Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-07-23

started 100 years ago. Well, if 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 filled with miserable
attempts at repairs. I begin to think
that it is bettor for each generation to
have only one chance, and then for
them to pass off and give another gen.
Grafton chance. Besides that, If we
were permitted to live life over again,
it would bo a stale and stupid expert
ence. The zcst and spur and enthusiasm
Of life come from the fact that we have
never been along this road before and
everything is new and we are alert for
what may appear at the next turn Of
the road. Suppose you, q man Of mid
life or old age, were, with your present
feelings and large attainments, put back
into tho thirtics OR the twenties or in
the teens, what nuisance you would
be to others and what an unhappiness to
yourselfl 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 sur
prise or led you into happy interroga-
ton, would only call forth from you q
disguised "Oh, pshawl" You would DO
blaso at 80 and misanthropo at 40 and
uncomfortable at so. Tho most inane and
stupid thing imaginable would BIO O SEQ
ond journey of life. 1t is amusing to
hear people say, I would like to live
my life over again, If l could take my
present experience and knowledge Of
things back with mo and begin under
those improved auspices. I" Why, what
i'm embarrassing boy you would BIO with
your present attainments in child's
mind. No one would want such boy
around tho houso-a philosopher at 20,
n scientist at 10, an archGologist at 10
and domestic nuisance oil the time.
An oak crowded into an acorn. a Rocky
mountain eagle thrust back into the
eggshell from which it was Matched.
Sorrows Twice Endured.
Besides that, If you took life over
again you would have to take its deep
sadnesses over again. Would you want to
try again the gricfs and the heartbreaks
and the bereavements through which
you have gone? What mercy that we
shall never BIO 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
losing your father again, or your mother
again, or your companion in life again,
or your child again? If you were per-
mitted to stop at the sixtieth milestone,
or the fiftieth milestone, or the fortieth
milestone and retrace your steps to the
twentieth, your experience would be
something like mine one November day
in Italy. l walked through great city
with ii friend and two guides, and there
were in all the city only four persons,
and they were those Of our own group.
We went up and down the streets. we
entered tho houses, the museums, the
temples, the theaters. We examined the
wonderful pictures on the walls and the
NEST exquisite mosaic on the floor. In
the streets were the deep worn ruts of
wagons, but not 4 wagon in the city.
On the front steps Of mansions tho word
"Welcome" in Latin, but no human be-
ing to greet us. The only bodies OF any
of the citizens that wo saw were petri-
fed and in the museum at the gates. OF
the 85, 900 people who once lived in
those homes and worshiped in those
temples and clapped in those theaters
not one left For 1900 years that city
of Pompcii had been buried before
modern exploration scooped out Of 1t
the lava Of vesuvius Well, he who
should be permitted to return on the
pathway Of his earthly life and live it
over again would find as lonely and sad
q pilgrimage. It would be an explora-
ton of the dead past The old school
house, the old church. the old home,
the old playground, either gone or &C.
cupied by others, and for you more de-
pressing than was our Pompeiian visit
that November day.
Besides that, would you want to risk
the temptations Of life over again?
From the fact that you are here 1 con-
cludo that though in many respects your
life may have been unfortunate and I'M
corsecrated you have got on SO far toll
erably we'll, if nothing moro than toler-
able. As for myself, though my life has
been far from being as consecrated to
God as would like to have it, I would
not want to try It over again. lest next
time would do worse.
Better Go Forward.
Why, just look at the temptations we
have all passed through and just look at
the multitudes who have gone COM
pletely under Just call over the roll of
your schoolmates and college mates, the
clerks who were with you in the same
store or bank, or the operatives in the
same factory, with just as good pros
poets as you, who have come to COM
plete mishap. Some young man that
told you that be was going to be mil
lionaire and own the fastest trotters on
the turnpike and retire by the time he
was 30 years Of age, you do not hear
from for many years and know nothing
about him until some day ho comes into
YOUR store and asks for 5 cents to get
mug of beer.
You, the good mother Of household.
and ull your children rising up to call
you blessed, can remember when you
were quite Jealous Of the belle OF the
village, who was SO transcendently fair
and popular. But while you have these
Two honorable and queenly names OF
wife and mother, she became poor
waif of the street and went into the
blackness of darkness forever. Live life
over again? Why, if many Of those who
are respectable were permitted to ex-
pertinent, the next journey would be
demolition. You get through, as Job
says, by the skin Of your teeth. Next
time you might not get through at all
Satan would say, 1T know him now
better than I did before and have for 90
years been studying his weaknesses and
will weave a stronger web of circum-
stances to catch him next time" And