The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-02
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
Written for the Democatie Advocate,
BY MEMO.

the fine feathers; thus also is it with few
men. All parrots talk nonsense; 50 do
some men Foolishness in a bird is funny;
in man it is pitiable All parrots echo
just what they hear; so do many men.
Both are living monographs.
If we sentient beings are to reproduce
only the notes. with all their breaks and
quavers. that are sung into us, then we
might full well have had Edison design |
the filling for the space where our brains |
ought to be- A parrot that echoes our
words remains parrot still, but man
content always to utter what others think |
for him becomes four-footed and thereby |
hang tail and enormous ears.
On pond covered with doubtful ice
YOU Young men have no pleasure unless |
YOU each venture a little further than the |
skater who preceded you. Every venture
some spirit helps until the entire surface
has been traversed and its safety for the
timorous ones fully demonstrated. You
very properly laugh at the one who will, /
after the CLASSY surface is dotted with
speeding skaters, still initiate your earlier
tactics and stand obviously tapping the
edge of the ice.
Thus have our progress and civilization
been brought about. One man, under
standing fully his special line, ventures
out little ahead of his fellows, demon
strates his achievements and is in turn ex
eelled by those who follow him; and 50
on ad infnitum; for knowledge and truth. |
no limited pond are they, but a very ocean.
How limitless even material knowledge /
is and how much of reward it still holds |
out to the daring investigation, may be
well understood when we remember that
within eighteen months a new component
of air, argon; new way Of making an
old illuminant, aeetylene, and new kind
of light, the X ray, have been discovered.
This last illustrates exactly how one inves-
tigator is Immediately distanced by another
who knows how to utilize what is already
gained Rontgen's discovery was grasped
by Edison; and while the former was con-
tent to show that the Y ray would pene-
trate flesh, rubber, &c, and still influence
the sensitive surface of Photographic
plate; the latter proceeds to find some way
whereby the human eye may take the
place of the sensitive plate. He has already
progressed so far that the bones Of the
hand and wrist and arm are now made Wis
ible to the surgeon without the removal of
the flesh.
Are the microscopists fully satisfied with
the knowledge already gained along their
lines? No. each one is pushing out for
more knowledge of the life history of the
numberless microbes that come into our
systems freighted with good or evil. Pas
teur demonstrated that the air is SWARM
ing with germs. He segregated some of
them and showed that these germs cause
wounds to Tester Lister grasped the idea
and robbed the operating room of many
of its terrors, by drenching the wounds
with substances that kill the germs. Then
we of later days improve upon him and
merely keep the air rigidly excluded from
the wounds. A list of the various invisi-
bic creatures, brought to light by the
microscope, separated from one another,
and studied as to their influence upon us
would make catalogue. Ask your grand
fathers about the earlier terrors of small
pox and you will realize what the daring
of DIR. Jenner has wrought for the world.
Cholera, consumption, diphtheria, and
other dread diseases are in battle royal
with race strengthened for the conflict |
by the efforts of Pasteur, Koch, Roux and |
those who venture beyond the lines that
we regard as safe.
But one must not hnger too long upon
the attractive theme of the heroes of prog |
ress There is realm of thought as well |
as a realm of science. If you are barred
from the latter, you can at least share in
the former. What are you doing? Echo
ing the words of dead men or thinking
your own thoughts? Keeping time to the
drums of the past or marching forward to
the joyous music of the present? Travel
ing in ruts worn deep by others, content
with the lines they followed, or feeling that
each moment is opening new ways for your
thoughts? Things worth fighting for in
one generation, are not worth a tinker
dam in another, for conditions change.
Would we think of burning witches in our
day? Yet it was our ancestry who on
sacred grounds approved of such things
Colored slaves no longer exist amongst us,
and shall we then waste our time yelling
the battle cries of the past? IF you live
in the past you are out of keeping with |
the present. If you live in the past you
are mentally old The way to stay young
is to keep the mind ever candidly open to
new impressions.
Venture to think of yourself as human
being Try to explain to yourself why
you are here and what you are here for
Puzzle at it and work at it until you grow
to quiet recognition that the order of
things is first, birth; second, effort; and
last, death. Then think how to make
that middle period most effective in its
permanent influence upon the great or lit
tie sphere you circle in.
Venture to think of the past as an in
centive to the present and make it explain
to you why you enjoy comforts and help
full surroundings. Recall the ant like pro-
cess of accretiOn whereby each conscien-
tious individual has added his little parti-
Gle to the common fund of progress, spar
ing no effort of his own though well aware
that the fruits thereof would be for future
generations
Venture to think of your blessed neigh
borhood and how it can be bettered. Rise
beyond the clap-trap of 4th of July orators
and recognize that this Republic of Sover-
eign States has no permaneney except as
permanent supply of noble, disinterested
men rise up to sustain it. Make up your
mind that some of those pillars of the State
shall be found in your neighborhood.
Think how to accomplish this.
Venture to think of yourself as crimi-
nal if you exist merely to turn so many
tons of provisions into so many pounds of |
b,,n,or Ash % Al ,,a;oo - Al. - |