The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-11
REFLECTORS.

hksE LE1OA VAsos
Men abhor and dread insigni6cAncs-
IL. 20 be counted out or set down - dead
beats or hopeless failures. Every man has
native and inalienabls right TO . certain
amount of notice and respect and honor. 10
be utterly discredted is the very nearest 70
annihilation. so il is that men are % readv
to resent slight or an insult. And 30 1t ID.
on the other hand. that every one Is ready 70
honor the gentleman. in whatever work or
condition. whose first principle is to honor all
men and give to oil their due. In this view
and on these grounds Mr.. Jefferson was tho
nearest to true in asserting that all men are
by nature free and elual.
II men were more willing TO rest on their
natural rights and be content with them
the world would be the better for it. But
there's the rub and there's the trouble
Every man wants TO be or appear many sizes
larger than be is and have good deal moro
more than he is entitled TO. So there's not
enough OF wealth and greatness TO go
round" and multitudes are robbed and run
over Hence abundant abuses and discom-
forts. wars and fghtinss"
The Unborn right to respect readily passes
into personal ambition. And with the DIT IN
its mouth and the rens on its neck personal
ambition knows no bounds. The natural
craving for respect and goodwill at the first
leap turns into a passion TO 10 admired and
worshiped; like divus Julius, divus Nero
diyus Caliguls forgetting how short the step
=. A. g. -
the divine to the damned. There's room
enough for moralizing on this theme all
through history and biography.
But the common experiences OF everyday
life are interesting enough in this connection.
The commonest exhibitions of bad manners
come of the effort of the ambition Of tho in
dividual TO get front seat. to be the OBJ
served of all Observers; or, in some way OF
other, to be special object OF admira-
ton, a standard, an authority, the GEN.
ire of a constellation. little god
in the midst of worshipers. My opinion"
my theory"-aims to be something quite
out of keeping with the jumping of the gen.
eral world and the thoughts Of the barbarous
multitude. To escape the charge of CON-
monplace and low dungeon of insig-
known. and quite frequently are
seen. not only 10 offend decency aud good
manners and the plainest maxims Of reason
and common sense. but to commit the most
fragrant and monstrons folies--nay, even to
dare TO eubvert the sacredsst foundations of
civilized society. II is SO that rage for
originality prevails Modern science, in tho
half-breed, and intellectual snobbery. is
for setting all the world to rights. And
human reason and culture plays havoc with
our institutions, like wild bears in garden.
Before them is garden of Eden; behind
desolate wilderness" And history only goes
on repeating itsef-folly in the van.
This comes OF mems desires to make them
selves centres and sources of light and lumi-
naries to the world. And they become Jack
o'-lanterns and wreckers The greatest teach
ing of nature is that there is one great centre
and source of light and life. with whom
is the well of light and in whose
light We see light. The frontispiece of
creation is the solar system, the sun
enthroned in space and the planets bear
ing the names of the gods of the past. in
their orbits, their rounds Of duty, worship
ping the Supreme, around which they re-
volve, and rejecting his light This is
natures grand object lesson and standing
sermon. the grand choir of the universe for
ever chanting their Gloria in Excelsis and
proclaiming. 1.-The hand that made US is
divine"
The same light that makes the planets
glorious in their orbits. reflected or refracted
and broken into colors, paints the rainbow
in the clouds and gives them their splendor,
and covers the earth with its trees and plants
and flowers in all their variety Of beauty.
And this great picture tells Of the source of
all light aud life and truth-the Great Origi-
nal. the Object of all worship, Light of Light
and God of Gods, enlightenng the universe,
and enlightening the many minds and souls
of men, strangely indivduslizing every one.
the least and tho greatest, making of all men
kings and priests" and filing the promise
that every man shall have praise of God.