The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-06-12

an enthusiasm for knowledge. So
when I came to know her l found out
that after all she was beautiful. There
are SO many women with beautiful
faces and common souls that it is a
rare pleasure to meet with a woman
with a common face and beautiful
soul.
Old DR.. Samuel Johnson, the great
mogul of English literature, was a
massive and heroic spirit; yet what
body was he housed in! Here is what
Boswell says of him:
when at table he was totally absorbed
In the business of the moment; his looks
seemed riveted to his plate; nor would be,
unless when in very high company, say one
word, or even pay the least attention to
what was said by others, till he had satisfied
his appetite, which was SO fierce, and in
dulged with such intentness, that while in
the act of eating the veins of his forehead
swelled, and generally strong perspiration
was visible" ......=- ..
Again Boswell says:
while talking, or even musing as he sat
in his chair he commonly held his head to
one side, toward his right shoulder, and
shook it in a tremulous manner, moving his
u,
his left knee in the same direction with the
palm of his hand. In the intervals of ar
ticulating he made various sounds with his
mouth; sometimes as if ruminating, or what
is called chewing the cud, sometimes giving
a half-whistle, sometimes making his
tongue play backward and forward from
the roof of his mouth. chuckling like hen.
and sometimes protruding it against his up
per gums in front, as if pronouncing under
his breath, too, too, too, all this accompa-
MED sometimes with thought look, but
more frequently with smile. Generally
when he had concluded period in the
course of dispute, by which time he was
good deal exhausted by vociferation, he
used to blow out his breath like whale
Your manners may be prefect, and
you may have none of these obnoxious
traits, and yet you may be much less
a real man than Samuel j Johnson.
All visible things are but symbols of
some unseen reality. There is build
ing you call courthouse. 1t is'but a
flag, sign that stands for a certain
idea in the human mind called justice,
or law. Take that idea out of that
mind and before a month is over men
will begin to take down the court
house, stone from stone, and arrange
it to express another idea. Your
church building is but word Of stone
and brick to express the invisible idea
of worship. Your schoolhouse is but
a mark to indicate the idea of educa-
ton. Eliminate the thought of wor-
ship and education from the human
mind and straightway churches and
l. &c sr{ {r,
livery stables and packing houses.
If this be true of the ordinary things
about us, how much more true it is of
the stupendous framework we call the
universe! The visible universe is also
sign; God is the reality; stars and
worlds constitute His garment, some
time to be laid aside outworn. Addi-
son sings of the sun, moon and stars,
giving voice to God:
What though in solemn silence all
Move round this dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Among the splendid orbs be found?
In reasons ear they all rejoice
And utter forth glorious voice. az
Forever singing as they shine:
The hand that made us is divine
How can there be those who say that
this world is without mind to move
it and control it? How can men not
believe in the spiritualities? / would
rather believe all the fables of mythol-
ogy, all the stories. in Grimm's fairy
tales, and all the childish crudities of
the superstitious ages past. / would
rather make my soul highway of
spooks, and suspect the existence of
elves, gnomes, hobgoblins and witches,
than to believe the horrid lie that
there is no reality but mud, or to be-
lieve that dead matter can secrete
ideas of beauty, of nobility and of
God.
All true greatness lies in the invisi-
Bile world. 1t is of ideas, not of things.
Your real stature is measured by
what you are and what you think, and
not by what you possess. Ideas alone
are worth while. We sometimes say:
"That is only an idea," as if an idea
were some small thing and the reality
were something greater. A young
man once came to Joseph Pulitzer, of
the New York World, applying for a
position. "What can you do?" said
Mr.. Pulitzer. 81 do not know" an
swered the young man. 81 am grad
uate of Harvard. have nothing but
IDEAS 'Ideas. Ideas!" exclaimed
Mr.. Pulitzer, dropping his pen and
throwing up his hands. THAT is just
what 7 am 10 oking for. / will give
you salary of $1,000 year if you will
give me one idea by which I can in
crease the circulation of the World
hundred thousand copies!" Then
the young man came to himself and
realized that he did not have so many
ideas after all. s.-
If you have something in your mind,
some greatness in your heart, never
fear, but all visible things will rush
to your aid that you may express it.
The ancients had fable that the city
of Thebes was built by Orpheus play
ing upon his lutte. This is more than
q, fable. All things are built so. Here
is this house in which we are How did
it come into existence? will tell you.
Once an invisible spirit had an inyis-
ib1e, intangible thought - just a
thouoht an airy nothing sIJch stuff