The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-07-27
LIGHTER THAN VANITY.

popuia
or, submission to the will OF the
greater number, may be q most excellent
thing, politically; there are no politics in
the subject OF this essay, nor have ! one
word to say concerning the power Of ma .
j~orities from a political view point. Yet,
few thoughtful persons will dispute this
statement, the wise q the good Of this
world are not the majority; n small,
Is that portion of our race made
up OF the wisest and the best. Hence IL
the majority gives to auy nation the
standard Of morality, that standard will
Of Christian.
The excuse offered by many an evil
doer, that he followed the "custom OF the
country, can never justify, though 1t may
pailiate an evil deed. There
are cases Ia which such q plea, far from
the majority of the nation whose customs
are SO bad. We Of this present age have
a few evil customs; some Of them SO
popular, and that, too, with SO large u
majority, that the evil Of these things IL
scarcely seen by one person 10 q thousand.
Most OF these favorite Ill customs will
be ignored In this essay partly from want
OF space; but one or two are left TO the
never. failing correction OF Gods agent,
time, since far from being recognized as
evils, they are now looked upon as actual
virtues. One favorite idol which we
shall venture to despite his
popularity Is the lust Ut
notoriety. This monster, the twin m
of mammon or money worship, 10 hardly
less destructive than the latter, and they
sometimes work In concert. Success now
adays means hat the successful one has q
great deal OF money, or, Is q person very
much talked; or, better still, Is both
''rich and celebrated"
What an idea of wealth aud celebrity
Wealth is indeed u most useful, yes, u
grand gift of God, IL In the possession OF
Z man whose soul corresponds In useful
ness and grandeur. The Holy scriptures
strongly condemns the inordinate love OF
money; they rank covetnous (that opuia
and most respectable SIM with the vilest
crimes aud corruptions; yet who has not
read and wondered at that remarkable
passage Of Holy writ wherein wealthy
men are urged to snake themselves
friends" by righteous use Of the "msmmon
OF uurighteousness," 30 that after death
these friends may receive the good man
"into everlasting mansions"
there Ia however little to be said In
behalf OF the ambitions o Ambition.
at it's best, Is o form OF solfishuess; but
when an immortal being stoops to an
ambition which 10 only another name for
the craving desire of notoriety, what can
be said In defense of himf Yet this
pernicious thing 10 now 80 commoa that
all men Except . small Minority praise
and encourage, because they ali partske
1t. The shameful desire OF publicity which
besets our women, threatening to destroy
all Tbs. IL valuable and sacred 10 home
notoriety tree. 1t effects our schools.
making it each year more difficult to Ind
pupils willing TO be really taught, or eager
for real learning.
How often are teachers asked "what
good" there q b in studying Greek.
Latin, logic, the higher mathematics, or
any such "branch Of lesrninsf" Then, II
meant by good or BY practical use.'"
the reply Invariably gives . mercantile
value, . money price, whatever 10 deemed
practicable, while all that 10 Of "any
good" consists In superficial veneerinRs OF
culture and accomplishment, wherewith
How shsmefuily the almost divine art Of
music 10 abused to pamper this love OF
display To . less degree, but still too
much, the art Of paiuting 10 also degraded.
No real lover of Harmony or Beauty will
ever thus lower the art Of practice; but
what else IAN be expected from persons
promising boy shall become amillionaire.
and that . lovely young girl shall BY her
accomplishments attract Q crowd OF beaux
OF whom she may wed b w~salthtestl
The world has nc viler Idol than this
low form Of ambition, this course love Of
display. Not only its feet, but it, head,
lie entire form is-not clay like. like to
the image of Dura's plain, but compact OF
mesuest mud, without one one CLEAN Of
gold Ia all its loathsome composition.
No marvel that Du Maurier's contempt.
BILE romance 10 popular, when III chief
idol 10 the modern Vanity FAR I: 2 Trtioy
It has come TO that pass that most peo-
pie prefer q false SUCCESS TO an hodest fall
ure. See q man who, from no fault OF bis
own, has become bankrupt; place beside
him Q man who has "faiIed with his peck
sts fulI' which 10 the ~dowucast, shame
Alas, too often condemning himself
A politician 10 defeated,-cast aside
| politically dead; . king loses his crown;
Z general IL overcome In battle; how dosl
contemporaueous history deal with these'
An unsuccessful poet; . painter whoct
pictures do lot sell; . composer Of music
| onies of false shame they sufferi To feel
more or less pain Ut neglect or Injustice
| this, perhaps, 10 natural. and may be per
mitted to one who hoped for sympathy
from all who loved poetry, painting, OF
music; only this regret must not be car
But what has shame to do with 1T II thu
poetry be really the ht EXPRESSION Of
gifted soul, II the pictures be true copteI
Of idealized nature, II the music be heart
thrilling and soul uplifting--shall poet
painter, musician, feel the shame OF fail
uref Shall they, the children OF genious
cay, with one OF Browniugs's vilest char
acters) that want Of success
Makes you doubt YOURSELF
Much more is foundc convincing to your friend
All because q world that worships motto
riety,-a public that delights 10 the coars
est exposure Of body o soul,-su era o
material progress aud spiritual retrogres
si~ou,-cannot value rightly nor prize q
at all the soul. jewels Of nobler menf
Not only has this craze for admiration
for public display and so.called success
Invaded the homes of our liant mi retar
ded education and higher development o
women,-ths evil thing has entered tn
lecture room, has dared to ascend eveI
into pulpit. Eloquence 10 paralyxsd be
meath its Influence; oratory threatens :
follow the lost arts.
Alas for the christianity that lend
itself to such idolstryi True success l
this world and In the life 70 come. 10 like
ness TO Christ. True practicaiity 10 whs
Christians ought to practice. True fam
Ii not what the changefui majority say
of one, nor what the ADLER minority ma
think. II matters but little what tn
tongues Of men chance TO say OF YOU
either to-day or 10 the coming centuries
True fame consists In the appreciation {
your Father In Heaven. who sesth in %
cret, but shall one day reward you openl,
n. z. BRYANT.