The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-05-29

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am speaking Of the Dry -as-dust
productions, because there are ex-
ceptional essays that are both in
iere>tlns and instructive and
which deserve encouragement
rather than repression. These are
always written by competent per-
sons who have real enthusiasm for
the theme upon which they write.
These bear no resemblance TO the
orthodox, made order kind, but
they often 90 unread because of
popular repngnace of the species
inspired by the latter. All essays
an. all literary efforts will faiI TO
enlist the interest, sympathy and
appreciation of mankind unless
their authors are filled With earn
eslness and enthusiasm. and their
success is TO great measure de-
pendent upon these requisites, al
ways provided thai the writer has
the ability to clearly write his
mother tongue. Perhaps you will
say that this is true o. effort in any
field admitted, but our attention
is now concentrated on this one
line. You cannot convince the
mind when your own is moi con
vinced, neither can you Touch The
heart unless your own responds in
sympathy with the subject.
A writer left TO his own choice
will not be apt to choose other
than a subject upon which he has
an earnest and enthusiastic convic-
iion, and under snch circumstances
twill be rare indeed that his work
will fail to please or instruct his
fellow creatures. Still there are
exceptions to this rule, as the fol
lowing anecdote related by a Sun
day school teacher will illustrate ::
lie gave the writing Of an essay
TO all members of hls class, allow
ing them each to select any partic-
ular Scripture verse. One bright
laced girl selected a portion of the
23l verse of the 22d chapter of
Genesis which reads: And these
eight did Micah bear to Nabor,
Abraham's brother"
Now you will say that his was
an odd selection, but her treat
ment was the climax of oddity.
Alter a long dissertation upon the
relative progress of this age and
that of The palriarchs, she wound
up by saying: You see from the
words OF my subject that in those
early days it took eight to milk a
bear and dare say they got little
milk even then"
Since | have said that the earn
est and enthusiastic essayist is al
most invariably Interesting and in.
structIve, then as majority of es.
saws are dry and barren it must
follow that lew writer's possess
these necessary essentials. This,
alas, is Too true. Their absence is
iearlully common. The work, then,
must at best be only half-hearted
and not much is to be expected OF
hali-hearled work in any depart
ment of life except WEAKNESS, dis.
appoint menl and gorgeous failure
of success. Did you ever think |
how few earnest and enshusiaslic |
people there are in The world any
way? If you will begin 10 investi-
gate you will be surprised to find
hem so scarce. Most people you
meet are like the drift wood you
see floating on The turbid current
IF your own Yazno-drilting list
Iessly and aimles,ly along The tide
If time. Only occasionally do you
see one endowed with that earnest
snthusiasm-the insignia of true
or womanhood, which
enables him or her to stand up for
honest convictions and battle if
necessary with the angry flood of
luman prejudice and passion.
Finally The thought occurs that
very human life is in itself an es-
ay, 10 be handed down TO coming
alter having served its
mission for good or for evil among
is contemporaries. TO us who
Weld the pea is presented great
TO make The essay of
'ur lives vastly elevaiing and ben
ficial to all who read its passages.
lay We recognize the responsible
Iy Of our profession and so shape
ur lives that upon our toomb-
tones shall be written The grand
st of epitaphs: "Here lies one
rho helped 10 make his fellow
reaiures wiser, happier and bet
err"