The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-01-13
Ghe lemorrat-S STIR
Ideals, True and Untrue.

Among the most precious posses.
sions of humanity are it's ideals.
Whatever of poverty or harlships,
of sickness or sorrow, dishppoint.
mentS or adversely. of failure weak
ness or sin may affiict Il man, he
has still within him the image OF
something better, nobler, happier,
more successful TO hOpe tor and to
strive after. To this image, vary
ing though it does with the charac-
ter aud personally OF each indivld.
ual, is society indebted for its con
tinued progress and Improvement
in manifold directions. These
ideas, however, r not all equally
valuable nor equally attainable,
aud it becomes an important part
OF Self-culture aud OF education to
e to it that those we are cherish
lug 10 ourselves, and infuSing into
the hearts of the young, are not
only excellent in themselves, but
possible TO realize under existing
circumstances. One of the most
serious mistakes which is made in
this direction, as well az one of the
most common, is that of presenting
for the aim OF everybody tiie ideal
of greatness and eminence. 1t is
not an uncommon thing to urge
boys to put forth their utmost EN-
deavors in the hope OF some day
becoming great statesmen aud fill
lug offices OF political importance.
Instances / presented 10 them OF
men who, once simple school boys
like themselves, have risen to the
position OF mayor. or governor, or
senator, or ever president, and it is
more than limited that equal exer,
tions on their part may produce
equal results. Or they are pointed
to the great authors aud poets who
have instructed and cheered man,
kind with their thoughts and i'm
aglnlngs; to the great orators who
have thrilled their audiences to
tue great inventors or musicians or
Sculptors whom the world delights
to honor, or the merchant princes
who have accumulated and dis
pensed millions, OF equally rare aud
exceptional men OF genius in other
directions, and they are counSelpd
10 read their lives and study their
methods, not simply TO admire and
reverence, bnt to initiate, that they
may rise to the same pinnacles on
which these men have stood. The
chief be presented to the average
youth is that they are unSound. 1t
is not even tue that most OF the
young people who are thus address
ed can rise to eminence in that di-
rection. 1t is not even true that
most of the Young people who are
thus addressed can rise to emf
nence in any direction. Ii is not
even true that many can. If it
were, e%minence, ceasiugto be Pxcrp-
%tlOnal, would lose its meaning. If
all, or most, or many reached the
same high position which is thus
held out as a lure to all it would
become merely a common level aud
lose all diStinctIyeneSs. Neither
would it be desirable were it posi-
BILE. 1t all were officials, where
would be the citizens? If all were
ARCHITECRS, where would be work
men? We may be very sure that
the notion that everybody may rise
to fill an exceptionally high place
in the world is both irrational and
undesirable. High places are tor
those who improve the talents God
has given them. The earnest striv-
or who tries to live the lite of some
one else aud fails finds bnt little
energy to live his own, and often
sinks down into comparative apa-
thy. He whose sole aim is to reach
some special height when he finds
that his powers are inadequate will
but little to climb any further.
Thus much loss of needed power
and effort results from such limos
ideals. The individual does
less than he can, aud both he aud
society through him are losers.
Besides all this, such elevations are
merely artificial. The few who at ,
lain them see before them endless
heights still waiting their ascent.
All is comparative, and the utmost (
init man reached IN any direction 1
S but a short distance compared y
lies beyond. The true ideal
hat should fill a mans heart and
his energies is excellence in his
'wn sphere; the living of bis own a
PARTICULAR life inst as fully aud no. d
lly as he (nOt somebody eIse) can, =
rue, this is an unknown quantity, 2
it is a real true and ~attainable
Day by day il is rising, and
ay by day be feels conscious of
lcreaSed power. Where it may
ad him he cannOt tell, but by its
nidance he will go further aud &
more than by any other ~
Q may rest assured. Whoever
herlshes this ain will fluid full scope
'r every faculty, full work for n.
very dayy, and full satisfaction i'm ~
very success. Attempting nothing
npossible, he is doomed TO no i'm.
disappointment, nor is
any limit at which he may
'ase to strive. The diffusion of =
lch an ideal is just what society y,
seds for its best welfare aud pro-
'ess. Eminent men and women =
every walk of lite are great bless
gs TO the State, aud we cannot
% highly value or reverence them.