The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-03-28

DOCK 10 OlIlSTS ISCt. llCli dAtll
and character with us has been lost, and
is not in us
Be not too ready to condemn
The wrong thy brother may have done;
Ere thou too harshly censure them
For human faults ask, Have / none?
Eliza Cook.
How true Ia this, for in our judgments
Of others we almost invariably heap
much greater judgment upon ourselves.
We are too prone to judge others for the
very faults greater in ourselves. Would
il not be much better If we would give
encouragement and praise where needed
and allow the petty faults 10 quietly
pass by, or gently speak of them, If II
need be. and show therein the evil and,
by example, prove the worth of virtue?
What will people say This is a ques-
ton THAI many people are forever re-
VolVing in their minds and questioning
themselves concerning nearly every act
of their lives Wondering what this
and that one is thinking or saying about
them. We find them in nearly every
phase Of society, counting and seeking
the opinion of others. Having no sta
bility or force of character of their own,
no aim except TO gain and attain popu-
larity. What fools they are. There Is no
individuality. no manliness, no courage
no principle in them, for if we would
build up character we must fully develop
ttDoS pOHCAC EtCulldI " ulStlNtSs gwen
to us by God for a special purpose to be
worked by ourselves.
In their opinion there is no surety. no
advancement, save to puff up ones van
ity. while in the opposite there is prog
ress. power. development and thought
showing that the possessor is a man. If
we would attain any foothold in thought
and intellectual attachments, we must
strike out, isolate ourselves from the
idea of popularity. and learn TO do and
think for ourselves. This is the only way
by which we can substantiate self-confi-
dence in ourselves. and self-confdence is
the power that sustatns individuality and
permanence u thought.
What is time Some one says time
is eternity. Another that it is but a
moment. These are two very contrasting
and widely different answers The one
is beyond mans comprehension: the
other within the twinkle of an eye. Yet.
duty, opportunity, life, all are lived in
this one moment. This one moment is
all we have or can claim. One thought
is all we have. They come, they go. and
others come. thus making up the years
and life. and these. in turn swelling into
centuries and generations. which go on
10 make up the vast eternity and I'M
known beyond. Thus can IL be well said
Time is a moment and eternity The
one is known, the other is unknown, and
man, in his attaining education and
knowledge, takes UP the known and ar
rives thus at the unknown.
nhuence-"SOme one has asked. What
is the hidden force of Iife?' I would an
swer il is influence Then comes the
query what is influence? This is "a
hidden mystery as the forces of cleo
trtcity. There is no solution as TO their
origin. except from the Supreme God
1T seems to be d pOwer-a potent force
at play in nature and nature things;
working in and among all existing things
and imparting some part of its energy
to each and every form of existence. 1t
seems 10 be the law and the developins
force in nature-0pening up cause and
producing effects The effects are very
apparent To man, but the agency is not
understood, nor can ran become what
he was intended TO be until he fully un-
derStands its workings.
Like most other forces in nature there
is the positive and the negative effects.
directly opposing one another and on
posite IS the results.
We may call them the good and the
evil and all Of us are 20 a greater or
less degree subject TO and effected
by both classes.
AS the energy is impaired to us we
in turn are constantly imparting il to
others, either consciously or uncon-
sciOusly, but mostly uEconsciously. 1t
is like heat. Energy radiating constant
as il passes to and from objects it
leaves some Of its energy, either warm
ing or chilling. that is shedding a bad
or good influence. Now We. as intel
ligent beings, accountable to a God in
heaven. can take up this energy and
by education. and development can de-
stroy the bad influence. that is reject
ii. thus filling our lives and natures
with the good. having only the good TO
impart TO others.
Then does it not behoove us, knowing
that such Is so, and that it might be
different, knowing our individual respon-
sibility to others, to ourselves and to
our God. / say does IL not behOove us
TO better our influence?
God sends his singers upon earth.
With songs OF sadness and Of mirth
That they might touch the hearts of men
And bring them back to heaven again.
In unity there is strength,
In unity is found one;
And great the good done.
If might was only right.
II all human vnuz1gor
Was united in the one good
In one vast broth erhood
Time could not measure our store.
riendship-Friendship has been spok-
en- of as the key to society. If So it
is not a substantial fastening, for what
is there so loose as the present state
or society.
There are continued evils being al
lowed to creep into good society. Trust
and confidence is daily slandered and
imposed upon. The principles of true
friendship have lost - 'ir spirit and mo-
tives. Society is nnvE more by inn
pulse than by any genuine principle of
friendship.
If friendship was really mover of soci-
ETY. then the state of things would be
vastly different. Then instead Of self
interest and sensual pleasure as the
sole aim and object of general society.
we would have feeling and regard
for individual interest in each and every
one; there would not be such a vast
and selfish presidence of one over an
other. We would stand more on an
equal footing with our fellow-beings.
Then there would not be so much ex-
treme ignorance and vice on the one
hand. for each in his efforts Of interest
in others would lift up and elevate those
classes to a higher standard, and so
doing bring their mind TO a sense and