The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-13
LOOKING On.

Poor Romeo, WITH his soul just swell
ing into manhood, feeling natures I'M
pulses and longlngs, unconsciousiy full
Of her loves and aspirations, his bosom
opening. hungering. and thirsting FOR
the good, the true, and the beautiful
what had he TO do but fan in love? No-
man, beautiful. graceful bright, intelil-
gent full of life and light and love, is
the mothers answer TO the man-childs
cry. The ideal arose in the beautiful
imagination OF the young man, ana
clothed itself from It's brilliant wardrobe;
and he mistook the first pretty LADY
that he saw for his souls desire. lie
was very. very sentimental; and sighed
and sickened in love. And it was all
nothing but sentiment. lie was I'm love
with his ideal. yet presently his dreams
found their realization; he met his Juliet.
and all his being was fired and III Up
with glorious passion for the alto
gether lovely. The brief day was &C.
static and heavenly, though the end was
tragic. What is the best OF life but a
passing blossom, anyhow?
Romeo's life is a sad type, partly an
swering 10 so many. The sentimental is
the natural stage Of every young manly
and womanly nature. Gong INTO bust
ness, and fighting for name and for
tune, is bad thing to begin too early.
Budding, poisoning. leaving. is the
privilege and duty Of our early years.
All the ways of springtide are the nat
ural ways Of early manhood and wo-
manhood. And unless they are allowed
freely their termination, their seed-ume,
all the pretty pleasures and delights OF
their spring, tho harvest Will be a poor
one, or none at all. The heads ana
hearts of the young are full of living
germs and ideals, some indigenous, some
caught out Of the air. And a happy,
natural childhood cherishes all these.
The increase and the fruit-bearing come
from Heaven.
The general young Romeo has a great
deal more 10 occupy him than looking
after a sweetheart. The love OF his mate
and complement, that is 10 fll. make up
and complete his manhood. Is unques-
tionably the first and most overwhelm-
ing craving of his nature, heart soul.
and body. But around that central life
how many longings bud. Thoughts,
passions. and delights feeding the sacred
flame. The happy married state Is the
fulness Of manhood and blest promise
Of Heaven. The great Creator made
them male and female: made them 10
be absolutely one. and called them
man" And n-Srriago is the high estate
of humanity, throughout the Scrip
lures taken as the type OF the consum-
nation OF all things.
But under this blest influence. canopy.
hammer, and light of love. in early lie.
all the germs of life bud and swell and
| expand and blossom. And youth must
have its time for the indulgence OF senti-
ment, with all its loves and longngs.
The cares, the labors. the hard work OF
life make a battlefield of what ought
TO be a garden of the Lord. Iney
crush its germs they trample under its
young flowers, they muddy its streams,
they make il a desolate Wilderness
hopeless waste.
How natural how common, is the de-
sire Of Romeo: I'm be a candle-holder
and look on" What is man. without
the contempativei And who has begun
10 be a man who has not bathed and re-
freshed and delighted his soul with III
| PenserOsa "-1ivnest melancholy?
1t Is no part OF a manly life 10 put
on darkness and gloom and misanthropy.
our poet says: 81 do remember. when
l was in France, young men would often
look as black as night out Of mere wan
! tonness" That sort of gravity IS often
like the pail that the English hang
on their fronts 10 indicate death and still
ness. Gravity and stupidity are old
mess-mates. 4 mans wisdom maketh
his face TO shine. But "diynest melan-
choly" IS sweet and placid. and has the
pleasantness of morning and evening
about IL. IL invites and cherishes pleas
ing thought gentle sadness. We must
have these holy reasons. young
soul will Wither and dry and die without
it.. Writing poetry, and getting into
the newspapers. and being admired. are
the devils traps just outside OF the
sacred closes of the soul. And In those
sacred closes, the sanctuaries OF the
soul. IL must have no companion but the
most holy. We must
Still keep something 10 ourselves,
We scarcely tell to any.
We need not play Mephistophlles. and
scowl around at the idle. vulgar, sense
less throng. But a little out OF the
crowd, We may "be candle-holders ana
| look on" And IL we are thoughtfui.
Wen Sc enough 10 make MS and keep
us sad. In much wisdom is much
| grief. Nor need we. in our office, be
mere thinking philosophers. We may
| belong 10 the ambulance corps in the
| battle OF life. and not throw away our
tiiiVs "Hi4' i'HNihs a H'iPi'5 manu- VI
saying a comforting word to the wound
ed. before they get TO the sick-room or
the hospital. We may see men and
women and things just as they are; not
eat and drink, and be drunken; not be
crazy with the crazy; but be sober ana
keep sober and separate the precious
from the vile; and covet earnestly the
best gifts. and care for honorable things.
The saddest. solemnest. and most touch
ing picture In history IS the Saviour
looking on Jerusalem. "Oh, Jerusalem,
Jerusalemi Thou that killest the
prophets. and stonest them that are sent
unto thee, How often would l have
gathered thy children as n hen dotn
gather her brood under her wings. ana
We would mott Behold. your house IS