The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-11
LOGIC AND NATURE.

A bachelor friend OF ours, in the days
of his siiglehocd. made quite a study OF
the bringing up Of children He observed
md read upon the subject, consequently
he had a great deal to say on many occa-
sions about how the young ought to be
disciplined and taught. He had brought
the thing to an exact science-a fine point;
but in the course Of time, he fell in love,
got married, and had fine family Of his
own, and he stopped discoursing on the
young. When he was asked a reason for
his change, he meekly replied that he
found that children were live things
He found that they were good deal like
young plants that might bleed to death
with untimely pruning and wither and
dwarf with unwise repression and re-
straint: that nature and the Almighty
had more to do with the matter than he
had supposed.
The same realistic experience that
taught our friend a thing or two gets in
the way of and silences many an idealist
in actual life. 1t is fortunate for the
world that idealism prevails, as far as it
does, with all beginners. 1t is most i'm
portant to have high standard and TO
estimate possibilities as large. The Sa-
viour of Mankind realized the worlds
ideal. was manhood IN perfection, and His
command TO His followers was: "Be We,
therefore, perfect" and all His precepts
contemplate perfection. and not things
as they are" the understandable article"
But while this is true. and it is every
mans duty to keep before himself clear
end Interchangeable except for the better,
the highest possible standards, and In that
way to cherish and make constant hon
est humility and modesty, yet that is
altogether another thing from setting the
world to rights and ruling up those about
us 10 the "quid aportet" they
ought to be.
1t is true God made man upright. Nor
NAL manhood means machine in abso-
lutte working order without friction, with
out wear and tear, but in a state to go on
forever; but, however 1t came about, the
general aspect and plain indications are
that while we were made for virtue, for
smooth. easy. happy action, yet the vir-
tue we were made for is IN us essentially
defective. and real life. at it's best, is full
Of disorder, working in the wrong direc-
ton and inharmoniously. So It is that
when we come TO deal with humanity, we
have. edded to its divine complexity, al
most infinite irregularities.
But. farther still. when we come to
handling. to moulding, to moving or stop
ping, TO adding to. or taking from, we find
that we have 10 deal with the most deli
cate material and machinery possible.
with powers and instrumentalities ef the
highest possible kind. A man is not a
mere machine, or an animal. that may be
held in With bit and bridal or stimu-
lated with a goad. Moreover he is not
mere thing of reasoning, Of rules and laws
and duties and regulations Logic and rea-
soning are often utterly unreasonable and
as untimely and unwise as a cudgel or
handcuff. The soul has it's own language
anu CeDSlDulty is Etnue duI Sd-
cred. Irresistible logic may kill and de-
stroy, and add infinite trouble, where a
kind word or act or simple thoughtful ST.
lence would establish the supremacy Of
law, and assure peace and quietness. A
countenance full Of patience and char
acter and good sense lovingly impar.s and
impresses a divine controlling power, and
brings by a mysterious influence order
out OF chaos.
A great philosopher saws: 1.-THE subtil-
ity Of nature infinitely surpasses the in
genuity Of man." and in that he but para
phrases the words OF Scripture: AS the
Heavens are higher than the earth, so are
My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts. In the
highest celestial mathematics conclusions
are reached wrapped in algebraic Ian
guage. Then the mind has to do its real
work. from an earthly point. In dealing
with people and their characters and mo-
urss and tdsas and feelings ana hopss