Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-07

ioos at your pro,.et1y for tie pufpcss OF CIV.
ing you policy upon it and while be stood
in front Of the house be should say: That
house is on fire nov In the basement" you
could not get any insurance upon it. Yet
you talk about this world as though it wero
a safe Investment, as though you could get
some Insurance upon il when down in the
basement it is on fra
remark, also, that this world Is . pro-
perty. with which every body who has taken
1t as a possession has had troublo Now, l
know a large reach Of land that Is not built
on ask what Is the matter, and they reply
that everybody who hes had anything to do
with that property got into trouble about it
It is Just so with this world: everybody that
has had anything to do with IL, as posses
sion. has been in perplexity How was it
with Lord Byroni Did he not sell his inn
mortal soul for the purpose Of getting the
wcrldf Was he satisfied with the rosessioni
Alas! alasi the poem graphically describes
his case when it says:
Drank every cup of Joy.
Heart every trump OF fame;
Drank early. deeply drank.
Drank draughts which common millions might
have quenched
Then died OF thirst because there was no more
To drink
Oh, yes he had trouble with It. and 50 did
Napoleon. After conquering nations by the
force OF the sword, he iiea down 10 die; HE
entire possession. the military boots that ne
insisted on having upon his feet while he was
dying SO it has been with men who had
better ambition TLackeray, one of the most
genial and loval,le souls. after he had won
the applause Of all intelligent lands through
his wonderful genius sits down in a restau
rant in Paris looks to the other end OF the
room, and wonders whose that forlorn and
wretched face IS. rising up after while, he
finds that it is rhackeray IN the mirror. Oh,
yes, this world Is cheat Talk about a man
gaining the worldl Who ever gained half
of the worldi Who ever owned a hemis
phere' Who ever gained q continents Who
ever owned Asias Who ever gained cityi
Who ever owned Brookiyuf Talk about
gaining the world No man ever gained IL.
or the hundr,si thouandth part Of it. You
arr demanding that | sell my soul. not for
the world. but for fragment Ct II Here Is
q man who has had large estate for forty
or fifty years He lies down to die You say
THAT man is worth millions and millions
Of dollars Is hsf You call up surveyor
with his compass and chains, and you say
There is property extending three miles
In one direction, and three miles in another
direction" Is that the way 70 measure that
mans property Not You do not want any
surveyor. with his compass and chains That
is not tile way you want To measure that
mans property now. IL is an undertaken
that you need. who will come and put his
fngertn his vest pocket. and take out tape
line, and he will measure five feet nine inches
one way. ami two feet and half the other
way That is the mans property Oh. no. l
forgot not so much as that. for he does not own
even the place in which he lies in the cenie
tery The deed to that belongs to the execu
tors and the heirs Oh. what a property you
propose 10 give me for my soull lf you sell
a bill of goods you go into the counting room
and say to your partner; "Do you think that
man is good for this billi Can he give
proper securItyi Will he meet this payment
Now when you are offered this world as
possession want you to test the matter
do not want you 70 go into this bargain
blindly | want you To ask about the title
about the Insurance, about whether men
have ever had any trouble with =, about
whether you can keep it, about whethcr you
can get all, or the ten-thousandth Oh. one
hundred thousandth part Of II
There is the world now I shall say no
more about il Make up your mind for your
self, as shall before God have to make up
my mind for myself, about the value Of this
world | cannot afford to make mistake
for my soul. and you cannot afford 70 maks
a mistake for YOUR soul
Now, let US hook al the other property-tht
soul We cannot make bargain without
seeing the comparative value The soul
How shall estimate the value Of iti Well.
by its exquisite organization 1t Is the most
wonderful piece of mechanism ever put to
gether Machinery Is Of value in proportion
as it is mighty and silent at the same time
You look at the engine and the machinery In
the Philadelphia mint. and, as you sec
It performing its wonderful work, you
will lie surprised TO lind how 81
Iently it goes Machinery that roars and
tears soon destroys itself, but silent una
rhinery is often most effective. Now, 90 il
Is with the soul OF man. with all its tire
mendous faculries-it moves In silence
Judgment, without aay racket, lifting it,
scales; memory. without any noise. bringing
down all its treasures conscience taking IT,
Judgment seat without any excitement; the
and the will all doing thsii
work. Velocity, majesty might, but silenc
silence You listen at the door Of your
neart. You can hear no sound The soul is
all quiet 1t is so delicate an instrument
that no human hand can touch IL You
break bone. and with spiinters and band
ages the surgeon sets il. the eye becomes in
1amed, the apothecary's wash cools it, but
.ouI oil the track, unbalanced. no human
power can readjust it With one sweep OF
ts wing it circles the universe and over
vaults the throne OF God Why, In
he hour of death the soul Is 50 mighty. il
throws aside the body as though it were
.oy It drives back medical skill as impo
ent IL breaks through the circle Of loved
,nes who stand around the dying couch
With one leap. 1t springs beyond star and
noon and sun. and chasms OF imLiensity
Oh. 1t l, soul superior to all material thingsI
No lre can consume it: no floods can drown
c. no rocks caI crush il; nc walls can i'm.
,ede It. no time can exhaust it IL wants no
1riLge on which to cross a chasm. 1t wants
10 plummet with whfeh 70 sound depth
ouJ so mighty. SO swift, so silent. must be
priceless soul
| calculate the value Of the soul, also, by
Is capacity for happiness. How much Joy
{ can get In this world out of friendships
,ut OF books, out Of clouds, out Of the sea.
nut OF flowers, out of ten Thousand things
md yet all the joy it has here does not test
Is capacity. You are In concert befor-
he curtain boists, and you hesr the instru
nents prepsring-the sharp snap Of tho