The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-06-07
HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A STAR
BY MISS TENNIE CRAVENS.

Life is a journey which God has or
dained that our souls shall take. The
direction of that journey is to be de-
cided by us in accordance with the
motives that rule US. We must have
motives, moving forces. Of these we
have our choice and upon the decision
depends not only our earthly life, but
also our whole future. We may suffer
now or be happy. It matters not, but
upon whether we choose the right or
wrong rests the fate of our souls.
The motives which affect US are of
two classes; the low, which blind us to
truth and render us sordid, worldly
and selfish; the high, which give us
clear vision and make US noble and
aspiring.
Every deed that has been done, every
word that has been spoken, has been
actuated by some motive, either high
or low.
| All around us we see many men in
huenced by many motives. Here is
one starting on his journey drawn by
Fashion, fine horse, for which he has
already paid half his conscience down
and given a mortgage on the rest of
his life. When we consider also the
money he will spend repairing the har-
ness, we may we'll fear this will prove
a poor investment. Moreover such
horse will only draw him along the
lowlands, among the pestilential
marshes carry him into the ex-
hilarating atmosphere of the noun
tains.
Speaking of Fashion as motive,
how strange and absurd it seems that
people, endowed with any common
sense whatever, play the peacock and
admire themselves on account of their
finer garments. We have all felt this
at times and with Sir Thomas Moore
have marveled ,''that anyeman is so
madde as to count himselfe the nobler
for the smaller or fyner threde of
wolfe, which self same vol (be it now
in never so tyne a sponne threde) a
shepe did ones weare; and yet was she
all that TYNE no other thing than a
shepe."
In another road we see a man riding
behind Worldly Ambition, a horse, at
present we'll groomed and apparently
sound; but sure to draw him through
the crooked ways of dishonesty and
around the corners of the zigzag course
of deceit. Not that the man coolly
turns the horse in that direction be-
cause he enjoys that kind of scenery,
but because Worldly Ambition is the
. stronger and is determined to reach
his end cost what it may. This more
than worthless horse may cost him
even more than Fashion costs his
neighbour, for eventually his self re.
spect, the last stay Of his manhood
, will have been pawned in partial pay
ment for that horse.
A cheap horse is to be found any
: where. You are too easily induced tt
- try him. You find him so ready to &C
that you drive him day after day, with
out thinking of his real disposition
until, as he is always sure to do, he
- runs against a stump, smashes the
wagon, breaks your neck and then dis
engaging himself gallops off strewing
the fragments of your character in the
underbrush, next comes sudden turr
= and he is back home, ready to carry
:" the next passenger. That is the bust
= ness of the horse.
Shall we be, satisfied with mere
earth born motives? Shall we be con
tent with such sorry guidance? o.
shall we hitch our wagon to star
~ AS we look toward the heavens for the
' material stars and as we find thei1
courses fixed by natural laws, thei1
= motion swift, their guidance unerring
= so high must we look toward HEAVIER
for our SOULS star and so we find it,
course fixed by spiritual laws, its mo
$ tion swift, it's guidance sure. Age
: ago, men sought in the stars their frs
Il light found their way over many ;
l. trackless waste. Later men gazed a
them and thought with Byron:
70 so We stars which are the poetry of heaven,
- If in your bright leaves we would read the fat
Of men and empires-'tis to be forgiven
- If in our aspirations to be great
IL Our destinies o'erleap their mortal state
= And claim kindred with you. Ye are
q A beauty and mystery, and create
In us such love and reverence from affair
:. That fortune, fame, power, life have name
~ themselves STAR
n So must we seek in our gui6
Of ing star our first knowledge of tn
III higher or spiritual life. So by il
r, light must we find our way through th