The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-29


soundness of the mind and always
the full enjoyment of life. Let health
be ruined and the whole view of life
is awry. To this end recreation and
amusement are necessary. Through
bodily exercise the mind is made
clearer, work made easier, and life
more enjoyable. Here, too, the bal
ance must be preserved. 1t is not
over-exercise that is needed, not dis
sipation of the energies which ex-
hausts, but recreation which refreshes
and sends one out strengthened for
his work. To go without some form Of
recreation, to be perpetually grinding
at ones tasks, is to take all the
inspiration out of life; is TO make
one live and work at a low level.
But to make life full and rich there
must be high aim to it. One can
not live selfishly and make life noble.
There must be in it divine aspira-
tions, the hunger, and thirst for god
illness, the attempt to live the god-like
life, if one would find satisfaction.
A lady recently told me of a club
OF young men who are accustomed to
meet weekly at her house. In their
discussions they have come to the
conclusion that they will have a good
time in life. They will not trouble
themselves about religion or duty;
they will avoid the sorrows and bur-
dens of life as much as possible and
live for enjoyment. This is the at
titude not only of thousands Of young
men and women but of those older
grown. They mean to live for them
selves and enjoy life. If others can
do the same, we'll, if not. they do not
propose to help. Of any definite pur.
pose for making the world a better
place to live in and lifting something
of the burden from the shoulders OF
its sad and weary toilers they have
no thought.
This is not only heartlessly selfish,
but it is an error in judgment; it is a
falling from the balance of life. In
Tito Melema, George Eliot has given
us the picture of such a character.
His aim was to avoid everything dis
agreeable in life and live for his own
pleasure. The result was bitterness,
disappointment, and failure in his
very aims, disgrace and loss of honor
in life, and in the end an ignominious
death. The story is true to life; one
cannot find enjoyment by this meth
cd.
There must be the manful attempt
to accomplish some good, an heroic
trying to live noble life, a wish to
be of service, living for ideal ends,
if life is to be lifted to its best
estate.
Wholesome Culture Needed
Self-culture is an high aim; but it
must be true and wholesome culture.
The intellectual culture for which
many are striving is often a very
selfish and very one-sided culture;
aye, worse, it often quite units peo-
pie for real usefulness. Its tendency
is to separate its possessors from
sympathy with the wants and woes,
the hunger and thirst of the common
people; to make them exclusive, so
that they cannot enter into any real
sympathy with either the joys or the
sorrows of the masses. Such cul
ture of the head at the expense of
heart is lacking in balance. With the
culture of the mind should also go an
enlargement of sympathy which not
only makes one feel more deeply the
needs and wrongs of the toiling, ig-
norant, uncultivated multitudes, but
fills one with burning desire to
minister to their needs. The more of
culture one has, the more deeply
should he feel the duty of using that
culture for the benefit of all. The
knowledge of art, literature, and
music; the advantages of travel and
study, often engender a spirit of
diletanteism which quite spoils many
who would otherwise be useful mem
bers of society. Instead of using
their culture to elevate the tastes and
amusements and enlarge the know
ledge of the people among whom they
live, they are too apt to withdraw
themselves from all of the common,
social work, leaving that to more earn
est, though less competent persons;
whilerather should they say: "This is
what my culture is for; send me-"
Here is truly high purpose, the fol-
lowing of which will ennoble life.
Worth of the Ideal.
Practical people often decry the
worth of the ideal; but we need the
visionary element to complete life.
"Where there is no vision" said the
old prophet, "the people perish" 1t
is the visions of the ideal possible