The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-12-07

ally >.,5 . IT,. =u -.npB ~ physical PRIV
rar the. III; t1rst perhaps In onf
eut r. history. in ca, rating our pT"s
r..S the aesthetic has completely doml-
mated the physical. The "ne oveFwheiHl-
ing impression OF the Columbian e1l"si-
ton IL the exaltatiou f beauty
And this in a city where We hsd iess'
expected it. This in city noted Tor lis
;nssn. rush and roar IF business Inns
in a CITY noted for beef and pork Tsli-
roads and SCOT. wind and cheek And
snch a vision If beauty as the gods OF
ancient Greece never dreamed-a VISION
that the longer we look the more II sur
prises and overwhelms us
WE ARE LED CAPTIVE
When all else fades from memory, TINS
glimpse Of the faIryland OF song ana
story, the vision Of heaven from pro
phe:ic souls, with its conquering CON
sciousness of beauty. will remain.
We may forget the machinery, the eS-
hibits and the queer faces and costumes
of the Midway plaisance. but We VIII
never forget the flash Of light on natures
face as we saw her clasped i'll the arms
of a divine art when for the first time
we walked INTO the Court of Honor. saw
the white palaces mirrured on the bosom
of the lagoon and through the rainbow
over the spray Of the electric fountain
gazed on the ...rald BACKGROUND OF the
lake gleamln. D. yond the tiutei columns
and arches OF ,ne p,rlstyle! Ihls VIII
abide. As lul.I ID the heart beats we
will cherish il as a vision from GOD.
Third-BecauSe i'll the splendor of this
achievement We. SEE. new evidence of the
boundles> capacities Of the human soul.
We did nor dream IT possible, and 1t is
before our eyes. tins miracle of beauty,
and il came fruil the imperial soul OF
man, Did the Ei-hvst reach of poetic I'M
agiuation ever dare to dream for fancy's
page ANYTHING half so vast and beautiful
for the abode of man: And here 1t Is
crvstalliZed in matter-a throbbing, liv-
ing reality.
What "A revelation to us of the mystery
and glory of the human soul. 1t over
whellns us with surprise. We did not
believe man capable of it. much less our
everyday. hurrying, busy American man!
Our faith i'll man is too small. We
must lift up our heads and believe the
noblest things Of him. How little we
know of the future of the ragalnuttin in
the streets, because we cannot know the
treasures hidden i'll his soul.
THE GLORIOUS POSSIBILITIES.
A poor, young schoolteacher once pre-
sumed to address "A famous Nirginlan
beauty. But he was rejected. His
''prospects" were considered very poor,
and yet his name was Salmon 7. Chase,
and he became chief justice of the su-
preme court of the United States. His
treasures were within. Who can guage
the future by this high standard?
The power and glory of man lies just
here in this inner capacity of achieve
ment Here in the imperial will of man
we touch an original creative energy.
God has reproduced himself. Man is
king of creation because of this throne
chamber within the soul. Bird and
beast perch upon his minarets or crouch
on pedestal and bridge to do him hon.
age. The sea gives up its secrets at his
command.
The floating forces of nature allow
themselves to be harnessed to his char
lots to do his bidding.
| And all because man, with the magic
key of thought, has power to open the
gates of the infinite and eternal. Here
| the worlds real battles are fought. Here
the worlds real work is done Here cow
ards run and the brave die. Here the
sluggard slumbers, and the noble bear
the burdens of the world.
| This power to recreate the world, peo-
pie it with beauty and fill it with har-
mony is the endowment primal of the
race. To this we pin our faith. We be-
| lieve in man because we believe in God,
after whose image he was formed. The
future can have no limitations because
of this impelling power to aspire. When
we languish, this voice within cries:
Onward! Upward, Higher! More
| light" until at last, with eager feet we
shall press within the holy of holes Of
the most high God.
We cannot be satisfied until we rest
thus in the bosom of God Hitherto our
noblest poems have been unsung, our
noblest orations unspoken, our highest
dreams unrealized. The soul has fought
in its cage bound with the shackles of a
clumsy body. At last we begin to
breathe soul into matter and make the
physical throb with the spirit. Herein
we see the coming glory of the Lord in
flesh and blood
HOW SOON 1T PASSED AWAY.
With the feeling of surprise and Joy
experienced when the vision of beauty
first greeted our eyes came the sadden-
ing thought that all this must soon per-
ish.
p,,t Oft e T.
SO. Hammers are busy now demolish-
Ing these magnificent dreams of art.
The grass will soon grow where they
stood in matchless grace and splendor.
But they shall live again. The millions
who saw them will cherish in their souls
the vision. Those buildings and grounds
will live again in snow white marble
and smiling landscape in a thousand
cities and towns where men were once
content with dirt and ugllness.
Out of the soul of man came this celes-
tlal vision. Let them demolish it, 1t
Is better so. Greater miracles vet lie
hidden there. 1t will rise again in great
er glory.
If man could transform a miserable
marsh into this paradise peopled with CO.
lossal palaces full of happy men and wo-
men, he will yet transform this CRIME
and filth, the disease and dirt, the sin
and ahame Of sur great steaming, stink
ing cities into light and joy, order and
beauty.
A MASTER OF TRANSPORTATION.
MIR. c. De Land says that on a GER
tain occasion the Confederates were
much in need Of a railway locomotive
In order to operate their supply system.
It was IN 1864. They had not the means
to buy one, and their only hope was to
capture one.
A band of 100 men was selected from
Lees army and placed under the COM
mand of tall Georgian, who had been
foreman of stone quarry and was more
or less skilled in the use of derricks and