Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-08-10
CHOICE EXCERPTS.

y
NOTHING keeps US so much in the
background as the fear of and the dis
like to finding ourselves imperfect;
whereas it is only through imperfe ction
that we can ever advance at all.
CUSTOM is the law of one description
of fools, and fashion of another; but the
two parties often clash-for precedent
is the legislator of the first and novelty
of the last. Custom, therefore, looks to
things that are past, and fashion to
things that are present.
ONE important way of finding out
what ought to be done in any depart
ment of life is by considering what is
being done. All the future is made out
of the present, and the youth who is to
be. valuable factor in years to come
must be well acquainted with what 9th
ers are doing now.
CHARACTER is something which each
man builds for himself; and, while 9TH
ers may help him or hinder him in the
task, no earthly power can ever take
from him the results. What he has may
be stolen, what he does may be frus-
trated, but what he is will ever remain
4 possession of which not even the deep
est malice can deprive him.
THE soul has duty to itself and
duty to others. A human being is COM
pelleed to educate himself. 1t is obliged
and bound by a most imperative duty
to develop itself to the utmost of its ma
tural resources, and make the most of
what God has designated and made pos
sible for it. But its duty does not rest
here. 1t has another duty to its fellow
beings, and one must help his brothers.
So mankind has the double duty of self
culture and self sacrifice.
SOME people fall discouraged on the
highway of life because they cannot be
this or that great or eminent nerson.
Why should they not be willing to be
themselves? No person is without in
fluence. Why not make the most of
what you have? Since you cannot grasp
that which you wish, why let what you
have slip through your fingers? No per-
son in the world is exactly like you.
Y on have your own faults, but you have
also your own excellences, individual to
yourself. Give them air.
IT is duty to make the best possible
use of all we have, and to make our
selves and our surroundings just as good,
and joy giving as we know
how. Self martyrdom is not an essen
ial ingredient in being and doing good.
The sun lightens the world by its own
glorious brightness; and we cannot be
full of cheerfulness, goodness, and good
sense without others being the better
for it. Nor can we have a charming
nome, with everything in and about it
controlled by an enlightned intelligence,
Dut the influence of good example will
be felt by all the neighbOrs.
WE may talk and reason, we may re-
prove and expoStulate, we may praise
and blame, but, after all, it is our own
characters, our own example, the moral
atmosphere in which we dwell that will
act upon others with tenfold force. We
NAV accept it as an assured fact that
those who come into intimate rela-
lions will to a greater or less degree re-
,emble each other, for, without intend
ing it, they communicate their emotions
to each other, they inspire each other
with their feelings, they transmit to
each other their desires and they can no
more help absorbing them than the flow
er can help absorbing the dew which
1escends upon it.
VERY miserable people are those who
20 through the world seeing too much.
They plume themselves upon their abil-
ty and proclaim everywhere the won
ierful secrets their sharpsightedness has
discovered. They find out small delin-
luencies and trifling offences of friends,
neighbors and servants. We are not at
all obliged to them for what they re-
veal On the contrary, we are continu-
ally trembling lest our own pet sin be
brought to light or our friends dear lit
lie secret weakness exposed. 1t is not
hard to gain much peace of mind by
studying the art of judiciously shutting
our eyes. Let us refuse to set too much
of other peoples errors and mistakes.
PRIDE sleeps in gilded crown, Con
in cotton nightcap," says an
old Chinese proverb; and there is vol
ume of truth in the sentiment Still it
is not the mere possession of wealth
which produces misery, but the use to
which wealth is put by its possessor.
The man of generous and noble i'm
pulses who by long course of untiring
industry, backed up by fair and honest
dealing, has amassed wealth, may of
course purchase the purest happiness
which mankind can know by acts of
charity and benevolence. So long as
man makes money his slave, he is safe
enough; but when he allows money to
make a slave of him, then at once hap
piness departs. So that, after all, it is
not wealth but contentment that pro-
duces pure happiness; and the poorest
man may be as rich, fgdratively speak
ing, with clear conscience and crust
AS the possessor of millions.