The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1899-03-18

call 10 MIND an old Latin maxim
from Horace, underlying the whole pa.
gan philosophy, ancient and modern
MI GdnirGri, Can it be SOP Won.
der at nothing? Never to be melted
to tones or thoughts of rapture or of
reverence? That sentiment is worthy
OF pagan, worthy only of him. Let
it be with us exactly the reverse. Do
you not expect that the soul without
enthusiasm will be but sad and sor.
rowful failure-barren of results. q
mast not be indifferent! herein is the
foundation of success. We are small
creatures, the largest of us, aud our
only chance of becoming great is by
participation in the greatness of the
universe. 1t is very bad thing to be-
gin to criticlse. This might be excus.
able in some old, worn out cynic, but it
is intOlerable in the mouth of hope
full youth. There is no good to be
looked for, from young people who
having done nothing great themselves
set up practice of finding fault with
other peoples work and call this prac.
tice OF finding fault, criticism. Our
first lesson should be not to find fault,
but TO perceive beauties. Only An old
soldier can tell how battles ought to be
fought. These are strong words, but
nevertheless they are true ones.
Real enthusiasm is infectious. And
by this is not meant that quality re-
ferred to sometimes by the word in its
cheapened sense. 1t is not a simple
spasmOdic bubbling exciting only the
surface of the soul. 1t is not shallow
stream, where, if vessel were placed
upon its surface, it would seek the bot
tom, but is rather the mighty deep,
bearing upon its bosom the navies of
the world. 1t is this which has ever
been the majestic thrObbing in all he
rOic souls. This, through days of dark
ness and encouragement has nerved
great spirits for their struggles, until,
at last, the success was won. Enthu-
siasm often becomes contagious. We
have seen this manifested at times in
great assemblies. The enthusiasm
which fires the speaker seems to reach
out, clutch his audience and inspire
them with his own great faith and pur
pose. Sheridan riding through the
Shenandoah valley exalted that some
thing which made all the difference
between victory and defeat. Breathed
into the soldiers, it turned the tide of
battle. Advantages were less than be-
| fore. The odds were more against
them. There was simply one new fac.
tor, that utterance of Sheridan. But
the something implied in that utter
ance was revelation. 1t sliced all
ranks and all orders of men, swept
through the valley like a whirlwind,
made those under its influence irresist-
IDLE and won the day. AS regards this
influence of one person upon another
there are certain natures with which it
is impossible for one to come into con-
tact, without feeling ennobled and lift
ed up into higher region of thoughts
and aims than that in which he is
prone to dwell Artists have felt this
power. The genius Of Haydn, for in
stance, was fired by Handel. And
Haydn himself believed that he never
would have composed the Creation
had he not heard Handel play.
The coming in contact with a great
person would have far greater ipflUeDct
than the reading of one of his ,bes
works. For, if the living person were
to come across our path, he would car
ry with. him an influence which W.
could not esCape,5that is, Of course, il
we are capable of being affected in
noble way, for the Blind do not see an(
the deaf do not hear. How in contras
to the influence of these gifted sONls,i
the influence of certain other peopl
whom we all know. They are well ed
ucated, finely trained, but there is il
them no light and no heat. The
stand apart. cold, stately, glittering
"faultily faultless," but solitary AM
alone. Youth is not drawn toward
them. In fact, no one is. They them
selves possibly are amazed to find it So
but the human heart instinctivel
knows its teacher and cannot be dc
ceived. 1t has been said that no grea
teachers really do their work by impos
ing their principles upon their scholar
Nor let any of us imagine that we ca
impress upon others the thought whic
- ,,.nrAnrnh nnrcnluns md take