Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-29
Wnsfc plnCcs.
CThc Observations OF Philosophical
EriendD

CThc Observations OF Philosophical
FriendD
There f. splendid prophecy and beauti-
ful and profound wisdom in the words
Of Isaiah: "rhe wilderness OF the solitary
place shall be glad for them. and
the desert shall rejoice and blossom as
the rose. etc, etc. lie uttered his
words from one corner OF the earth-from
one cleared neld--when almost all the
rest Of IL was deserts ard jungles and
morasses. ha5itations OF dragons and owls
and human brutes. And now, after three
thousand years. we behold and share the
fulhlment. and are walked up 10 grander
aspirations still, delighting in assured
hopes. All prophecy has 4 special mean
ing. and a greater beyond. and spends
Itself in the infinite. And the very world
we live In IS but the type and promise
and blossom OF that which is to come.
The reclamation and identifying OF
waste places. and the utilizing OF things
that hitherto have been regarded as use
e1s or noxiOus. occupy in wonderful
way our day and generation And al
most all the profit OF great businesses IL
In turning the oIal and waste 10 ac-
count And out OF them have come the
best beauties and delights OF life, notably
the wonders OF coal. tar and oil refuse
End the salves and medicines that the
commonest weeds have yielded US. And
competition and the very preservation OF
life whip and stimulate us still to eI-
pI0rc the meanings and uses Of the com
monest things around us. No one knows
what virtue lies hid In tho plainef and
most familiar trash Of everyday ire
The very effort ~ get rid Of or crush an
] -fr sfat rtFlf
able kernel, opens a caskct that covered
a Jewel.
An this IS true; and much OF life Is the
unfolding OF things and making up of raw
material. But much the larger and bet
ter part is the making up OF ourselves
90 the seeing. hearing. ana appreciation
Il the good and true ana beautiful that
IS around us The charge against the
Id Israelites that their hearts were
waxed gross, so that they could not see
with their eyes, nor hear with their ears
nor understand with their hearts. Is Oh
,Iously applicable 10 the world around us.
ro me real hardened wicked the hcav-
ms are iron. the earth brass. and per-
fumes and soft brCczcs unworthy OF no.
tce.
Beauty. they say is in the lovers eye;
| and the goodness Of a joke in the nina
IF the hearer. As the man Is. so is the
arm. And the world and everything in
! il are as we make and take them. Inc
rough politician sees only voters IN the
people. And his common talk and IA
miliar conversation is vulgar and vulgar
lzirg-the barest imitation of manhood
| and parody of acknowledgements philan-
thropv. To him all humanity Is waste
Mace under the glare Of his own Vltiateo
| s,li1 And so Is the world IN every man
,yho is a mere professional, a mere trader,
/ and essential quack. The selfish man.
! imprisoned 10 narrow and selfish IDEAS
! is under the curse OF the serpent: on
| thy belly shalt thou so. Dust SHAH be the
! serpcnts meat. 4.
| To the society man and woman, to
whom all the world is stage ana It's
occupants but actors, all life is but
waste place. fruitful in disgusts. and its
| rand total. vanity, and veXation. what
! a. conversation that has no soul, no
! warmth Of feeling I'm 1t? What are the
! smiles Of woman that mean nothing but
! lisulav? What are all the great shows
| - manhood that hide liver white as
| milk ana n degraded soul? what are
! amugcmcnts that are not many removes
| from cat and dOg-life? what can selish
| and ambitious souls know OF pure, honest
| human pleasures?
! Olir daily life Is all fun of waste places
| tbat can bc made 10 gladden. and bios
| SOM our commoncst intercourse III
| daily life is a waste place thH viii pay
! for the reclaiming. Sympathy courtesy,
md the least bit Of thinking will make
! tho commonest ways 10 bear both flowers
/ and fruits. and be veritable joys. To the
/ common crowd chewing and smoking
ire largely their life They live and
move and have their being in smoke ana
| sr1beer: while their minds are e ehectu-
| ally saturated with avarice as thelr DO
las with nicotine And they resent the
/ s!cgcstion Of any other lie. Has man
mo- other adaptations? And can not such
waste places be redeemed?
/ \ sympathetic. thoughtful. and devout
.oul finds the world all full Of waste
nlaces: and the highest business OF man
! HOOD and womanhood IS 10 wake up with
i'm them the living. feeling, think
ing. worihipping soul, that sees dignity
ana hc,or and beauty and meaning In
everything: that recognizes i'm all creation
the soul OF Deity appealing 90 the soul
! Of man.