Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-19

SCOTT bOWNE, chemists, rev iVA'
His fortunate brother, who finds bowl
Of honey near at hand, dives in and Is
all messed up and sickened with sweet
ness stuffed, benumbed, enfeebled, be-
sotted.
This worlds high enjoyments were
never appointed for greed and
selhshness: rather for the little ones that
live from hand to mouth, from the hand
of God. In very truth, the whole disci-
pine of our mortal life seems to con-
template the waking up, the quickening,
developing. and purifying OF our appe-
tltes, passions, emotions. desires, and
faculties-all the activities and suscept-
bilties OF our nature. We are to hunger
and thirst after righteousness, which is
the perfection of our being, its full life
The highest natural pleasures make
hungry where most they crafty. and en-
large our capacities for happiness In
giving us Joy. And Heaven-sent trials
and disappointments prepare as for higher
and profounder delights. on the
other hand surfeit is father to much fast.
And safety quenches and smothers
all our fires. Fulness puts us
to Sleep Fat paunches make
lean pates; and dainty bits make fat the
ribs, but quite bankrupt the wits" The
divinest delight is "insatiate yet salts
fed" Cloying Is drowning. The ten
thousand disgusts and endorsements
that big fortunes lay on their possessors
are most familiar to those who have
tried them, from Solomon down TO the
latest ennuied. To the magnate all Kind
nesses are under suspicion. To the poor
man they go down into the soul, inferred
and favored through his rough and I'M
inviting environments.
The independence and freedom and high
estate that is sought through learning
is counted more honorable, but IL almost
as thickly thronged with dissatisfactions.
stufing is stufnng, intellectual or physi-
cal. He that knew 1t all, from the
| cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that
grows under the wall, only reminds us
| of what We know, that much study Is
WEAKNESS of the flesh" Undlgested
| knowledge is an membranes Our great
progenitor, Adam, had no books, nor
| libraries, no histories. no biographies,
| and his manhood was born free; set ana
adapted for the full and continuous en-
ioyment Of his environments. The trees
| were eloquent TO him. The stones were
at peace with him and taught him. inc
| running brooks sang melodies TO him.
| His daily bread came out or the ar,
/ The face Of nature, to his SOUL renec.eu
| the goodness of God, walked up bis
noweTs. and stirred his love and admira-
| zion. Such was primeval man. he
walked with God; he comnuned with MS
| Maker and worshipped Him. But we
| have changed all that. Adam was ike
| the bee gathering honey. We now nave
| great loads of learning, great tanks OF
| knowledge. and our backs bend under our
| loads of information. And so We drudge
| along. We stuff our mouths, ana noses
| ana ewes. and ears with words, and De-
rumb all our sensibilities with learning
| we substitute what some one else mas
thought or said for what we ought 70 DC
saving or thinking. we WORK up OH
| things. We are mere secondhand SUD
stitutes shoddy. We are not our own
The regular literary men or womeh-th'
inte,lectual masses-are only apologies
| papered over; elaborateiy artlilclal anu
| thoroughly unnatural. The excessively
and unwisely learned, for the most part
differ rather in degree than kind. They
GRO made I'D of secondhand thought; In
talIactual shoddy. They are mere beasts
of hurden-some light-weights, some
hsavv-weights. Their titles are brands
Aiax asked for light. And man:
crovinq all the time Is light Ii Is MOI
GOOD that the soul be- without knowledge
The honorable soul sickens and dies un
der the pail OF ignorance. 1t rejoices IL
light. The common mind identihes DOCKS
win light and knowledge. and the edmi
ration of the crowd with the delight o
truth. 1t IL stranger TO hght ah'
life and the means thereto, and IL la
mentally set upon the knowledge ina
navs or only puffeth up, bewilders, an'
inebriates. It's qualifications are Close
20 sensuality. the delight Of tho SOUNDING
hrass and tinkling cymbal. An old PM
losopher calls light intellectual anuse
ments. "Oblectamenta otif'-mere plea
sures-wasters OF time, disslpatlhg am
weakening the mental powers, sickenln'
the sensibilities, and confounding IN
sonl II heavy and indigestib!e knoll
edge weighs down the mind, the otne
sort scatters 1t. Unconsecrated KNOW
edge does little more for freedom thal
unblest gain for its owner.
Selfish and barren acquisitions OF weaitl
and learning. In their decisions, teacl
onIv the one lesson of vanity and Vexa
ton that comes OF all selfish humal
effort. OF all the possessors OF unpies
emoluments and honors, the story Is IN
.aue. In the fitness OF their sufi1cienc
thsv are I'm straits. And when we ar
coIied 10 lay down our unsatisfying load
tha question comes: Then whose sha
thoss things be which thou hast acquired
srha nossessor OF wealth and knowledg
has gone all to pieces. Only the OWN
Hand can gather the scattered elemen'
of his being-for the great day OF accouh