Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-05-14

ruins ana pageS OF tHe past
he reads of the evils which sapped the
life blood of the different nations.
The light of Egypt went out in the
darkne SIS of its superstition; the
genius of Greece was clouded with
envy and vas finally overcome by
civil strife; Rome, proud mistress of
the world, went down amid the revels
of luxury; the rust of inactivity has
furnished the lustre of Spain, and ig-
norance hangs like a sable pail over
the face of Russia.
In America, it is true, the rust of
inactivity has never settled, neither
are we lost in the superstition of
Egypt, but the fair land of the West
is far from faultless.
There is prevailing land al evil
which affects all her institutions and
endangers the nation itself.
1t is the great haste of the people.
Americans are in a hurry to get rich,
in a hurry to become powerful, and in
a hurry to become famous.
They work in a hurry, they eat in a
hurry, they talk in a hurry, and they
even think in a hurry. When this is
carried into all spheres of life its effect
is most pernicious.
While progress marks our inst1tu-
tions, yet they are more often brand
ed by the great haste with which they
strive for results. The German spends
mis- c--ly life = securing an education,
but the American boy is filling some
position of trust before his school days
are fairly begun.
Instead of asking how well you can
do your work, Americans ask how
much you a do. Instead of taking
time corresponding to the task, the
task is made to correspond with the
time. By taking a little more time
with our work what different results
would we see? A little more time
spent in school would complete an
education; a little more time would
have given to the American astrono-
mers the honor of great discoveries;
a little more time might have produc-
ed for us a Newton, a Bacon or a
Shakespeare; a little more time given
to reflection might have satisfied the
minds of demagogues and anarchists,
and would thus have prevented riot
and b%loodshed.
The American is ccnstitutionally in
a hurry. He has no time for serious
thought.
Even the children catch the spirit
of the age and become adults in
thought. Other nations patiently
mark the path of the untiring stars or
| delve into the rock-ribbed hills for
| the mysteries of nature, but there is
not enough money in these things for
americans. Not alone does this haste
keep Americans from leading in the
| scientific world, but the purity of her
religion is greatly affected. The
| Hindoo seeks the Ganges as his shrine.
The Mohammedan, with ~unWavering
regularity, turns his face toward the
sacred city and bows in daily suppl
cation; but the American too often
worship mammon, and his thoughts
| of future safety are drowned amid the
rush of business.
The days are of the same length as
of yore, the streams flow as swiftly
to the sea, and the harvest ripens as
rapidly as ever; but the day is not
long enough to suit the Americans,
the streams fail to carry his burdens
fast enough, and the harvest ripens
too slowly for his eager brain.
In this mad rae where influence,
power and money are sought with
such precipitate haste we see the
greatest danger to our country.
All through nature we sec that the
animal or plant of the slowest growth
attains the greatest size and retains
life the longest.
The sturdy oak is developing for a
century, but it is then able to with
stand the fury of the tempest unhurt'
The results of haste are manifest in
all the walks of life. The farmer
plants more corn than he can cult
vate; the student tries to do two
years work in one; the railroads con.
tlnually lessen the time of travel al
the risk of life.
A people who has become habitual'
ly in a hurry cannot suffer delay. L
fortune is slow IN presenting itself
dissatisfaction is the result. The peo'
pie become dissatisfied with theil
homes and become travellers in search
of some fairy land. They become
dissatisfied with the government, dis
satisfied with the church, dissatisfied
with the school, and strive to revolu
tionize each.
Can this evil be counteracted?
: Yes; with the true ideal of life he
, fore us it would not be SO. We must
in a measure, return to the simplicit
of the Puritan. To be wealthy, to b
: famous, or to hold some prominen
position is not the true aim of life
There is an inward battle to be tough
,, and an inward victory to gain whic
can be done only by patient and con
= tinued effort.
Q The fountain of religion is as pur
{ and refreshing as it was eighteen cen
u turtles ago, but we must pause Ion
: enough to contemplate lis beautie
d and realize it's benefits.
The stream of human thought an
culture has broadened and deepene
,, as time has advanced. We are tn
heirs to the accumulated tide
u thought from thousands of tributarieI
but we must not let the golden streal
u pass by unheeded. We must reac
. out and partake of its waters. Thes
II two forces-religion and culture al
what we must look to for acountera'
y ton of our great haste in life. Whe
j, these are the guarding stars OF oil
10 lives: when Americans strive not a
ter wealth and position, but aft
grace and perfection, then will o.
nation be safe.
v. In the Daily and Weekly LEDGE
q will be found an advertisement of Il
!, In CrossA Lumber Co.'s long distan