The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-06-20

rights of man. 1t has ever been the
outward expression and glorious archie
type OF the moral and material progress
of humanity; and the fate and the fame
of its opponents and representatives from
Moses to Marshal will live forever on
the eternal harp strings of time.
Mr.. II. H. Stone of the Athenaeum So
ciety was then Introduced and spoke as
follows:
Seeking some great thing to do,
Some secret thing to know"
Ambition is the energy of young man
hood and the buoyant force of old age.
In infancy mothers instill into us the
germs by recOunting the deeds of the val
orous and by citing us to refreshing ex-
amples of goodness and greatness, which
they press us to emulate; fathers, never
jealous of their own attachments or sue
cess, emphasize the Importance of "climb-
ing higher" and of amassing more than
they have been enabled to do; teachers
proudly point to the "Father of Our
Country" as being the one man-model,
and say to us: "Be another" We drink
in the thought, we catch the inspiration,
and partly aided by our own advances
and by the encouragement of interested
friends our parents literally push us into
the activities of life for the purpose of
accommodating wealth and of becoming
great. In the eager nervousness of that
short transition period Immediately pre-
ceding young manhood too often prepare
ton is neglected. unnatural expectations
are fostered, and in the Imagination the
space of lifetime is spanned and the goal
is reached, as if no trials, no misfortunes,
no time interviewed. This period is COM
posed of paroXysms of morbid desires
destructive of natural efforts. We plan
eNtravagantly, with full consciousness of
our ability to execute. seemingly forget
full that there are others with their hearts
upon the goal and their eyes upon the
prize.
To be great is laudable ambitions to
be. learned is a nobler one. But what is
the measure of greatness, and what does
it take to constitute a learned man? In
our day of distempered thought, of I'M
healthy desire for notoriety, newspaper,
political and otherwise, to be known of
men, to be man of reputation, whether
honorably or not, seems to be the moving
factor to do, and apparently constitutes
the true test of greatness. Reputation is
not greatness, nor is it always the ac-
compartment of greatness. The truly
good only are great; and he who is so
lost in the pursuits of his business, in
the enjoyment of his attainments, or i'll
guarding assiduously his reputation that
he fogrets the tie of human sympathy,
which binds a man to his friends and
neighbors, to his country, and ta-the suf-
fering, wherever they fall under his eye,
misses the royalty of life and falls short
of the measure of greatness. Names of
the great and of the reputed great are
scattered alike through the pages of his
tory, and the world in its frenzy and mad
ness has paid more tribute to the destroy
ers than to the preservers of mankind;
and yet, while singing the praises of con-
querors and paying tribute to kings,
the heart of the whole people does not
warm into life such an admiration for
these as it does for natures unquestioned
nobleman-the unselfish man. To be call
ed man is a greater name than king or
president. "A mind in which are sown the
seeds of wisdom, of interest. of unsefish-
ness and frmness of purpose is worth more
than all the material interests of the
world. Possessed of these virtues he is
man, whether lord or vassal, king or peas
ant. Truth and virtue are not confined to
high places and are equally precious in
whatever sphere they are found. The
father or mother of some unnoticed fami-
ly, who awakens in the mind of one child
the idea of love and goodness, who
strengthens his character and prepares
him for the conflicts of life surpasses in
influence a Napoleon, bringing the world
INTO sway and massacreing thousands.
Who can compute the influence of such a
one! He to whom is traceable a good
impulse, who gives expression to pure
thought, and raises the ideals of the
young. crystaliZes into human action the
gist and greatness of human life and puts
in motion the greatest factor for human
good. Would that the honored of the
world were all great; better far could but
the great all be honOred. How admira-
bly,. how suitably and how truthfully has
it been said that "No life is pure in
its purpose and strong in its strife but
that one life is purer and better thereby"
frOScrastinatiOn and misconceptiOn
of the demands end of the true grea tncss
of life cause the downfall of multitudes
OF good resolutions, msdirect the energies
and thwart the aspirations alike of the
young and old. We build castles today
but to be shattered on the
morrow, but none the wiser
in the realization of disappointment. not
discouraged nor deferred because of the
fruitessness of our idea-building, we con-
tinue to construct only to be rudely
shocked and never draw lesson from our
failure. Browning has well said: "Take
the first way, and let the second come"
and we think that the solution of the
problem of life. Give us but the mora,
courage to do now, the determination TO
respond to the calls and answer the de-
mands that each day brings. and the pos
sble accomplishments of a lifetime will
increase, the sphere of human usefulness
will broaden, and the contributions to
commerce, to literature and to science
will perceptibly increase. In the morning
of youth. when sorrow and care and re-
sponsibility are either unknown or dis
regarded, the present is not valued and the
future but lightly esteemed. Youth sees
no occasion for labor. and confidently pX-
poets to be able TO meet all necessary de-
mands without previous eXertiOn or prepa-
ration. Oh, young man, young woman.
you who are absorbed in pleasures pur-
suits, who take amusement for bust
ness and engage in useful work
simply for relaxation and diver
sion; you who worship where fash
ion worships: who scOrn what fashion
scOrns: waste not your energies, your time
and your talent where you reap no re-
turns save vicious ones. beware of this
enchantress, pleasure, for she culs the
choicest hours of youth and holds them
subject only to her caprice. Utilize more
of the present. and lend not such willing
ears to the imagination, which so deX
terously colOrs the future with hope of
much promise and of much reward. Each
minute is a mite in the contribution box Of
fine and II will Weld returns inst as