The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-26
COLUMN,
Is Chance All?
ICleopatra's Nose-had 1T been she

Is Chance All?
[Cleopatra's Nose-had it been shorter. the
face of the world had been changed.-Pacal.l
In such an epigrammatic way does
the great philosop' er mean to tell us of
the lightness of the CHARGE upon which
hang our destinies. Had Cleopatra not
been of such gracious presence and un-
rivalled beauty, the mad lnfatuation OF
Anthony had not taken place and the
history of the world might have drifted
into other channels.
But would it? Is there not some.
thing grander and greater in the history
of man, is there not purpose running
through the whole, which rises superior
to the life story of the individual OF the
nation.
To us the scroll of history seems d
cyclorama OF marvellous harmony and
intense purpose In this picture some
figures stand in striking outline, still
the impression fingers with us that any
other set of features might have served
tie painters turn as we'll.
The scroll unfolds from east to west.
We see the mighty peoples of the east:
the colorings dimmed by age. the out
lines almost gone, hintings of lost arts
which still remain a mystery, legends
of vast empires both of domain and
thought, peoples who had to combat
the same difficulties, overcome the same
obstacles and solve the same problems
with which we contend today. The
color scheme is red. Red blood that
drips from every page of history, blood
that tells the story of every human adj
vancement.
In all the picture there is but one face
hat shows eternal peace. The face of
the Christ looks down as a powerful
beacon light Illuminating the succeed
ing centuries, a light that COWS bright
er as the object recedes. But even in
this effulgence there are streaks of
blood, where the hand of man has left
its imprint upon tn Divine intention.
Nations have swept on in their
course, swinging like comets in eccen-
trio orbits, and who shall say that they
shall not, like the comets come still
again and again across the line of the
world vision.
1t was the destiny of Judea to give
the world christianity Every detail
of its history leads up to the birth of
Christ and when its mission was &C
complisbed, Judea, like the mother
dying at the birth of her child, passed
from the scene. Greece gave us the
beginnings of art and philosophy and
died. Rome gave US the idea of strong
central government and was the copper
wire through which the electric cur
rent of thought passed from east to
west. Then Rome died in its turn.
The Celts and then the Teutons next
carried on the action and for the pres.
ent the destinies of the world a.e in
their hands. 1t has been their mission
to improve the science of government,
to advance industrial pursuits and
above all to dignity labor. Edwin
Markham's picture of 1.-THE Man With
the lIoe,' borne down by centuries of
wrong, is not together untrue. The
story Of the emancipation of labor has
been long and bitter one. but it has
been one of continual progress, and
gradually the individual is becoming
recognized as unit to be respected of
all men.
1t has been the mission of Anne RIGA
to emphasize the power of the indivld-
ual in government and to carry on the
work of industrial progress begun in
Germany and France and England.
1t is presumptuous, however, for us
to believe that we are the Ultima Thule
for which all history has been striving.
May it not be that we too shall play
our part and die? May we not in turn
give way to the Jap, the Russ or some
people yet comparatively unknown?
And should we do so, who can say but
that we have filled our space on the
canvass with dignity and honor, who
can say but that we have acted well
our part2
The universal purpose which ami
mates ali history has led and is leading
all nations into channels unthought of
even by themselves. Nations as we'll
as men often rear children only to see
them outgrow restraint and control.
The Franks and Cloths outgrew Rome,
America outgrew England. South
America outgrew Spain and South
Africa seems to have outgrown British
control. some day the Philippines may
outgrow America. When they do, we
should not say them nay, but rather
rejoice that the child of civilization to
when our republic has given birth has
grown to the stature of manhood and
is ready to carry on its part of the uni.