The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-02-17
A GRAND PURPOSE.
SILENT INFLUENCE A
MONARCH.
ALL YOU CAN FOR AS MANY AS
YOU CAN.
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY "NEMo."

BY "NEMO."
Copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)
Eagerness to look at the outer ap-
pearance of great man is no real COM
pliment to his work. Willingness to
take OF his message and live it is more
to be praised. By way of illustration,
let me cite Christianity. As the CEN
turies increase in number behind us,
the vital strength of Christianity seems
q do not write of creeds but of deeds)
to increase. And / doubt not that the
worlds workers, who have learned from
The Great Worker, care less and less
for His personal appearance since
were we to behold Him as He was, like
enough we should SEQ but little cause
to admire Him. A mans work is more
than the man, and his message more
to be needed than his face. And We
gaping ones who would run hither and
thither just to 'ssee," advertise that we
as yet understand but little of what in
huence really means. Like those who
gaze upon Gagged lions, are we who
gather to stare at famous thinkers-we
have our reward we are disappointed
in both lions and men, for they are out
of their proper setting.
And those who, having aided the
thought of the day, straightway imi-
tate the freaks of the museums, show
ing themselves at every public place,
have their reward also-they are seen,
their work is judged by their facial OF
physical insignifcance (for great
thoughts are no necessary product of
magnificent brows or herculean bodles),
and they are on the way to the land of
forgotten things. Better to live un-
known and leave message for all time
hereafter, than to kill time and infu-
ence by idle paradings of self.
The ''silent influence world
of satisfaction there Is in the idea It
brings us all in as one in the onward
work of the world. The "sllent infu-
ence," soft as snow flake, gentle as
summer zephyr, despised as an earth
worm, unheeded as blade of grass, is
what is doing the work of the world.
Mightier than monarchs is the quiet
thought of the people, passing from
hamlet to hamlet and growing as it
passes more enduring than mountains
are the personal and national virtues
that are quietly and silently taught
and lived by unknown men and wo-
men more persistent than death are
the silent works done generation after
generation by the humble and unseen
done because they were right to be
done, and not because they were to be
either seen or praised of men.
Humble ones everywhere, the "silent
influence" and knowledge of its gran
deur in all history, all progress, all
morals-make the humblest Of us hum
BILE ones proud to live and eager for
more OF the patient pioddlng to which
we have hitherto been confined. We
are part of the great human body, as
much as the invisible oxygen in us Is
part of us, and like it we are exercising
definite influence for good in our
race, no matter how small or insignifi-
cant may be our effort towards wisdom
and righteousness Of life.
~
Purpose In life is like the sunshine
that comes over the hills to make the
way clear after night Of doubt and
| wandering. am not surprised that
many people find existence altogether
too confusing and give up in despair
It ls because they get into the maze Ct
liie and lose hold upon the one thread
that will guide them out into freedom
that thread is purpose.-Like the
early alchemists who always had ont
thing lacking when they tried to trans
mute metal, many of us are seeking
the philosophers stone that shall turn
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