The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-28
ussEnF1sH SERVICE.

.r r - p 2
One of the most striking scenes in modern
fiction is that in Charles Kingsley's Hy-;
patia,n where the Jealous young monk, who
has become almost convert to the fascinatr
ing Neoplatonism Of the bri liant Hypatia,
is suddenly brought to q realization OF its
entire inadeQQacy to human needs when the
beautiful tealher declares that she has done
nothing and Van do nothing for his wayward
sister. A philosophy which can do nothing
for human life, whatever Its conditionS
was philosophy that could not be, true;
and this incident suggests the test of not
only all philosophy and religion, but all the
ideals and purposes of every human life. No
philosophy can be true which doe, not In
some way Contribute to the strength and
purity Of every human soul who studies IT.;
no religion can claim divine authority which
has not the right word for every
human need; no human life Is wisely
and RIGHTLY ordered ,res,n vh,Hts h,t ;n.nirs, drea
1Gs not, IN "a s ;d own o,har TErhin 1ivas 10 mahe Ifs
richer, stronger and purer for men and to
help men to take to themselves this richer,
purer and stronger life, is the end Of every
Kind Of knowledge, of oil forms Of activity,
and of every rightly ordered lie. This SER
vice to common humanity need not bef
direct or immediate; it may be very indi-S
rect, and discoverable only in its ultimate
results; but at some point and in some way
this service must be rendered. The philoso-
ply, the religion, the action, the man or
woman, in which or in whom this element Of
divine hopefulness is not found may be put
aside as unworthy guides, The sci nc9
which should abstract itself entirely from
human life, if such a thing were possible,
and work out some complete system which
could not in any way enrich or strengthen
men in the life they have to live, would not
be worthy the pursuit Of any thoughtful
man. s- .i.. ss
It is not necessary in order that one may
employ this quality of helpfulness that one
should be all the time In personal contact
with the needs and weaknesses OF others, or
that one should give himself up to specific
charitable work or mission. Some OF th9s
noblest souls who have ever lived have, by
the very necessities Of the work they have.
undertaken, been somewhat shut OF from
immediate contact with the daily wants OF
their fellows But the result of their labors
has b en- SO to expand the thoughts Of men.
about their own lives that they have i'm;
mensely enriched and ennoblei those iveG
and so, at long range, they have been H.
lustrious helpers Of their fellows. Tfe es.
sential thing is that one should conceive OF
his work in this spirit; that one should tel
that no kind Of work or knowledge Oh
culture is an end in itself; but tn tho
ultimate object Of 1t all Is to make the world
sweeter and the men who live In 1t better..
The student who devotes all his years to the
patient exploration Of some path Of knowi--
edge, and by his devotion to truth, his self
denial his untiring patience, becomes nv
ing example Of the noblest qualities may
sometimes seem to those who do not under.
stand his ends nor appreciate the quality OF
soul which he is putting into his work to be
leading selfish life. 1t Is q common error
which identifies unselfish service with acts
whose benefcent result Is Immediately de-
tected. There are high and noble SCI vices
which do not seem to touch individu-
ais at all, but which ara rendered
to humanity at large in the way Of Q
general pansion of the knowledge and
conception Of life To most men. however.
this problem never presents itself In this
form MIST Of US must choose to render
services to men who are direct and personal
if we are to render any, and no man
ought to be content who does not feel that
his life in its general result, no less than In
its S. ecif1c actions, Is easing the burden and
smoothing the way for others. A selfish
life is not only irreligious-it Is distinctly
disreputable, thing UNIV rthy, and there
fore inexcusable. No man Of any consclen-
tiousness can live comfortably in the world
as he sees it today unless he is doing some
thing to bett.r tho general condition of
things. A selfish life in the light Of the
worlds needs at this end Of the nineteenth
century is essentially an ignoble and mean
lifa