Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-10
PAVING STONES.
A Homely Illustration That Has in 1t =
Valuable Lesson.

A Homely Illustration That Has In 1t .
Valuable Lesson.
Everyone knows that a paving stone
is n rectangular block of stone set with
others into roadway in order that the
heaviest wheels may thereafter run
along that avenue with ease and safety.
1t may be a very expensive matter to
pave a street with stone, but the results,
when the work is well done, are certain
w very lasting. And the effect is to
make transit for wayfarers along that
avenue pleasanter and speedier.
Life has it's paved ways, which are the
result of the labors of many workmcn.
There are safe paved ways in history,
science, geography, morals and religion.
BY this we mean that every life in SO
far forth as it is truly and righteously
lived, helps to Jay the pavements OF re-
search. knowledge and custom more SOL
idly and extensively. Some people hard
~ succeed in setting more than single
stone in place, but all good characters
are PAYERS of history to some useful
extent. Whoever says anywhere true
thing, or discovers n new one, or acts
out good deed, is laying bit of pave
ment which will make it easier and
safer for some who come after him TO
walk that way. Travel is always more
apt to take place along known lines and
prepared ways, just as in the old days
of the Roman empire everyone, sinners
and apostles alike, travelled along the
highways broadly and evenly paved by
~ -
like to go by well tried popular routes;
and so many, almost like sheep, tend
to crowd along the ways beaten hard
by the feet of multitudes who have pre-
coded them in this world.
1t, therefore, is of great conseque nee
that everyone should feel that he or
she is to come extent, however humble
is the sphere occupied by the individual,
a maker of life's highways. builder
up of human customs and characters.
Everyone lays the paving stones, of some
sort, in place every day. Even the devil
is q payer, though his highways, while
broad and smoothly macadamized
roughen as the traveller goes on, until
they turn off into the morasses of sin
The paving materials of the devil are of
many kinds, but they are all of inferior
stuff and workmanship. The way to
destruction, it is often said, is paved
with good intentions. That pavement
is really a crumbling mosaic, COM
pounded of all sorts of broken bits of
halfformed purposes, hayward i'm
pulses, evil desires and unrighteoas
choices.
1t is noble thing, on the other hand,
to be payer of life's highways with the
solid cubes of a sure knowledge, a firm
Christian faith, a patient pursuit of
truth, and noble because cody char
acter. Every day the hurried thoughts
we think, the words we say, and The
little actions we perform are hardening
into the firm and permanent roadways
Of habit and character, just as the now
softened tar spread over al avenue bc-
comes soon the stiff and unyielding con-
crete.
Such is the lesson the paving stones
teach us. We are all workmen on life's
great highways. Others who come after
us will pass safely and eXpeditiously on
their way or will stumble, will walk
straight on to glory or will be misled to
their destruction, will bless us or will
curse us, according as we do our work
of highway building faithfully or poor
ly, in successful imitation of the plans
of God or entirely after a hayward
scheme Of our own.-C. A. S. Dwight, in
n. Y. Observer.