The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-07-22
WHAT IT IS TO LIVE.
10 BE SAILORS, CLIMBERS,
SOLDIERS.
THE WORLD WANTS OUR BEST
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY "NEMO."
Copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)

an unknown sea over routes never
travelled before, for no two follow the
same course through life. Experiences
never met before will be ours and
storms that no others ever grappled
with must be endured. Storms cam
not be escaped by wishing for calm
weather, but must be met and ridden
through by all the seamanship we can
control. It is in the storm the simple
ones, brought up in tair-weather ports,
go to wreck it is the storms that spare
the staunch and seaworthy to ride at
peace at last in the ripping haven, fill
ed with those who guided by the stars
of heaven have rejoiced in breeze and
in calm to do their best. Complain not
at fierce onslaughts of angry waves.
They try mems souls and wash the un-
worthy overheard, to leave behind
those whose manful spirits are glory |
to our glorious race.
L
mountain whose beetllng sides defy
conquest by shrinking men, but whose
very roughnesses and stern projections
give foothold to the fearless who look
ever upward and who strive the more,
the more they are hindered. He who
is unsuccessful at one point, and draws
back only to rest for further effort is
bound by the moral uplift of his pur-
pose to rise higher and higher above
the heads of the fearsome crowd in the
valley below. But the climber is never
safe all his faculties must be on the
alert. his muscles braced for effort, his
ewes open for crevasses, that with him
are errors of judgment, his ears attent
to the sound of the freezing avalanches
above him, that with him are chilling
criticisms, his soul filled with the spirit
OF Excelsior" and yet never too full to
resist the benumbing influence OF long
continued effort in an atmosphere rarer
than that breathed by men who stag
: nate.
!, To LIVE is, as it were, to be in a
battle where, amid noise and confusion,
the plans of the commander are meyer
theless being carried out. The strug-
Cling of strength against strength is
+ decided by calmness and cooperation
!, There we learn to stand shoulder to
shoulder with those who think as we
do. There also we learn that all who
fight on one side are not OF necessity
: agreed on all things. We give blows
and take them under the eyes OF ou1
watchful leader, content to know thai
9 even if we perish in the doing, he ha'
others in reserve to carry on his worl
in our place. It is in life when tiUed tina
we learn to stay freed from "sins tha
y 40 easily beset u.s." with the thought o
4 doing better service for our side. Ihos
= who fight for good throw aside tn
;, hindrances of life that their hands ma.
he free for the weapons that slay ev1
and put down the enemies OF progress
W To LIVE is, as it were, to burrow
'e the mine, cooped up and cramped'
10 only the precious thing sought may b
IS found content to undergo hardshi
IS and to become begrimed with mud an
80 water and soil if one gem may
& brought to light The patient ploddln
in darkened ways that some OF Us q
ever urged on by inner impulse to III
,ly ther effort, is mining in every sens
bv We see no light of heaven and yet
40 we 90, we hear no sounds OF Joyous N
ture. vet onward ever, the things
an conquer are hidden far from the eyes
nd men and beyond the point where tne
,ye nraise would be audible, yet sustain
his nv the motive of our quest, our patle
work is there and is known by the II
whose hearts sympathize with us, a
7n' To One from whom no secret is hid.
'ass To LIVE is, as it were, to traverse
one swamp whose quaking mlre offers
tor lasting footing. Its foul gases endan'
us and in our hours OF gloom its ut
'o'' lights, arising solely from decay
appearing to promise comfort only Il
lber rs further away from our direct coul
oplet Without stepping ''n0'' ~
-, axnerience to fear the hamper
clinging, engulfng mass, until we ie
VINO that the solid supports for our trel
it is ling steps, are made up only OF
ever things we throw away. He who G
lows aside selfshness, he who tramples
- s;ons into the mire, he who denies
self daily of the things that emery
n o113o Hoir RAn4Wer. g