The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-18
HUMAN GREATNESS.

|
If the great of the world before us, it is
q wonder Of wonders how long greatness
has c-atinued in fashion, and how it is
that ambition still prevails as the ruling
nassion and sin Of mankind. By that sin
fell the angels and the mother Of us all.
The first envious aspirant for the highest
honor was the first murderer and the
most fearfully punished of his race. Thocs-
ands since his crime, have been willing
10 trudge through CORY mire toward the
| lurid glare Of worldly greatness TO find
the Deguilng light only the fash Of their
own sacrifcial fires. The temple OF fame
is rearing Of liars. a phosphorescent
rbants SIN from the breath Of fools:
Go. fool. and climb Parnassus,
TO charm Sophomores and realize
Excelsior
The mighty show. when the curtain IS
| Fitted and the scene, in its rough royalty
and coarse colcrs, is open TO the daylight,
Is so vulgar ard common and fraudulent
thar IN honest gentleman turns away in
disgust from its daubod folly and misery
end moral and Intellectual equalor.
More OF your honors for me, If you
pleasel
In the rear Of this i'll house Of fame
stands fame's slaughter-house' cistlnc-
TONS morgue. There Is the fatal
cudgei Of the iuckless Cain. There IS the
first King Of Israel that lowered above
| his people. disembowelled by his own
sword his great leutei ant pierced under
the fifth rib, and Joab slaughtered at the
altar. The ladies' favorite, the beautiful
Absslom, hung by mis- flowing locks as
target. Tho sage counsellor Ahitlophel,
shat strargled himself in bitter iisap-
! rCirtmelt and disgust. And there 100, in
endless lists and high heaps, are kings
and mobiles and great ones IN undistin-
| guishable n.ass-the dnft-wood and debris
Of time-nothirg alive among them but
the undying worm making his dainty
meal on kings and princes and nobleness.
The story of glory tells US: These died
by their own hands: these by the hands
Of the assassin; these in exile: these IN
poverty and misery" There stands one,
the worlds mystery and iooking-glass;
! every wish granted, every desire Of the
heart, every appetite Of the body, the lust
Of the flesh, the lust Of the eyes, and the
pride Of life stated and filed TO replet!on.
To him silver was as the stones, and
| royal cedars a common sight, and the
riches Of all knowledge unfolded without
limit His heart took into itself all the
wealth Of the world, and closed with the
| bCrelCss dirge: "All is vanity and vexa-
ton of spirit" From this charnel throng
too a spark Of cleaning light tells of
| Assyfia's great but illstarred queen, later
stn the royal beauty and horror of Egypt;
ard in another place Alexander the Great
conquering the world and dying a drunk
ard; the foremost man of all the world;
Libertys victim, and the destroying Lion
of modern times. chatting but tanned, the
helpless prey Of common cancer.
over this pile of greatness stands the
eloquent Cicero TO deliver the funeral
grafton. But. alasl he moves his headless
reck and brandishes his handless arms. and
in dumb show tells the doeful tale Of
all worldly greatness. The stout-hearted
are spoiled; they have slept their sleep.
and none Of the men Of might have found
their hands.
Outside Of this wretched fancy,
are other paths leading from the
cradle TO the grave. And alons these the
lovers Of truth. Of virtue. and humanity
have moved on. These too confirm only
the piuful account of the dark and tragic
lot Of man. Each one. from righteous Abel
to the last derarted Saint, has felt his
own sorrow and paid the price Of devotion
to truth and goodness.
Hardly in the worlds history is there
known pioneer "A great teacher. bold
man, in piety, in virtue. In science, in
art in literature, in philosophy. that has
not been a martyr 10 his efforts in behalf
Of truth and human veal. Wisdom was
poisoned; science has been excommunl-
Gated; goodness has been burned for a
witch; art has been imprisoned; virtue
banished; and the incarnation Of all that
is great and good and true. the treasure
OF all knowledge and love. God manifest
in the flesh. was despised and rejected
Of men. and ANONYMOUSLY crucihed. Our
civilization, the era OF higher life. ac-
cepts the woeful condition and solemn
order; Ye shall indeed drink OF the cup
tina; drink Of. and be haptised with my
1 hanusaa. looking Ter the general rssur-