Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-06-22

| iuR tuo udi n dtIdy vi tuelT iuIiouS
enemies which hemmed them in
on every side, they triumphantly
rose to the occasion and sang
"God Save the Queen" and with
this their morituri salutamus, they
went down before the wild rush of
their assailants. The world ad-
mires a good fighter but forgets
him, but all the world was lasting
ly moved by this heroic awaken
ing of these hardened warriors in
their desperate extremity to an
inspiration of patriotic loyalty.
Is life for an idea worth while,
do you askp l answer yes, if the
idea is a noble one. 1t is true
that one following such life is
likely to be misunderstood; to be
unappreciated, perhaps to be per-
secuted. In olden times they
crucified the ldealists, or burnt
them at the stake; yet it is such
lives that have led humanity to
higher and broader conditions of
living and have slowly and surely
schooled public sentiment out of
dishonor, shame and cruelty into
a state which promises much for
those wards of humanity, women,
children, the poor, the sick and
the brute creation. Dying they
have left behind them immortal
influences which sway the senti
ment of mankind with ever in
creasing power. Is not this sue
cessp 1t does not of necessity re-
quire worldwide influence. The
most humble environment is
broad enough.
Read the story of Adam Bede,
humble carpenter in an out.of-
the-way country village, where
little happened. Yet his life was
full of lasting power over the
small community within the cir
Gle of his influence. The genius
of the great novelist found
inspiration in it for perhaps
her best work of fiction.
Similar to this is the record of
many men and women unknown
to fame, living their humble lives
with pure hearts open to the
thronging influences of the uni
verse and becoming thereby wise
in the important things of life;
seers they are because their vision
is untangled as to questions of
right and wrong and so as to con
siderations of vast moment. They
are the strong ones on whom all
would fain lean in trouble or
danger.
The world appreciates a life that
is subordinsted to a noble ideal,
for it understands that it is in the
service of humanity. Yet the
world, with its dull vision and it's
crowding material interests, is
slow to recognize such life. One
generation builds monuments to
the prophets which a previous
generation has killed The time
comes, however, when the life for
an ideal purpose is recognized
and its sphere of influence rises
on mankind. Jesus stood for the
higher life of man, and became the
victim of the teachers of tradition
and ritual who held the ecclesiast-
ic monopoly, and His life went
out in apparent failure. When
the world, however, began to und.
erstand the ideal which He not
only taught, but lived, it saw
that this meant dignity and
progress for humanity. This
the world perceived dimly at first,
and it is only slowly learning to
appreciate the meaning and pro-
mise of that Life to mankind.
The more it is contemplated the
more do its inexhaustible moral
and spiritual resources sway the
human soul.
Joan of Arc, though poor and
ignorant, was, in the purity and
innocence of her character, pecu-
liarly open to the spiritual in.
huences of the unseen world.
They came to her clear and strong
like angel voices, and their utter.
ances distinctly were "your coun-
try is in peril, 60 rescue it." The
obstacles of sex, youth, mex
perience and poverty all became
finally of no moment in the holy
glow of patriotism that inspired
her soul. France in the lethargy
of encouragement, crippled for
want of a leader, aroused at her
summons and followed her banner