The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-05-12
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ocean vessels, our great thriving cities
and wonderful, daily press that surges
with all the thought-currents of the
world, are but crystalized dreams.
They are the accomplished ends OF
many persons. They are the flags OF
victory that have been won, in honest,
toilful battles.
/ The sheet of paper so smoothly
folded and closely printed, which we
call the '.World,' or the "Times-Dem-
ocrat," or the "Picayune, represents
/. the labor of hundreds of lives. When
reading it, we can sometimes almost
hear the incessant whirling of the in
tricate machinery that is used in its
publication, and can almost see the
tremendous offices where men sit night
after night, eagerly waiting to catch
the words of the last telegram, or to
write the condensed editorial on the
last political movement.
The paper is smooth, and strong and
bright ; it gives much pleasure, it edu-
Gates many minds--yes, and it costs
a heavy price. Like all the great OBJ
jects of the earth, it is made such by,
hard, undagging work.
OF course, we know this system of
trade is as old rs man.
The pyramid of Cheops that has
stood for forty centuries swathed by
the burning sands of the desert, shows
the price the ancients were willing to
pay for perfect construction. Three
hundred thousand men were for TWEEN
ty years constantly employed in its
building. Tens of thousands OF them
died from the intensity of the heat
and the meagerness of the food; but
| the tomb of the Pharoahs still stands.
We think it was not worth that mass
of human life, any more than the
Caesars pleasures were worth the
anguish of the gladiators and the reek-
ing blood of the arena. Alb! and that
brings us to the point, the subject
which each of US must decide for him.
self, in short, the subject of the real
value of objects.
For what in this life shall we spend
our best hope and our best strength?
Surely, not for worldliness. That is
too cruel contract. 1t asks such tre-
mendous sacrifices and offers such
misery rewards. In imitation of
Thackeray, we will sum it up as fol-
lows:
A name much talked of, bevy
of men that fatter with their tongues,
little stir in the ball room or the
Senate or the army, a great desolation
as it all fades away, and you hear the
cry of lie roi est mort and again
that other yell of .Viye lie roi!' when
10! you are forgotten and your rival
stands crowned!
All, friends, it does not pay.
The quivering lip that has been
forced into smile. the eyes that have
been made to sparkle by holding back
the tears, these efforts are worth
more than the mean defeat that is sure
to follow the feeting triumph. Self
control deserves a greater prize. The
price of worldliness is too high.
Let us try and make a better bargain.
Suppose we consider literature. In
stantly, we think of the many lovers
of books that have spent the most
precious hours of their lives over the
worn and yellowed volumes of mus
ty library, and have afterwards written
page after page OF thoughts they hoped
would cheer, and sustain, and elevate
mankind. Where are they to-dayP
Utterly forgotten, their lives un-
known, their books unread. their
struggles unappreciated' Did their
devotion to knowledge repay them?
Certainly, it did. James Payne has
truly said that Literature IS its own
exceeding, great reward" The differ
ence between lit aud worldliness is,
that debarring all ends, there is pleas
urc in the means of one and misery in
that of the other. The personally am
bilious statesman speaking to multi
bude whom he wishes to sway but of
whom he is not certain, is anxious and
rritated and alarmed. The real student
bending over the book of his heart is
Tor the time-being at least, most happy.
And right here, it would be well to
make the distinction between objects
hat are worthy of high prices and
hose that are not. Any aim noble in
tself, as art. or oratory, or politics, or
philanthropy, is worthy of life of
sacrifice, if it is followed only for
tself; that is, disinterestedly.
The man that works for the good of
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