The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-08-13

liquid, and II he were directed to take
only teaspoonful after each meal,
would be so anxious to make sure work
he would take tablespoonful, and IT
directed to take tablespoonful, would
take glassful.
But some of you would have to go
back further than 81 years of age to
make fair start, for there are many
who manage to get all wrong before
that period. Yea, in order to get a
fair start, some would have to go back
to the father and mother and get them
corrected; yea, to the grandfather and
grandmother and have their life cor
rected, for some of you are suffering
from bad hereditary influences, which
started hundred years ago. Well, il
your grandfather lived his life over
again, and your father lived his life
over again, and you lived your life
over again, what cluttered-up place
| this world would be-a place filed with
miserable attempts at repairs. | be-
gin to think that it is better for each
generation to have only one chance,
and then for them to pass off and
give another generation a chance. Be-
sides that, if we were permitted to live
life over again it would be stale and
stupid experience. The zest and spur
and enthusiasm of life come from the
fact that we have never been along
this road before, and everything is
| ID ~. 80, hot IN
pear at the next turn of the road. Sup
pose you, a man of middle or old age,
were, with your present feelings and
large attainments, put back into the
thirties, or in the twenties, or in the
teens, what a nuisance you would be
to the others and what an unhappiness
TO yourself! Your contemporaries
would not want you, and you would
not want them. Things that in your
previous journey of life stirred
your healthful ambition, or gave
you pleasurable surprise, or led you
into happy Interrogation, would only
call forth from you a Disguised 20,
pshaw" You would be blase at 80,
and a misanthrope at 40, and unen-
durable at so. The most inane and
stupid thing imaginable would be a
second journey of life. 1t is amusing
to hear people say: II would like to
live my life over again, if l could take
my present experience and knowledge
of things back with me and begin un.
der those improved auspices" Why
what an uninteresting boy you would
be with your present attachments in a
child's mind. No one would want such
a boy around the house-a philosopher
at 20, a scientist at Is, an archaeologist
at 10, and domestic nuisance all the
time. An oak crowded into an acorn
A Rocky mountain eagle thrust back
into the egg-shell from which it was
Matched.
Besides that, if you took life over
again you would have to take it's deer
sadnesses over again. Would you want
to try again the griefs and the heart
breaks and the bereavements through
which you have gone? What mercy
that we shall never be called to suffer
them again! We may have others bad
enough, but those old ones never again
Would you want to go through the
process of loosing your father again
or your mother again, or your compan
ion in life again, or your child again
If you were permitted to stop at the
sixtieth milestone, or the tiftieth mile
stone, or the fortieth mile-sone, and re
trace your steps to the twentieth, you
experience wonld be something
like mine, one Novem Der da!
in Italy. walked through F,
great city with a friend and TIVE
guides, and there were in all the cit,
only four persons, and they were thos
of our own group. We went up ant
down the streets; we entered tn
houses, the museums, the temples, tn
theaters. We examined the wonder
full pictures on the walls and the mos
, exquisite mosaic on the floor. In tn
streets were the deep-worn ruts o
wagons, but not wagon in the city
On the front steps of mansions tn
word "Welcome in Latin, but no hui
! man beings to greet us. The onl
bodies of any of the citizens that w
saw were petrified and in the museum
at the gates. OF the $4,000 people VIII
once lived in those homes and wor
SHIPPED in those temples and clappe
in those theaters, not a one left! Flo
$3.50 years that city OF Pompeii ha
been buried before modern exploration
scooped out of it the lava of Vesuviut
Well, he who should be permitted t
return on the pathway of bis earthl
life and live it over again would find a
lonely and sad a pilgrimage. 1t woul
be an exploration of the dead past
The old schoolhouse, the old church
the old home, the old playground
! either gone or occupied by others, an
, for you more depressing than was GU
, Pompeiian visit that November day.
Besides that, would you want to ris
, the temptations of life over again
r From the fact that you are here l cor
, clude that, though in many respect
, your life may have been unfortunat
and unconsecrated, you have got on s
far tolerably well, if nothing NOR
) than tolerable. AS for myself, thong
my life has been far from being g
/, consecrated to God as l would like t
e have had it, would not want to try
. over again, lest next time l would
worse
| Why, Just look at the temptation
we have all passed through. and jul
look at TIE multitudes who have gon
j. completely under! just call over tn
a roll of your schoolmates and colles'