed
in the image of God, are boundless, vet
history's mournful lessons teach that,
unguided by benign influences, these
possibilities are quite as likely to aggre
gate evil as good.
A perfect Teacher has said, Except
We become as little children, ye- cannot
enter MY kingdom" What wealth of
instruction is bound up in this declara-
ton; for the greater includes the less.
Unite it, use It, and you will find the
KEY which unlocks kingdoms and treas
nres.
No one, who would follow right do
ing, can do as he pleases; he cannot
even claim To be child of earth unless
he obeys its laws; even the earth must
keen i'm lust such an orbit or it cannot
receive light and heat from the sun.
Goodness, intelligence and health are
among the prime foundations of the
home. If those, just stepping upon the
threshold of homemaking, have been so
circumstanced that development, along
those lines, has been unfavorable, what
then? Why, they must make use of all
things, as their teachers, becoming as
little child, in receptivity and teachable-
ness. 1t is true that non-recognition of
deficiency is one of the mightIest bar
rIers to progress. Seed sewers do wan
der to and fro, over the earth, seeking
To drop some words, or implant some
seed, which, terminating, shall awaken
thought, interest, and recognition of
need. Shorn of the latter, and cores
pondlng remedial effort, that home
might be nursery OF anarchy and evil.
Age, position nor advancement along
life's mile posts, releases any one from
obligations of improvement. On the
other hand, no matter how competent,
faithful or sufficient one may be, he
needs appreciation and sympathy. The
generous provider of home does his
work with greater alacrity and periec-
ton, and carries buoyant heart with
such aids.
The wearisome efforts of the real
homekeeper grow lighter, the step more
elastic, the eye brighter, cheek and lip
more roseate, by consciousness that
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