St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-16

81 NOhbCl. tuOu, lildi OllS lids StiU litdl
even brave hearts. like muffied drums
are beating funeral marches to the
grave?
Does the thought make Us uneomfort-,
able? Still before us stands the phan-
tom in the misty future, and we cannot
tell the distance that interveneS he
tween us and him. We only know Ger
tainly that the day will come and. the
hour when we must lay aside every
care, every hope. and every duty, and
follow at his call. 1t may be on the
field of battle, amidst the roar OF guns,
and the clouds of smoke rising above
us as pall-Or in the lce-tloeS of the
N0rtll-Or in the festOons of flame with
midnight alarm bells pealing our knell
or on the wide waste of waters with
grooming timbers answering our groans:
or upon the peaceful couch of pleasant
home. when June makes the air glad,
and the perfume of flowers and the
songs of birds add brightness to the
world. 1t may be in youth, in manhood
or old age. One thing is Sure-it will
come. We will clasp hands with the
boatman. The cord is running through
our fingers: we shall certainly see the
last link. That is '--.. =.
The Fund mental Thought
| want to impress upon you to-day
And impress this idea. not to fill you
with alarm, but to make clear certain
duties that may take new meaning
when we csnsider them i'll its light.
The preacher then passed OH to con-
Sldar the changing conditions of life. 1t
IS like panorama, new scenes coming.
the cid forever gone-like the traveller
In one of those Arizona valleys. who
sees above him the rolling water-col-
umn. and knows that a cloudburst has
Hooded the upper territory, and makes a
wild rush. leaving property behind. and
Knowing that new condition will meet
him tomorrow: like the painted rocks
of il valley in the California mountains,
that tell of people once active, but
now gone: like deserted city in the
mining regions of Nevada, telling of a
once active community, now scattered.
Is. then, the main question "What shall
we do to prepare for death?'' or is it
'What shall we do to enable US to
meet changing conditions?" Is cur
probation such as the teachers of the
probation tested by our ability to be
truest to those divine institutions. the
family and the state-trueSt to present
duties and trusts?
The preacher also viewed the social
restleSSneSS of the day. He considered
the average man and his relation to the
great problems OF life-to comfort, to
his rights as citizen, to the organiZa-
ton of capital. The speaker claim ed
that there was an unQueStioned tend
ency at present TO settle collisions on
the terms of war. These terms were al
ways WaSteful: and, like ali war. full
of cruelty. Instances can be cited were
capital has Wronged labor: instances
"a f.it lai ha raH
capital. Instead of combination as a
watchword, common welfare should be
substituted, and simple as the whole
subject seems, that will solve the cues
ton.
We have LED up from our fundamental
idea, that time is going Oil without the
slightest hindrance, to the fact That no
man can estimate the future in any
way. We have seen that, III the midst
of all this, we are pressed by questions
such as: What is the chief aim of
life?" what relation do | maintain
toward a struggling social world, try
ing, sometimes vainly. to lift itself a
little above its miserable condition, and
always moved by a divine impul Sc"
And, In answer to these, we have TO und
thSt the words common welfare" will
make lite both brighter and better.
But the iinal word takes us back ward
to the text, Now is the accepted time. =
It seems to US
An Eternal Present.
Onr best preparation for any future
is to make proper use of this present
that we see and touch. The castles in
SPAIN" described so we'll by Mr.. Curtis,
are to us as they were to his hero-im-
possible probabilities We, too sta nd
ing on the roof, high above the w hri
and roar Of the street, and looking out
into the Western sky, may see the bat
Elements of castles, long pasture lands
leading up TO reposeful mountai MS
bright Understanding groves; b ut
when we come down to our little HON e..
we may be pinched to the last degree.
II shall be-" says a writer. is ever our
word of hope. Il shall be we'll win en-
the roses bloom says the lnYalid-''ln
the enemy'S country next week." says
the impatient general-"rich, sayf the
striving youth - happy" says the
Young famous says the ambi-
tiOus worker. Perhaps; but who can
tell? As the sphinx stands, look
ing out into a past. but
holding in. her stone face its
secret. so does the guardian of the fut-
ure stand, and with a stronger tenacity
holds your secret. But the present we
KNOW. IL may not De 10 us all we cOult
wish. Possibly it is full of WEAKNESS,
and briStles with problems. At night
we may feel that we are tired. having
been beaten by the whips of adversely.
If we sleep we may feel that we are like
soldiers sleeping on our arms. 1t may
not be the time for action, they also
serve who stand and wait''-but it is the
time to think. to plan. to prepare for the
next move. 1t is time to be alive and
awake, active and alert, brave and ag-
gresSive. At present it is all that we
have. Shall we repine? Rather, shall
we not ask ourselves: How much can
/ make of this present? How far can l
rise above its roar and wreck? How
much sunshine can | bring into the
hour? How much can 1 add to some
hOfIV-S haDpineSS2''