The Globe-republican., 1894-08-03

rolled in and over and over in It until
{, they are cholked. and submerged, and
strangulated. and at every sign of
returning consciousness they will
be barked at by all the hounds
of political parties from ocean to
ocean. And yet there are hum
dred men to-day struggling for that
privilege, and there are thousands of
men who are helping them in the
struggle. Now, that is not a life
worth living. You can get slandered
and abused cheaper than that! Take
1t on a smaller scale. Do not be so am
bilious to have whole reservoir rolled
on you. But what you see in the mat
ter of high political preferment you see
in every community in the struggle for
what is called social position.
Tens of thousands of people trying to
get into that realm. and they are under
terrific tension. What is social posi-
ton? 1t is a difficult thing to define.
but we all know what it is. Good
morals and intelligence are not neces-
sary. but wealth. or the show of wealth,
is absolutely indispensable. There
are men to-day so notorious for
their ibertinism as the night
is famous for its darkness. who
move in what is called high social po-
sition. There are hundreds of out and
out rakes in American society whose
names are mentioned among the dis
tinguished guests at the great levees.
They have annexed all the known
vices, and are longing for other worlds
of diabOiism to conquer. Good morals
are not necessary in many of the
exalted circles of society.
Neither is intelligence necessary.
You find in that realm men who would
not know an adverb from an adjective
if they met it hundred times day,
and who could not write letter of ac-
ceptance or regrets without the aid of
a secretary. They buy their libraries
by the square yard, only anxious to
have the binding Russian. Their igno-
rance is positively sublime. making
English grammar almost disreputable.
And yet the finest parlors open before
them. Good morals and intelligence
are not necessary, but wealth, or
show of wealth, is positively indispen-
sable. 1t does not make any difference
how you got your wealth, if you only
got it.
There are thousands to-day in that
realm who are anxious to keep in it.
There are thousands in that realm who
are nervous for fear they will fall out
of it, and there are changes going on
every year, and every month, and
every hour which involve heartbreaks
that are never reported. Uncertainty
and insecurity dominant in that realm,
Indebtedness enthroned, torture at
premium, and life not worth living.
A life of sin, a life of pride, life OF
indulgence, life of worldliness, a life
devoted to the world, the flesh and the
devil is a failure, dead failure, an
infinite failure. care not how many
presents you send to that cradle. or
how many garlands you send to that
grave, you need to put right under the
name on the tombstone this inscription:
Better for that man if he had never
been born"
But shall show you a life that is
am not responsible for my ancestry;
others decided that. l am not re-
sponsible for my temperament; God
gave me that. But here am in the
afternoon of the nineteenth century,
at 20 years of age. 1 am here, and
must take an account of stock. Here
have a body which is divinely con-
engine. / must put it to the
very best uses, and must allow moth
ing to damage this rarest of machinery.
Two feet and they mean locomotion.
Two eyes and they mean capacity to
pick out my own way. Two ears and
they are telephones of communication
with all the outside world. and they
mean capacity to catch sweetest music
and the voices of friendship-thev very
best music. A tongue. with almost in
finity of articulation. Yes. hands with
which to welcome, or resist. or lift, or
smite. or wave. or bless-hands to help
myself and help others.
1''Here is world which. after c.O3O
years of battling with tempest and ac-
cident. is still grander than any archi-
tect. human or angelic, could have
drafted. have two lamps to light me
"a golden lamp and silver Tampa
golden lamp set on the sapphire mantel
of the day, a silver lamp set on the jet
mantel of the night. Yes. have that
at 20 years which defies all inventory
of valuables-a soul, with capacity to
choose or reject, to rejoice or to suffer,
to love or to hate. Plato says it is i'm
Seneca says it is immortal: Con-
fucius says it is immortal. An old book
among the family relics-a book with
leather cover almost worn out, and
pages almost obliterated by oft perusal.
joins the other books in saying am
have so years for life
time. 60 years yet to live. may not
live an hour, but then must lay out
my plans intelligently and for long
life Sixty years added to the 20 have !
already lived, that will bring me to so. |
Now. understand my opportunities
and NV RESPONSIBILITIES.