San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-11-17

ever been the way of wisdom. 1t
is not the source of a truth that
stamps its value, but its absolute
agreement with what is, and its
adaptabllity OF application to the
uses Of life. 1t Is the obvious truth
and that most general OF applica-
ton that is of greatest value. 1t
is the teacher who best illustrates
and clearest teaches who is most
successful. Such a teacher is the
sawdust baby.
The sawdust baby is the univer-
sal teacher, for all men and women,
as we'll as children, nurse them, de-
fend them, hug them, talk to them.
laugh with them and cry over
them. 1t Is an illusion, but life Is
made of illusions, and the sawdust
baby stands for the whole class.
Each age has had its sawdust baby,
each race, each civilization, each
religion and each cult. In one age
it has been military glory and in
another popular liberty, but in
both it was a sawdust baby all
the same. When the spear OF con-
quering Rome pierced the canvas
body of the universal world and
let the sawdust escape in the face
of conquered Kingdoms, the old
illusion held good and the shouts
of exuIting millions proclaimed the
highest honors to the sawdust
baby. The centuries that have
passed since the "Seven Killed
City" lost the mistresship Of the
world have united in doing hon.
age to Rome's sawdust baby.
Then, the popular voice was
raised in vociferating "the voice
Of the people Is the voice Of God"
A new sawdust baby was born Of
the ideal wisdom and the tears Of
enfranchised millions baptized the
fresh creation. 1t was all an illu-
sion. No tyranny has been known
to human government like that Of
the masses. The mobs OF degener-
ate republics, the bloody dramas
OF popular revolutions, the anar-
chism of modern bomb throwers,
the lawlessness of popular regula-
tors, the tyranny Of great MAORI.
ties, all proclaim the illusion OF
this sawdust baby, but the illusion
remains, despite the fact that the
path of empire is strewed with the
sawdust that has oozed out Of the
rents in the garments Of this popu-
lar idol. The sawdust baby holds
its own amid the universal wreck.
The polite world has its sawdust
baby. 1t was enthroned above all
height in the recent nuptials OF
British duke and American queen
aud the place of honor was all its
own. What of the disillusion of
hundreds of like spectacles in the
past! Each son and daughter Of
humanity holds its own sawdust
baby the only perfection, and
laughs to scorn the idea OF its be-
ing discarded.
The religious world has its saw.
dust baby. 1t harbors the illusion
OF a Christ whom 1t processes to
worship, and to whom it would
show the door by its footman, did
he presume to cross its threshold
with the plain simplicity Of the
original Nazarene. Yet it pierces
the world with its sword, compel
ling the heather to acknowledge
the sanctlty Of it's Illusion, forget
ting that Mohammedism, Brah-
manism, Hindoo Buddhss, Persian
fire worshippers, Theosophists and
all the rest have each their rag
baby at whose shrine they worship
reverently and which they hug to
their hearts with a devotion that
counts not human life dear, so the
merits Of the baby be acknowl-
edged and the sawdust saved from
running out.
The political world, the world OF
the press, Of the scientists, the
pedant, the humanist, the philan-
thropist, the world universal has
It's sawdust baby, but it will not
believe it IL the preacher swore to