The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-12-02
THE BETTER THAN THE BEST.

T IS told of Mr.. George w. Chds that when he was be-
ginning his long management of the Public Ledger his
foreman called his attention to the excellence one of
the early issues with the air of having reached the stand
ard OF what such paper should be- "That and better will
do Mr. Childs reply. He appreciated what had been
accomplished but he felt there still better before him
and the foreman, and toward that he would strive And his
newspaper lay that feeling that there was
still better than the best he had DONE and that he must con-
tinue strive toward it.
That feeling indeed is the key real success in any kind
Of work The writer the artist the public speaker
fully satisfied with what he has attained and feels no impulse
toward better than his has reached the limits of his
attainment 1t is the function OF true criticism hold up the
highest standard to all Of these and make them work toward
the ideal achievement The absence of such criticism NAV be
fatal them. What called the New York period of our
iteraturea which is bounded by Washington vings be-
gnnngs in 1905 and the dawn of Hawthorne in 1S3z-was
characterized by the emergenCe Of young men of real
promise Not of them realized the promise and fulfilled
the hopes he had excited There was adequate criticism
then make them compare what they had done with what
they ought have DONE and to tell THAT and better"
would do. So they acquired the trick easy content and
rested their scanty aure without producing masterpieces
Those who take upon themselves the work of addressing
popular audiences are especially liable to slip here The
Young preacher who has made less preparation for his puIn
than usual and feels that his was hardly no TO the
mark is certain to have tell him that the finest
sermon he preached and thus he gets announcement n
make light of preparation That is the swift way down hill
for him. He thinks, THAT will do and torgets 'he bet
ter which he enemy OF the good tas French saw
The same temptation to him from those who want
Gust short talk for which he need make any prepara
ton" The speaker who is TO succeed makes up his mind
that do the best he is capable every time he tries TO
address an audience II he lets himself down from that he
beaten
In morals it is especially true that 'tha and better will
do The of getting forward spiritual growth is in
dwelling not what have attained to- but on what we
have fallen short Of Saint Paul might fairly count himself
as having achieved something for the great objects of living
yet he depicts his attitude OF mind OF constant
stretching forward to what he had reached and forgetting
that his Master told His disciples themselves good
for-nothngs when they had done their best
Miss Cobbe points this the Christian attitude OF
mind compared with that Of the antique world The Greek
said 81 have thought the true, have done what good,
have achieved what is right The Christian says Oh that
could do these things Infinite aspiration such SYM
bolized by Gothic architecture, characerzes all Christian
civilization. There is better beyond its best. There is
perfect standard Of excellence it has reached lays its
emphasis the good achieved but the good still
You'd reach the better than the best haveRo6e17 rms
THOMPSON IN Saturday E9ening Post