Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-13

sound mind should have sound BODY for
SITS home. When the outwork iscaptured by
the enemy, the citadel itself is in danger.
ACQUISITION OF WEALTH.
Next among the sources of happiness
comes wealth. | am sure that there is nc
need of my impressing on you the satisfac.
ton derived from the possession of COM
petent supply of money. A comfortable
balance In mans favor, in safe bank,
tends to sweeten the bitter cup of life very
much. Some money is necessary to meet
the ordinary wear and tear of existence
and little more can do no harm, always
provided that it be honorably come by and
wisely spent. Hear on this subject what
is said by Robert Burns:
To catch Dame Fortunes golden smile,
Assiduous wait upon her;
And gather gear by ev'ry vile
That's justified by honor;
Not for to hide it in hedge,
Not for train-attendant
But for the glorious privilege
OF being independent.
That is well said; every man of spirit
every man who respects himself, desires tc
be independent, to be able to call his soul
his own, to be master of his own thoughts
to be able to say and do what seems good
in his own eyes, within the limits which
the law and sound morals prescribe. In sc
far as money can procure this independ
ence, money should be sought for by all
honorable means. To attain a great for.
tune is the work of life, requiring great
industry, labor, sagacity and skill. If that
be your purpose, remember what says the
oracle-you will have to get up early in
the morning to attain it.
And, indeed, when | think of the I'm.
bounded benevolence of all men in this
city, rich and poor, of the alacrity with
which they come to the relief of their fel.
lowmen when stricken by sudden disaster
when | think of the noble uses to which
wealth may be put, | do not wonder that
good men are eager to control power
which can be so bene6cially applied.
But the requirement of wealth is not
the only aim and purpose of life What
a man is may be of as much importance tc
him as what he has. There are realms Of
thought, the clear atmosphere of which
the cultivated mind will long to inhale
There is society of men great and grace
full and good, with whom your studies have
made you acquainted. The orators, au.
thors, warriors, sages-some of whom have
lived and died above thousand years ago
You are familiar with the language and
literature of many nations and of many
times. The voices of the past are audible
to you and eloquent. In such studies the
horizon of thought is greatly expanded and
enlightened.
THE HUMANITIEs.
There is, fear, tendency nowadays t.
decry the study of the ancient classics
which are sometimes called ''the humani
ities," as not practical studies, and moi
suited to this busy, bustling age of ours
People say that knowledge Of Greek anc
Latin does not help man to get on in
life. 1t may be SO. 1t may be that ever
you here are of that mind. / have known
young gentlemen before now who have had
a serious quarrel with Homer and Virgil
and Horace, chiefly on the ground that
they had not made their thought known
in the English language. If you bear NAL.
ice against the Greek and Roman WORTHLESS
on that account cannot hope now to alter
your opinion.
But don't throw your school and college
books away. Keep them within easy
AShSh' 4hO tiluC uldy COIue Wu6D you
will take them up again, and read them
and discover that in wit and wisdom and
dignity, grade and pathos and power Of
thought, they are not surpassed, perhaps
not even equaled, by any authors of more
recent times.
l admit that the ascent to Parnassus re.
quires good deal of hard climbing. But
the view from the top, when you get there,
is very grand. 1t is something to know
what were the thoughts and hopes, and
fears and aspirations of great men, in great
eras of the world, and to hear them speak
in their own language.
Instead of decrying these studies now, the
time, as think, has come for cultivatine
them with greater ardor. The conditions
OF life and thought and public opinion in
America are changing fast. "The old
order changeth, giving place to the new
The serious problems to be considered
henceforth will demand all the knowledge
of craftsmanship that can be gathered
from any source, as well as all the wisdom
that is native and to the manor born.
THE VALUE OF LITERATURE.
And 1t is not lust to saw that there is in