San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-05
REFLECTION.
BY GEO. c. KNOLL
For the LIGHT.

neHectlOn, III psycuologlcdi eense
of the word, lie an innate character
istic of the mind. 1t Is the subtle,
unseen power of the mind which
asserts itself at the dawn of conscious
ness, and remains with us until far
into the dim twilight of oblivion. 1t
is, to use smile, the sun that
rises in splendor on the horizon of
human consciousness, and ultimately
sets in glory ON the horizon of obi
won. Along its course from horizon
to horizon, we find we'll marked
sweet memories and bitter of the
past. 1t Is the alternate mingling
of the sweet with the bitter that
characteristics life.
Every thrill of pleasure is a herald
of Joy--every throb of pain meesen-
ger of sorrow. We often see tears
of Joy chasing the hot tears of anger
and sorrow over both the fUrrowed
cheeks of old age and the rosy, dimp.
led cheeks of childhood. This is one
reason why we contemplate the fu.
ture with feelings alternately of hope
and of fear. In rejecting over the
past, we are prone to regard those
incidents which were pleasant, with
feelings of satisfaction, while those,
which were of an unpleasant nature,
we regard with feelings akin to both
dissatisfaction and disgust.
The man who attempts to look into
future is an idealist, the one who
looks over the past, In order to real
ize the stern present, 's an realist,
and the one who sspires to do neither,
is q fool. The past and the present
conta the raw material out of which
We must hew and shape our lives.
To put ones faith in the future
without manifesting an equivalence
of energy, aim, and effort in the pres
emit, implies both moral lassitude
and physical laZiness. la order to
receive your share of the manifold
dispensstions which the future has
in store for all, you must cheerfully
give in return, the concentrated aims
and efforts of your past and pleasant
life.
In this "vale of tears" 1t is good
policy (thtre is none better to pay
as you go, and go as you pay. If
you keep paying you'll keep GO
IbSs 1ouhk JOu @ASy
discreetly avail yourself of all the
opportunities which the present at.
fords, it is advisable and conducive
to your future welfare to sometimes
reflect over the past. In the deep
recesses OF your past life, you may he
able to find hidden some incident.
some deed from which you can draw
an inspiration for the present. Let
me take you back to baby hood, young
man, where, nestled in cradle, you
basked In the sunshine of q mothers
devotion and love. Born, so to say,
q veritable king, whose home was
his palace, whose cradle his throne,
you welded well your sceptre, for
one so very young. To see you we'll
and happy was your mothers joy,
to see you i'll and sad her sorrow.
To her your every wish, and even
whims was law.
Is not such devotion and love
worthy of reflection. How sweeter
than colian str aims, is mothers hula
by and baby's gleeful prattle!
Thus do 1 paint in colors of sentl-
ment, the scenes of pathos which
characterize the dawn OF your per-
haps eventful life. Under the benign
influence of material devotion and
paternal care and protection, the
days of bsbyhood gradually, almost
imperceptibly, merge into those of
happy and innocent childhood.
Childhood soon buds into youth.
Youth blossoms into strong and erect
manhood, and manhood ripens into
old and decrepid age. These are, in
outline, the various stages ola human
life. What droneful monotony were
life, indeed, II we had DOT the power
of reflection. Reflections are the COL
lecting scenes of our past lives as they
are outlined promiscuously on the
Ian dscspe of the mind. They are the
mirsges that float around the bubble
OF life, and when the bubble bursts
the mirages fade from view.
Let US, therefore, so long as we
may. cherish the fond memories of |
the past that reflection brings into !
Dracticll VieWt