The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-05-08
Stillwater MINI Thursday May 8, 1890.

We may only behold them with our mental
vision, but alas, how weak and inadequate
is that to penetrate the deep mysteries in
which so many of the worlds wonders are
involved. But we are prone to neglect the
due exercise of our mental vision and to
turn it away altogether from the grandeSt
wonder of which we know-Our own minds.
What greater wonder than the human
mind? What is it? What is its length,
breadth and depth? From whence came it,
and whittier gOeth it? 1t is wonderful in
it's mysteries; wonderful in its hidden ele-
ments which no mortal may ahalyze, and
wonderful in the awe its contemplation in
spires; and thus mans hat may cover the
most wonderful of all wonders; and who
can say that one mans hat covers greater
wonder than that of another man? Who
can say that the idiots hat does not cover
as great wonder as the hat on the massive
brow of the grandeSt statesman? The linn
itleSS space iD which the stars. suns and
planets move and have their everlasting orb
it's, is very wonderful to contemplate, and
why not the vacant lots in fools head?
1t is certainly something of wonder that
in this enlightened age, with such abundant
means of information everywhere Obtana-
bic and practically free to all. so many
fools still exist 1t can only be accounted
for by considering their condition as the re-
suit of purely wilfuI choice that don't care
for the quality or the kind of the wonder
which, Ofttimes. their hats would do we'll
to more effectually conceal.
While we cannot possibly comprehend
what the human mind is. although each in
dividual possesses one of greater or less de-
velOpment that he may study and investi-
gate at his leisure. vet we cannot, if we
view it correctly. but stand in awe of its
wonderful capabilities. to which there
seems to be no limit. even in relation to this
mortal probation; and we know not whether
to tremble and shrink from what awaits it
beyond this present state, or to lOngingly
sigh for its speedy relief from its mortal coil.
There are those who entertain the idea that
the mind resumes and goes on spinning the
same thread in its next state as it began
here, and so flights it OUT on that same
line through the limitess ages. How these
people obtained their information l am not
prepared to say, but it is certainly very
good argument in favor of beginning the
thread here with good. strong material.
We are accustomed to regard the head as
the seat of the mind but anatomists fail to
discover any remarkable properties about
the head that are not common to other parts
of the body. They cannot enlighten us in
regard to the mind, or even the principle of
life, or whether the two are one and the
same or not We all know those whom we
look upon as large minded people, and 9TH
erS who betray very small minds; but we
notice that sometimes the large mind is in
smaller head than the lesser one. A head
that is full of mind may be no larger than
the one that is an intellectual void: in fact
man may add somewhat to his mind every
day of his life. and if such acquisitions are
really good and solid they will not have the
effect to ''swelP' his head perceptibly. A
sleigh bell rings because it is not full. and
that may be the reason why some heads are
such rattle eboXes-with very little in them
they make great noise, and often the
clamOr OF fools may drown for time the
calm wisdom of sages.
A really valuable accession to our mental
store makes little stir and noise, but it just
quietly nestleS down in some little unOc
cupied niche and there quietly abides until
its service is needed; and it is wonderful
how some little things that have been ad
mitted to the mind will keep quiet and 81
lent for years and years. until apparently
entirely forgotten, and then at some time
and just the right time they will spring up
as bright as when first garnered. In early
youth. while children at school, we may
have committed a beautiful poem to mem
Ory, ana although long since forgotten,
after many long years, perhaps in advanced
manhood, spark revives thought of that
poem. And how pleasurable the surprise
and sweet the recOllections it brings to our
minds, although we may be in prison cell
in the still of night. as we fondly repeat the
words garnered as a treasure into the store
house of the mind.
1t is wonderful that what we admitted to
our minds in early youth is the most abid
ing; and the best that we stored as treas
ures gives us the greatest pleasure in after
life think that all of us who have
reached or passed the meridian of life, if
with all our experiences to admonish us we
could 60 back to early childhood and live