The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-05-02
Mental Cultivation.
THIRD. PAPER.

X want the fruits of philosophy
L without giving any attention
to the soil from which they
spring, come all the baleful blunders
that have made philosophy a term of
reproach in the world. Epicureanism,
anarchism, slavery, free-love and
atheism, are all perversions of phi
losophy, due to attempts to use the
mind before developing it. Mental
activity is too frequently mistaken for
mental usefulness, whereas it is one of
the commonest of human faults. There
is pestilent notion that to use ones
mind is praiseworthy, no matter what
the purpose or result may be, as long
as the user does not pass the boundary
lines fixed by the police. Gas did,
Great facility IN expressing ideas, no
matter how reprehensible the idea may
be, is dignifed by the name genius"
and those who hear this appelation
applied to themselves imagine that
they who use it must know what they
are talking about. Against such use
of the mind the; reader must earnestly
guard, for it tends in the direction of
lunacy-not philosophy 1t may not
lead one to the asylum, but it places
him in the class of people called cranks.
Even if he gets good idea, the crank
is not sure OF -etaining it, for his mind
is not clear and receptive-it has not
been developed.
Then is one never to form opinions,
or to adopt other mems opinions, or
read treatises on mental or moral
philosophy until he has what may be
called new mind? Yes; in the nature
of things, opinions must be formed or
adopted almost every day about the
affairs of everyday life, all of which
are important in their place. If man
has work of any kind to do and only a
rusty tool to do it with, he must do the
best he can for the time being; but how
many men are there who cannot say,
on looking back into their own lives:
"Ah. if at that time had better axe!
If all my land had been entirely clear!"
Beyond doubt the best method of de-
veloping the human mind is to acquire
that entire openness and honesty of
heart that comes through Christian
belief and practice. Some men who
are masters of all points of Christian
doctrine, are yet seriously blameworthy
in action, but the clearness of heart
and the love of truth of the millions to
whom Christianity is life as we'll as
a belief make the mind peculiarly
sensitive and receptive. Unbelievers
of all times have sneered at defenders
of the faith who did not practice what
they preached, but the veriest atheist
contemplates with unalloyed respect
the simplest man whose longing for
righteousness has really resulted in
what is called a change of heart. Like
good soil, which receives all seed and
enables it to yield "some thirty, some
sixty, scme an hundred fold," the open
mind, cleared of all that prevents the
good seed from striking root, is sus-
ceptible to every good influence that
reaches it. Nothing is repelled or
allowed to wither and die.
Without mind in such condition, a
man may think much and acutely, but
as long as the tree is known by it's
fruit, so long will the lack of properly
developed mind result in sophisms and
fallacies. Minds differ in strength as
zone star differeth from another in
glory" and not every one who prepares
himself to receive the good seed with
gladness can be,s sure of equaling some
of his fellow-beings in results, but so
far as his capabilities 60, he will bring
forth only that which is good.
| Now in closing this article will say
that after the mind is properly de-
veloped comes the duty of training and
controlling the mental powers, but
development is first necessary, and as