Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-25
CHAPTER r11I.-SrsprNsr.

4
Heaven from all creatures hides the book OF
All but the page prescribed. their present state
Hope springs eternal in the human breast:
Man never Is, but always To BE hest.
Little was the Hon. De Witt Blarnaby
thinking what were the discoveries made
by Sir John ana his friend HogC on their
distant properties. He never drcamt but
that they went on pressing private business
and for short escape from the strain Of so
great excitement If they, outside specta-
tors only, or principally, felt the pressure
severe, how much more so he, the chief
actor, with absolutely everything at stake.
Here stood BiarnaDy, the pivot around
which AL manner Of wheels were wildly
clrcline.
No man can Sc: limit TO the influences
that emanate from him. His every act goes
on producing consequences for ever and
ever, though ne reckS nothing of his eter-
nal responsibility 1T the moment. The
words OF man 80 out from his lips lightly,
but they are laden WITH results Welghtler
than he dreams: fraUght with blessings or
barbeG with curses that DO their work on
his hearers. and then come back TO him
sometime or other III visible or invisible
form, and make marks GA the character he
will leave behind him when he goes. We
talk of Immortality; we covet IL; we build
our hopes on lis anticipation: sometimes
iSe and C;lSt about for other consultations,
when all the time we are binding our own
eyes to the ni@htieSt fact of our existence
the answering truth that every atom of
Us as we are, body. mind. and the soul of
Us, Is living its real immortality here and
now. We never die. We are east into the
lake of life. and the ripping circles our lit
tie SplaShing creates 90 widening and
viii never cease widening while the waters
last. To realize this simple fact fully is 10
project oneself into the eternal future. life
grows more real. responsibilities more
faction Of feeling that one has
4 controlling hold OF the rudder that will
shape the course of the snip hereafteT-lonG
enough 1t least 10 insure respect for good
captaiucy whose momentum outlivGs the
captain. To I'll loose our influence under
these checks and safeguards is 10 raise the
tone of those whose influences come within
our own aud 90 out again the nober for the
contact; and 70 do this Is ia live again in
tire lives Of those who have known Us to
love US. ANY Other immortality than this Is
n sheer extra to our active. practical, indi-
viduaI existence. IT mus come as gra-
CiouS gift. 4 new existence. rather than
prClonCatiOn of The present personality.
This lie IS our working life: our speech is
our works no less literally than are our
acts: our total influence is our immortal
self The night cOmeth. The wise reckon
the developments of the morrow from tine
Influences put ont yesterday ana to-day.
Sarnaby was given to reflection IN this
vein. a man of wide rather Than deep
reading he had long made IL more a hobby
than an act OF piouS duty TO investigate as
far rs he could into the religions of the
world. While he figured as a prominent
member OF the Protestant Episcopal
church. he would have felt no scruple in
confessing that his allegiance was al least
as much the outcome of his admiration OF
the social institution as of his respect for
its doctrines. lie was one of those on
whose consciences the creedS and mysteries
Of Churchianity SIT ightiy. II IS but due 10
most OF he churches 10 admit that they
cVince no desire 10 make those encuIn-
brances more burdensome than they are.
On the contrary. truly surprising 10 the
plain man is il TO see how elegant and airy
they are daily growing. AnathcmaS and
combinations are now sung 10 voluncnous
music. which invests them with 4 beauty TO
which as common prose they lay little
claim. NeStmentS are woven Of verbal fla
gree 10 garb hard sayings in, very proper
extension of the eSthchCiSm that comes so
handy in giving the odur of sancity to many
portly pupitecr. Besides. the chanting
OF 4 confession affords more openings for
conscientious pauSeS, unobSerVed, than
when jabbered in schoolboy unison. Blarn
ably always liked to enlist the aid of the fine
arts rs aiaS TO faith.
Tie was fond of l, citing out some of his
out-of-Lhe-way lore. Genie had quiZzed
him S'reCty kcenly on several occasions,
trying TO get AT his real religious beliefs:
for IN these our progressive days the STU
pendouS mysteries of life and roolems Of
the heart have come to be the Shu,tlecochs
that shallowpates feel entitled to bat about
across the table for the merriment Of the
wcll-dinsd. One evening the talk had been
Of Omar khayau ana his decidedly trans
lated verses. Blarnaby had been warmly
-
philosophizings, when all Of sudden
Genie turned 10 him and asked point-bLank,
with all her earneStneSS:
MIR. Blarnaby, please do tell ME what
you really believe in religion2"
He smiled graciouSly replying, ''Well, l
cannot refuse to answer anything YOU ask
me, my dear Miss Dabchic; but allow NE
10 say-you have only set me the task of
filing fifty bic volumes in one short min
ute
oh, that won't do, you know! I'm sure
If anybody ever could turn out q pithy SEN
fence YOU can. and I'm Just diving TO know
what you thiuk,
II can soon tell You that. I think YOU are
an irresistible Sister-confesSor,''
Now YOU are meanly evading fair ques-
lion, and J shall begin to think you are only
only one OF those politicians, when up 10 |
NOW just adore You as a statesman.''
Very well. my dear inquisitreSS: now a
truce To fencing. You ask me to put into i
dozen words what my religious beliefs are.
l answer You by little story. \ very dis |
tinguiShed man-a statesman. too. by the
way-waS once asked the very same ques-
ton. and ! II be bound by such another win
some tormcntur-"
.'Now-hush, stick to business. please.
What did the great statesman say I'm all
on the tideets.'' Il
He replied. Madame. am of the same
religion aS all the wise men have profeSSed.' |
Then she asked And pray what was that
And he answered. Madame, they were all |
too wise TO tell
Al this crisis in his career Blarnaby had |
need of all the support he could get from |
philosophers, old and new. They say the |
gods are never so pleased as when they look |
down upon strong man struggling with |
adversely. The more the odds are against |
him the more they smile. The strong man |
in his agony would swap gross Of such |
cynic gods these Tor q sight Of an ever |
present help III tine OF trouble
Put yourself in his place. You have !
wrought and fought YOUR way up 10 = posi- |
tiou OF public usefulness and esteem. Long !
years OF patient toil; thousand uphill |
striyings rewarded by a swift slide back TO |
the starting place. You have given your |
best and your honcstcst service 10 the in |
terests of Your felow-citizens and met with |
the inevitable distorters Of motives, cum |
ming Instructors of base aims, the tribe of |
slanderers and the sisterhood of scandal |
hysaa .-..s I-t,., !,