Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-01-04

THUS oua SOULS GROW AND OUR
MISSIONS ARE FULFILLED.

0vOsvS ONS VOSEISkeOs
ee0eetisas - the Csslesssess q Sssallsv
water Expsssess-wAepo shoalA the
Blsse Best Fer Many Failsres:-The Re-
accessibility q Paternity.
What would be thought of shin that
was launched from its docks with liour-
ish Of music and flowing wine, built to
sail the toughest and deepest sea, yet
manned tor an unending cruise along
shore? Never leaving harbor for dread
If storm. Never swinging out of the
land girt hay because, over the bar, the
waters were deep and rough. You
would say OF such ship that its captain
was coward and the company that
built It were fools.
And yet these souls Of ours were
fashioned for bottomless soundings.
There is no created thing that draws
ms deep as the soul of man; our life lies
straight across the ocean and not along
shore. hut we are afraid TO venture; we
hang upon the coast and explore shall
low lagoons or swing at anchor in idle
bays. Some of us strike the keel into
riches and cruise about therein, like
men-Of-war in a narrow river. Some of
us are contented all our days to ride ut
anchor In the bccalned waters Of self
ish ease. There arc guns ut every port
hole If the ship we sail, but we use
them for Pegs to hang clothes upon or
pigeonhOles to stack full Of Idle hours.
We shall never smell powder, although
the magazine is stocked with holy wrath
wherewith to fight the devil and his
deeds. When ste a man strolling along
mt his case, while under his very nose
some brute Is maltrcating horse, or
some coward venting his ignoble wrath
upon creature more helpless than he,
whether it bc child or dog. lnvo!un-
tarily think of a double decked whaler
content to fish for minnows. Their
usclessncss in the world is more appar-
ent than the use!essness of u Cunarder
in park pond.
What did God give you muscle and
girth and brain for if not to launch you
on the high seas: Up and away with
you then into the deep scundings where
You belong, q belittled soul! Find
the work to do for which you were fit
ted and do it, or else run yourself on
the first convenient snag and founder.
Some great writer has said that we
ought TO begin life as at the source Of a
river, growing deeper every league to
the sea, whereas, in fact. thousands
enter tho river at its mouth and sail
inland, finding less and less water ev-
cry day. until in old age they lie shrunl;
and gasping upon dry ground.
But there are more who do net sail
ut all than there are of those who make
the mistake Of sailing up stream. There
are the women who devote their lives
to the petty business of pleasing worth
less men. What progress do they make
even inland. With sails set and brassy
stanchions polished to the similitude OF
gold, they hover lifetime chained t.
a dock and decay of their own useless
ness at last, like keels that are mud
slugged. I. il not the most profitable
thing in the world To please. Suppose j,
shall please. tho inmates of n bedlan
house to see you set fire to your clothing
and burn 20 death, or break your bOne'
one by ono upon a rack, or otherwise
destroy your bodily parts that the pool
lunatics might be entertained. Would
it pay to be pleasing to such an audi
ence ut such sacrifice: We were pu
into this world with a clean way bill
for another port than this. Across TIN
ocean of life Orr way lies, straight t.
the harbor of the city of gold. We ar
freighted with consignment from
roomage hold to keep which is bount
to I've delivered sooner or later at tn
great Masters wharf. Let us lie alert
then, to recognize the seriousness Of on
own destinies and content ourselves N
longer with shallow soundings. Sprea,
the sails, weigh the anchor and pcin
the PROV for the country that lies tn
other side of a deep and restless sea
Sooner or later the voyage must he made
let us make it, then, while the timbcl
is stanch and the rudder true.
When Won look mt u picture and fin'
II good or bad, us the case may Ike. whom
do you praise or blame, the owner o
the picture or the artist who painted it
When you hear strain of music ant
are either lifted to heaven or cast int
the other place by it's harmonies or il
discortl, whom do You thank or ours
for the benefaction or the infection
whichever it may have proved to be
the man who wrote the score or the rnu
sic dealer who sold il! You go to
restaurant and order spring CHECKER
which turns ont to he the priineval fowl
Who IL to blame. the waiter who serve
Il or the business man Of the concerl
who docs the marketing? And 10 wlsel
yuu encounter the had boy, whom d
you hold responsible for his badness
the boy himself or the mother VIII
trained him: declare. us look abor
me from day to day and see the me
nnd women who play SD poor u part j
life. It Is not the poverty Uf their per
Torrance that aAlonishes me no muc
as the fact that it is rs good as it is.
With the parents that many boys an
girls huve and the training they receiv
am perfectly amazed that they eve
attain to even half way respectability
Did you ever stop tn think. wonde,
what nm awful responsibility is lai