The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-07-28

1t on n smaller scale. DO not be so am
bilious to ave a whole reservoir rolled
on you. But what you see in the mat
ter of high political prcfcrment 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 libertinism 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 diabolism to conquer. loo 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 n hundred times a day,
and who could not write "a letter OF &C
ceptance or regrets without h 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.
AL ,at tL, E,net ,n,lars oman hafnra
them. Good morals and intelligence
are not necessary, but wealth, or a
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 II.
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 h~eartbreaks
hat are never reported. Uncertainty
and insecurity dominant in that realm,
wretchedness enthroned, torture at a
premium, and a life not worth living.
A life of sin, a life of pride, a life of
indulgence, a life Of worldliness, a life
devoted to the world, the flesh and the
devil is n failure, a dead failure, an
infinite failure. ! care not o 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
been born"
But ! shall show you a life that is
worth living. A young man says: IL
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 90 years of q 1 am here, and l
must take an account of stock. Here l
have a body which is a divinely con-
structed engine. ! must put 1t to the
very best uses, and l 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-the very
best music. A tongue, with almost in
finity of articulation. Yes. hands with
which to welcome, o. resist, or lift, or
smite. or wave, or bless-hands to help
myself and help others.
O"Here is a world which, after 5000
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 a silver Tampa
golden lamp set on the sapphire mantel
of the day, a silver lamp set on the jet
mantel of the night. Yes, i have that
at 20 years which defies all inventory
of v~aluables-a soul. with capacity to
choose or reject, to rejoice or to suffer,
to love or to hate. Plato says 1t is i'm
mortal; Seneca saysi it ~isimmortal; Con
fucius says IL 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
immortal. have 80 years for a life
time, 60 years yet to live. may not
live an hour, but then l must lay out
my plans intelligently and for a long
life. Sixty years added to the 20 l have
already lived, hat will bring me to 80.
Now, l understand my opportunities
and my responsibilities.
"If there is any being in the universe
all wise and all benifcent who can
help a man in such a juncture, l want
him. The old Book found among the
relics tells me there Is a God, and that
for the sake of His Son, one jesus, he
will give help to a man. To Him 1 ap-
peal. God help me! Here l have yet
go years to do for myself and to do for
others. l must develop this body by
all industries, by all gymnastics, by all
sunshine, by all fresh air, by all good
swept and garnished and illumined,
and glorified by all hat l can do for it
and all hat l al get God to do for it.
1t shall be a Luxembourg Of fine
pictures. 1t shall be an orchestra of
fine harmonies. 1t shall be a palace for
God and righteousness to reign in. l
wonder how many kind words I can
utter in the next 60 years? will try.
1 wonder how many good deeds | can
do in the next 60 years? l will try.
God help me!'
That young man enters life. He Is
bpffeted, he is tried, he is perplcxed.
A grave opens on this side and a grave
opens on hat side. lie falls, but he
rises again. He gets into a hard battle,
but he gets the victory. The main
course Of his life is in the right direo-