The Irish standard., 1889-07-13

| j ~Ns~A~AS"
be considered in themselves; they have
or should have, an ultimate value-far-
reaching, and commensurate with life
itself. VS. ought, therefore, to ask our
selves: To what do they lead us? How
far in life's iourney will they attend us:
Are they an inheritance given to us; OF
are they earned by Us with SO many
hardships and sacrifices; or, are they
due 10 the DEEPEST love and painstaking
care Of OH teachers, who, because they
were our teachers, PRAYED and worked
that they might make something Of us:
III either case, the hOnOrs are yours to-
| day.
But what will be the fruit twenty or
thirty years hence. The future Of the
persevering, hardworking and provi-
dence. trusting student Will answer this.
Many a finely educated young man
and woman have reached the highest
school hcnOrs and distinctions to which
their talents entitled them; but, alas!
as soon as their fathers purse was with
held, and as soon as the vigilance and
discipline Of the school was left behind.
and they themselves were made to feel
the value of their own resources, and
given up to work their way amidst the
competing nun bers of educated forces,
few succeeded where many failed. 1t
is in the duties Of pracSlcai and respOn
sible life that education is tested. For
these it is preparation. And it it fell
short in weight. or i'll measure, as the
world weighs and measures It, it may
be condemned as no education at all.
There should always be definite end
in view when we are pursuing and while
we are pursuing our education. There
is in the preparation for every profess
sion in life, the formal motive and the
material object of OUT work. IT the end
for which We are striving is we'll defined
! from The beginning, the means to reach
that end shall have been chosen, be-
cause they are known as being neces-
sary TO our purpose. 10 be good ply
siciau, the student in medicine should
have before the reason for his LABOR
which, is 10 master his profession: The
why oT labor is his ever present. motive.
The means to be employed, he chooses
by reason Of this why. So with the
learned advocate at the bar, 50 with the
learned churchman.
Except there be a timely coordination
OF teachers schools and books, this end
cannot be accomplished.
Those who have made good profici-
ency in their studies should not turn
back nor come down to the ordinary
level of a common education. They
should rather seek opportunities to ad-
vance higher and higher, until that
point is reached where life shall be most
useful and education most honorable.
Ah! but how are we to know this?
We are now separated from our
teachers, it may be from our homes and
dearest friends as we'll; vet there is al
invisible power, always willing, and al
ways directing the vlrtuous mind and
heart. 'Who is be who should teach
me- unless he who illum1nates my heart
and discerns its inclinations?" Thus
spoke the great St. Augustine. We
should remember that we are studying
for two-fold object, for ourselves and
for society. We ought to study for oul
and all that makes up life's happiness.
since the labor is ours, self-d email ours,
the reward ought to be ours.
The power there is in education we
ought to force to the highest and widest
circle to which it is ordained to elevate
the mind and heart, 1t we value it fol
itself, it will give Us distinctive excel
ience proper to it alone; it will open up
to us many worlds; it will conduct our
minds into new realms Of thought, and
by reason Of that guiding star-Divine
truth it will serve as pillar OF light
out of the many saddening hours and
perplexities with which this life
abounds. We should study for the good
of society because it is ont Of society
| that we ourselves have drawn our edu-
cation. Our teachers are persons who
are chosen out OF hundreds Of persons
| who may be of their own age and rank,
but because they are of advanced and
liberal knowledge and varied culture
they are given to us to be our teachers
and educators. While we were under
their care, the world did not annoy us.
We went to school in the morning and
returned at eve. But the day we grad
uate. we are told that onward we now
must so. The time will come when we
shall be examined b y another Judge.
And the first question shall be: What
are we good for? To what purpose shall
we spend our learning? Our parents
and our terchers have now we'll done
their duty. What are we able to do?
That is the problem for the young
graduate. Now is the hour to decide.
IN
vet taken. 1t is too soon to fold our
hands. We have done nothing vet.
We must not wait to be employed. We
should seek it, and in the best market
the world affords.
| It it is necessaro for us to take very
humble position we ought to take it.,
because promotion is from an inferior
to superior place. But if our educa-
tion by itself will not advance US. what
are we to do? There Is another teacher
vet to be consulted, another science TO
be known; a Teacher who has given us
| a heart to love him, lightto trust him,
and a sanctuary of safety, and greater
grsces, and better gifts than we have
ever tasted. Let Him now be your
| model, your father, and mother, and
sister, and brother. He is able to take
| the place of all All will die and leave
us. He alone remains. Who is.he who
can teach me, unless He who >lllumines
my heart and discerns its inclinations?
And when the heart is Illuminated, it
can see that in all the world there is one
source Of truth and one term in which
the heart can rest and be satisfied, and
one alone who Is great and who is good.
hooouco Hn ic Gn6 M s57. i4ftS .ii#s