Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-12-09
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
BY MEMO


copyrighted by DAVE & Tabor
The strength OF muscle comes from
long continued exercise; the strength OF
an ideal from years OF devotion to It;
strength OF mind from patient training;
strength OF character from the markings
left by decades OF struggle. And there is
no short way!
Would you seek the royal road to the
pinnacle OF your lite's highest possibili-
ties? Then move forward watching for a
guide-po with he single word "Effort!'
Tnrn in by 1t and press on, though it does
not lead by fiowery paths through valley
fields. Your highest, like a mountain
top, will never seem to move towards
you until you have moved towards 1t.
Ways of life are thus divided; to the
doubling and timid ones, the lowly paths
that give no wide outlook; to the fearless
and purposeful ones, ways that climb up
ward, leading by many grand experiences
to a prospect most broad and to an at
mo-phere most ex hiiarating.
And what is this upward triumph over
the downward tendencies OF our nature,
but the counterpart of real mountain
climbing, In which the world ever grows
broader and yet more silent at every for
ward step and backward glance. There,
alone with the Highest, our hearts are
filled with mingiing emot ions, our eyes
glisten with tears and we know not why;
save that we are small, smaller In relat ion
to the universe than an invisible animal
Guile Is to US; great, greater than all ere
ated things IL we unite our force with the
Force above; weak, weaker than veriest
thread IL we forget our union with the
great human family below; sad, sadder
than we can understand because so many
OF our fellows are coutented with narrow
valley-sight.
Effort overcomet h the world, for effort Is
faith-in oneself aud in the value of life,
and In the right OF The world to the best
we can accomplish. Effort weil-sustained
and weli-directed- IL the victory,
But would you seek sshorter way? Then
use Longing as your guide post. 1t
leads by dream paths to golden glories
that vanish when you awake. 1t woos
you with dsxzled eyes out into a dresry
desert and leaves you to enjoy the sub
stance OF mirage. 1t weakens your
msnliness, for action, not longing, IL lie.
Far better to toll the pat that has been
proved by ali ages.
The strong those " no make the
most OF lie 1t comes to them; who
spurn indolencc ~ they would scorpions;
who turn the defeats OF HE into more
certain victories by struggling on when
all seems lost: " no yield to neither diff
cuitie- nor dissppotntmcats, not because
they stop to argue out advantages, but
because the spirit OF n true man despises
yielding cannot yield. These are the
ones " no stand serene after great resist =
ing-, whose deeds-no matter about
mems ndmes!-are woven into every
progress. and hose freely spent efforts
are the secret OF human trtumphs. They
are good company, hoin no perishahie
book shall ever fully record, but whose
works 1--we Though the hands that
wrought be dead.
Herein Is your hope and mine, humble
men OF purpose. Shall We credit Luther
with the rotor nation? mol rather he
resistie-sly through the awakening Euro.
pean giant. Without that dumb cry for
freedom OF thought "a cry that WAS not
solely a religious protest. he might we'll
have fingered within he scholastic walls
OF Wittenberg. Shall We paint the
signers OF our Declaration as heroes?
Yes, II you will. Yet surely they came to
ha
opinion back OF them, and this WAS made
up OF those nsneie-s yet conscientious
elements OF a country's life that are the
substratum and the very substance also
OF ali great forward movements. And, on
the other hand, shall we credit Alaric
with disrupttng the Roman empire? MOI
his strength consisted in the weakness OF
hi. enemies Who rsjsei 10 Heaven by
their privileges, brought themselves down
to destruction; not by the wlckedhe-- OF
any one man, but 10y h. general upright
eousne-- aud consequent feebiene-s of
the many
Alas! the strong and the weak together
make up nation, and IT. cont tnuoas
power is pos,ibc nniy by II" Increase OF
the strong and dscreHss OF the weak.
The weak are those who d. not utilize life
to the fan; who, loving the comfort Of
the hot house, perish At the -incvre enid
ings OF the north wind; who crumbie like
sand rsmpsrts Mt the tfr-t touch OF the
ocean Of testing hat all characters must
endure II they ~uuld hr true; " hn seek
for themselves tue quiet inches OF ME,
sat fled TO torcgu tne huuos- II only they
eau escape the striving tnat precede
honor; who, like trep'c -"vHsr-, are CON
tent with food secured WilhoIt labor aud
doOcGtIsrMfnt5.