The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-10-25

One Of the most striking scenes in modern
fiction IS that in Charles Kingsley's 'Hy-
patia, where the Jealous young monk, who
has become almost a convert to me fascinat-
ing Neoplatonism Of the bri Ian Hypatia,
is suddenly brought to 4 realization VI its
entire inadequacy to human needs when the
beautiful teacher declares that size has done
nothing and can do nothing for his wayward
sister. A philosophy which can d. nothing
for human life, whatever its conditions,
was philosophy That could not be true;
and this incident suggests the test Of, nos
ONLY all philosophy and religion, but all the
id ais and purposes of every human life No
philosophy can be true which doe, not in
some way ntribute 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 Ii e is wisely
and RIGHTLY nrdared which dnas
not In its own working out inspire,
,etecr, and aid utIer lives. To sfiuiz--iife
T1cher, stronger aiId- pdrer 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 all forms Of activity,
and of every rightly ordered Il g. This SER
vice TO common humanity need not be
direct or immediat f.: 1t NAV be very indi-
rect, and discoverable only in its ultimate
results; but at ONE point and in some way
this service must be rendeTed- The philosO-
ply, the ligiOn, the action, the man or
woman, in which or in whom this elem mt Of
divine hopefulness is not found may be put
aside as unworthy guides. The sci ncs
winch SHOULD abstract itself entirely from
human life, if such a thing were possible,
and work out some complete system which
could not i'll any way en- lch or strengthen
men in the life they have to live, would not
be worthy the pursuit of any thoughtful
man.
1t is not necessary in order that one may
employ this quality of helpfulness that one
should be all the tinle 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 tho
noblest souls who have ever lived have, by
the very necessities of the work they have
undertaken been somewhat shut off from
immediate contact with the daily wants Of
their fellows But the result OF their labors
has en- so to expand the thoughts Of men
about their own lives that they have i'm
mensely enriched and ennobled those lives
and So at a long range, they have been IL
lustrious helpers of their fellows. The e5-
sential thing is that one should conceive OF
hi work in this spirit; that one should feel
that no kind of work or knowledge or
culture is an end in itself; but tn the
Intimate object of it al is to make the world
sweeter. and the men who live IN it better.
The student who devOtes all his years to the
uatient exp grafton of some path of knowl-
idge. and by his devotion to truth, his self
denial, his untiring patience, becomes a liv-
ing example of the nUblest qualities may
sometimes sem to those who do not under
stand his ends nor appreciate the quality of
soul which he is putting into his york TO be
leading a selfish life. 1t is a common error
which identifies uuseifish service with acts
whose beneficent result is Immediately de
tected. There are high and noble Sc vice,
which do not seem to touch individu-
ais at ali, but which are rendered
TO humanity at large in the way Of a
General c pansion of the knowledge and
eeonc.ption of life To most men. however.
this problem fseser,p esents itself in this
form. NJ st Of US nHsst- choose TO render
services TO men who are dsrect and per- onal
If we are to render any, md, no man
oughf to be conte t who dos not iesl that
his life in its general result, no less than n
itss ecific actions, is easing the burden and
smoothing the wav for others. A selfish
lie is not only irreligious-it is distinctly
ii thing UNIV rthy, and there
fore Inaccessible No man of any conscien-
tiousness can live comfortably in the world
as he sees it today unless he is doing some
thing to bett tho general condition of
things. A selfish life in the light of the
world needs al this end Of the nineteenth
century is essentially an igaoble and mean
life