West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-10-12
GOOD AND USEFUL LIVES
OPEN TO ALL.
Ratio. Sun.


Any one to whom the thought il
suggested will find brief biograph
ical dictionary a melancholy re
minder of the shortness Of life ane
the insignificant part any individua
plays in the history of humanity
The man was born and died, few
lines tell briefly what he did to in
struct, amuse, advance or injure hi!
fellow men. This much is told of :
few hundreds or few thousands o
men out of unnumbered millions
For the rest there is no record tina
they lived or died. But this is only
one view of life. Volumes, and many
of them, are required to tell in ful
whatever one man may have accom-
plished as military hero.as leader
of his people, AS poet or sage, ex
plorer or Investigator of the secrets
of nature, or as a humanitarian
Man is very small in relation to the
universe or even to the world IN
which he labors; his life in relation
to the ages is but span. But in
his brief career and within the Inn
tied circle of hisinhuence he may
make that life blessing or a curse
to himself and to his fellow men
The smallest individual, OF whose
coming and going no record is kept
is nevertheless a distinct force in
society capable of making the world
better and brighter by his presence
He may not become known outside
of a small circle of personal friends
and of his own family; the historian
may pass him by unnoticed, but il
within the limits of his powers and
opportunities he has been q good
citizen and faithful friend, true tc
God, to country and to himself, who
shall say that his lite has been less
worthily passed than that of the
best of those who get three or foul
lines in n biographical dictionary
lest they should be altogether for
gotten? The very thought of the
insignlficance Of man in this great
world and in eternity suggests also
the reflection that relatively to each
other there is not so much difference
between man and man as should
lead any one to despair of leading d
good and useful life, promoting the
happiness and welfare of all within
the range of his influence. An ar
my would accomplish little if each
soldier in the ranks stopped to con
slider the Importance of his individ
ual deeds before striking blow
The victory is won when each does
his full duty as opportunity permits
Men and women in civil life may be
likened to the soldiers of great
army. Each has individual duties
to perform, and honor or, what is ot
more Importance, the approval o.
ones own conscience, is to be wor
only by doing that duty. The sold
ier who neglected present duty tC
think about what he would do if il
higher place, or because he does mo-
think his opportunities cOmmensu
rate with his abilities, seldom aa
vances to the higher place. tits the
man who does the work that comes
to his hand conscientiously who is
selected for other and higher work
and is fitted for it by experience
Those who fritter away their time il
dispiriting study of the past or il
idle dreams of the future alike unfit
themselves for the active work o.
the present This is busy world
continually sweeping on, and that is
why the coming and going of indi
viduals-even those Of the first i'm
portance-make so little impress
sion. But he thought it not a dis
piriting one to those who realize
that every honest, sympathetic and
Jealous member of community may
promote his own happiness and that
of others, and may advance the world
in knowledge by being true to him
self and doing his full duty cheer
fully and with kindly regard fol
friend and neighbor, This is the
privilege of the humblest member OF
society, and by its just and proper
exercise he may range himself be-
side the heroes and great benefac
tors of mankind when the accounts
come to he made up, not by the com
men standards and measures of the
world, but by those who take cogni.
zanee of the smallest actions of men
and set upon them just value.