The people's recorder. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1893-1925, 1898-03-19

HOE. IitS lucl We W. SSSES tllnk 10 pfolOnH
it. Homes MI sanitary regulations, nii
study OF hygiene, all fear OF d%raughts, nll
wuI-rproots, Ill doctors, NIL medicines, all
Struggle In crisis or Incident. Au Admiral
for turning his ship around in timo OF dan
ger. and so damaging the ship. 1t was
proved against him. But when his time
came to be heard no snid: Gentlemen, I
did turn tho ship around, and admit that 1t
was damaged but do you wunt to know
why l turned It? There was IL man over
bonrd, and I wanted to save him. and I did
save him. aud I consider tho life Of ono
Navy No wonder he was yindicatcd.
Lifo is indeed very precious. Yea, there
are those who deem lifo SO precious tloy
would like to try it over ;1gnin. Thcy would
sixty to fifty, from fifty to forty, frcm forty
to thirty, and from thirty to twenty.
'Thc ftct is, that no Intelligent and right
feeling man is satisfied with his past life.
been, you arc not satisfied with it. What
is success? Ask that question Of II hundred
different men, and they will give IL nun
drcu different answers. Ono man will say,
Success is IL million d%ollars;' another will
say, Success is worldwide publicity;' I'M
Otllor will say. Success is gaining TINT
which you startud for But us it Is Il fruo
country. l give my own definition. and
say, Success is fulfilling tho p%articular
mission upon which you were sent, whether
to write n constitution, or inven. Il now
style OF whcclbarrow, or take cnrc Of II sick
chilli DO whit God calls you to do, and
you arc n success, whether you leave n
million dollars ut death or are buried ut
public expense, whether 1t takes fifteen
pages OF IN encyclopedia to tell the Won
derful things You have done, or your numo
is never printed but once, and that in tho
death column. But whatever your success
Inns been, you arc not satisfied Will, your
life.
But some Of you would have to 20 back
further than to twcnty-onn years OF age to
mako u fnir start, for there uro many who
manage to get NIL wrong bcrorct that period.
Yea, in order to get Il fair start, some would
| llavo to go back to the father and mother
and get them corrcctcd; yea, to tho grand
fatlicr and grandmother, ana have their
1lfo corrected. for some of you arc suffering
from bad hereditary influences which
started Il hundred years ago. Well, ifvOur
grandfather lived his life over again, anil
your father lived his lifo over again, and
you lived your life over again. whit n clut-
tcrGu-up place this world would bc-a place
filed with miserable attempts nj repairs.
l begin to think that it IS better for each
generation to have only ono chance, uni
then for them to pass Off ind give another
generation Il chance. Besides that, il we
wcro permitted to 1.-Two lifo over again, it
would he a stale, and stupid experience.
Tho zcst and spur and enthusiasm Of lilo
como from tho fnct that wo hnvc never
been along this road before, md every
thin. is new, and wo arc alert for what may
appear mt the next turn Of the road. Sup
pose you, IL mar OF middlc-Iifo or old age,
were, with your present feelings AMI largo
uttuinmcntS, put bnck into the thirtics, or
tla twentics, or into the tens, what II nni-
snnce you would be TO others, ana what IN
unhnppincss to yourself! Your contenpor-
aries would not want you, and you would
not want tllem. Things that in your prc-
vions journey OF life stirred your hcalti,fnI
ambition, or gave you plcasurnbio surprise,
or led you into happy Interrogation, would
1 nnItr N fOpth - ~, ,ro,t a S t'I-H
pshnw!' You would DO blnse Mt thirty, and
a misanthropc Mt forty, md uncomfortable NJ
!il.ST. Tho most insane and. stupid thing
inh5.H"hlc would be- Il second journey OF
"Out yondcr Is n man very old Mt forty
Hyears Of ago. ut IL time when he ought to- ~,
Bt,oyant rs the If.ofnfpg. He got bad habits
on Iim very carly, nbd those habits havo
with alcoholism. on fire With III SavIl habits,
out with the world and tho world out with
him.. Down, and falling deeper. His
swollen hands in his threndbare pockets.
and his eyes fixed on the ground, he passes
through the streets, and the quick step Of
IN innocent child or tho strong step OF n
young man or tho roll Of II prosperous car
rtaSe maddcns him, and lo curses society
md he curses God, Fallen sick, with no
resources, he Is carried to tho ulmshousr,
4 lontilsomc spectacle, he lies all day long
waiting for dissolution, or in tho night
rises on his cot and fights apparitions Of
what he might have been ,and what no will
be. Ile startc life with rs good u Dros.
! poet rs any man OH the American continent.
md there Ir is, Il lloateu carcass, waiting
Tor tho s;:ovcis Of public c!laritY to put him
i've feet under. in has only reaped what
llc sow"d. Harvest of wild oats! There is
i way that sccmcth right to Il man, but the
cna thereof Is DEATH
TO others lille is Il masquerade hnll, ana
~ ut such entertainments gentlemen and
ladies put on the S"rh Of Kings and Queens
or fnnnnfr sDnES or rlnnync upl st tI,, II 49,,
put OH the disguise. so Il great MANY p:ies
their wholo life in Il mask, thkits OF :lr
mask ut death. While the masquerade ball
OF lIf" goes on, they trip mcrriIy over tho
hand. cleaning brow bends to cleaning
brow. Oh with tho dance! E!u4,: a",. rus
tie AMI laughter OF immeasurable merry
n'akins. Ent after awhile tho lansuor of
rSesiGht. Lights lower. Floor hollow |
with sen'iichral echo. Music saIlcncd in !
to II wall. Lights lower. Now tho mnsk- |
rrs are only seen in the dim light. Now tho
fragrance of the flowers is like the sicknn- !
Ing odor that comes from garlan!.i that
have lain long III tho vaults Of c":nrtrries. |
lights lower. Mists gather in tho ron@.
t~;lassrs shake rs though quakcd by sudden
thunder. SiGh cnusht in the curtain. |
scarf drops from til" shoullrr of beauty IL
s,roud. Lights lower. Over tho SLIPPERY
boards in dance of dealt. glide jcnlou,ics, |
clvics, rcvcngeS, lnst, despair and death. |
%trncI OF lamp-wicks almost extinsri*hcd.
Torn "arlanis will not half cover tho u,- !
ccrated feet. Choking dalnps. Chili;mcss. ,
Feet still. Hands closed. Voices bus,ed. |
Eyes Shut. Lights out.
Young man, rs you cnnnot live Iic over /
again, however you may long oiG0 50, .o
sure to have your one life right. There Is |
Nin this assembly, l wot not, fot we nre
nude up OF MI sections OF this land md
from many lands, some young man who |
has gone away from homo anil, rca,aps
II NIL nm Z ~ ~ -.sI 1