The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-04

l NtrIa tftt|tfN NIII
~ t,. e2nssqregs suffering wi,hsVsi and our
'Ho lessons become one.
s,ss,. nos my purpose, however, to re-
sstles lhe metaphor 70 the meaning OF the
pIopnet 4 intend to make 1, wider an0lll
s.nVn-for there Is a sense In which good
men also inde M u lear. The metaphor Is
You viii readily understand TINT a leaf
must nac9nlc y leaf and serve the purpose
81 leat before It can fade and fall.
~ Is obstructive IL zoe the leaves Rrow
from Tiny frlnrpa "a the shnds-mak lnr
things they become, As q boy X home I
used oiten 70 watch with delight the de-
Nei9pilng loliage as It grey % cover she
nuee limbs Of the great oaks In my faith
crs yard. As the season advanced aud
summer drew near the leaves took shape
Nnd utmost before one kliew Il every lear
expanded INTO completeness and performed
the task assigned by the minute oTdefiuBs
OF splendid trees.
The foliage, though thick aud rich. some
tines rs Us very richness couccais tho
ccnuiton OF the tree concents It's FRUITFUL
ness or barrenncss, as the case may be-
Many Il time | have hnstortd eagerly
70 a tree covered With rich glpen ieavcs
anu found No fruit therein. when Ia mid
season. Something's l have found that IL
bore IN realtty only a few p3nr. thrivelivu
things that no fancy could tranefeim iiito
fruit. SO the thick foliage has served the
purpose or conccninG BARR nheAs on ono
nand aad the stinted. sour grqwths on the
tIess bsnrlAg great promise NJ : distance.
How Ike many OF us Many one who
makes a fair promise OF much fruit and
yields nothing, detectives nearly everybody
nj LONG range. When YOU ges close cnough
70 turn aside his ornamental foliage you
discover no fruit at alt. or none that has
grown 10 any worth.
Once know such an one. His Hypocrisy
WIS so fine that II was calculated 10 de-
ceivc the very elect Men who had no
reason TO deal with him might easily con-
slider him model On first meeting him
he Impressed mo as ono particularly gem
erous. kind and consldcrate | almost
resented the nrst warning that must
F hays ltS ni to aS wy s6n MIN wished to
OF respect as a man and parishloner the
more / knew him. So utterly did all hia
moral pretenslons fail hin, ON every cru-
Thought OF himself as an honest man.
Vet his leaves were abundant and neauti-
ful, but could never learn that be bore
any worthy fiult, though l inquired dill
gently OF those who had gone TO him with
expectation and hope through thirty years.
How many Of US disappolnt just eSpsc-
There is another Characteristic OF leaves
when too abundant they diminish the
fruit bearing power OF even good trees and
good plants.
Cotton is plant very tiny and tender at
first, though In splendid soil II often
grows seven feet high. In the Yagoo delta
where The stalk reached above my head.
In midsummer X looks sometimes as II
the. nutnet>qs nrancs-S loaded With inuuin-
cradle t'snapess would Yield two and three
bales 10 the, acre But the actual yield
falls much below the expectation and
fssstaise Your acquaintance With the hah-
its OF the plant teaches YOU that the cif-
suit was due largely TO TIN very rsukness
OF the growth which produced sucn ~on-
uerful LEAKAGE. The very lenyes uiminish-
ed the power OF production.
The same thing is true OF many capable
men and women. The exnberaucr Of their
striking qualities. ornaments or body and
mind, oftentimes dwarfs their enerBlfa-
ana disapponts just expectations as L
their genuine worth.
Now, let us be frank Whoever knew q
thoroughly fashionable womnn, one whose
Wit scintillates u brilliant flnehes like the
lightning one whose beauty Tnnses men
to stare and women to tnyY--whoeNcf
knew such Il creature TO cultivate the high,
IL homely, Qualities OF the beht\ Woman
hood2 Whoever knew such an ene%o make
a real home for husband and son while
making IL her chief business TO same IN
what she calls socety2
whoever knew a man. even splenlidivl
10 become worthy, who cAnld
his powers for the single pNr:
pose of augmenting his own signihcancs2
great The worthy fruit OF his rich cnSl
pacity VII be Observation-Disclosures byl
his abundant foliage.
The newspapers Of great cities constant
ly record suits for divorce Instituted by
men aud women who move in the hchert
fashionable circles. A careful examination
e,H-y instance one or both OF tho parties
seeking release from their mutual obiiga-
tions are persons of exceptional attrantiyc-
ness. either Of mind or body, or Of both
times that had tho husband been less bril-
liant and the wife less beautiful they
would have lived together In holy wed
ock until death did them part.
The very bounty OF their erdownants
binders the development ar their better |
selves, Too much OF their purpose Hes
outside and beyond their hornes-too many |
d the conditions OF their happiness lie |
outside their mutual relations. II Is q l
misfortune that makes angels women. |
Sometimes Il happens that d kind Froyi- |
abundant LEAKAGE ana hey rise out Of \
heir selflshness and Their siupiu FOXY and |
wake 20 better things tpss as uis rany
caves are rudely torn from the stalk ana /
he sun shines directly upon the swelling |
POLLS and brings forth an abundant yield |
II nne. feecy cotton.
ling that resulted ninsniicenuy is\that Of
me whose name IN American literary life I
tands for whatever IS elegant IN ,lAterhf
ure and pure in morals. In his yoLih he
vas cultivated, refined and very ri5n. He /
ppaared content TO frittef away Ms life
j the gay rounds OF fashon ana pleasure
proyidenttal event made II necessary.
or him to employ his time and talant IN
ONE useful way. The loss OF somj part
{ his rank foliage rescued him froib the
anger and noFrcr Of sinking into a leurl-
Bnt for the closer anaiogies Of thefmeia-
nor.
The lear does not fade and die tntil II
as served iis purpose. n affords an olit-
II for the rising sap, protects tho young
rut from the lingering chiils of, spring,
hields the ripenng fruit from 1.-THE nor
IN OF summer. aces the harvest plucked
rom beneath ita shade, and thenit begins
0 fade ana prepare % die. When itn
fork IS done. Or ITS irrevqcagle faiiure
xed, the ieaf fades and diee.l so II y
iith man. No man dles IN bis work n
one-0r Until he shows that ne viii nor
(, his work. II
This may seem 20 us stranre. II not
ntruc, You may think Williams life was
ecessary TO the moral and political saivn-
on OF Holland when he tel Siclim 20
be assassin. But his work wna completed
y ills death. The great calamity ailenced
dummy and compo4cl fiHns saffe- !
ons, and eiabied Maurice ana Bqrtie- I
eldt TO win the cause for which William
,nsht. The best way ~ learn II q man !
al done his work before ge dies III. not
, seek the nnfwhr "a his own hopes. but I 4
look out upon the nhd o. human en-
eayur from some tiD'nf nee 81 history.
or the wisdom OF ne achievements 0f
m race IS not learned from single events.
III from enocha ! Believe Il To be truel !,
lat man dies like icaf-when his
ork Is done
How about bsd mnn2 His work 4