The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-06

in the world whore they shall be. Ev-
erywnere they will see in the spirits
of just men made complete the mas
ter-pieces of the infinite artist, char
aeters mere splendid than any that
this life has revealed, on which none
will be able to gaze without rapture.
But, best of all, they shall see in the
total there set before them, the ideal,
the supreme good, infinitely perfect
morally and so infinitely beautiful,
the author of all moral as of all ply
steal beauty, realizing beauty in alb
solute and incommunicable perfec-
ton. That is what the pure in heart
shall see. That, inGsed, is the chief
end of man-interpreulng the cate
chisms language, SO deep with truth
TO appreciate the eternal and its
real gloriOusness and to enjoy the
same forever"
We have thus found out that the
sense of beauty within us, like the
sense of duty within us, is the voice
of the eternal and that the fundamen-
tai tone of these voices, seemingly
two, is one and the same. The match
less arch of the armament above, its
glorious blue, its tints morning and
evening that we see not how heaven
itself can surpass, the sun, the stars.
the ten thousand varying landscapes
of spring and summer and hardly less
of winter, each so bewitching that you
feel glorified in beholding it, each has
spiritual grace Wnic-- is cleaning
forth from the innermOst depths of
uncreated beauty. They are divine
words to us, sermons in stones and
brooks and flowers and hills, which
we have no more right to ignore than
we have to stop our ears before a
prophet of God.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The thought
which we have been reviewing of the
esthetic in it's various manifestations
as just the radiance of the moral, has
both its personal lesson and it's social
lesson. The personal lesson is that in
the relation enounced we may find
true test of esthetic cultivation as real
or nominal, as deep or merely super
fetal. Real esthetic cultivation will
be in its pOssessor moral force; and
any esthetic sensibility or power
which does not thus make for right
eousness is either fraudulent or as yet
desperately feeble. The beautiful is
as yet nothing for us if it does not
move us to the good. If any of us
are interested in art, il we are touched
by beauty, and are not affected by the
spirituality of it, we are as yet but
wretched smatterers in this depart
ment of truth. Real esthetic cultiva-
ton involves insight, enabling you to
read the hieroglyphics of beauty as
we'll as it's plain script. Real esthetic
conservation is virtue and a grace.
Do not, however, repel or discourage
art novices. 1t is comfort to know
that devotion to art tends to depth.
From the moment when that devo-
ton reaches in any man the mystic
stage, SO that his soul sees vast
reaches beyond what his eye can see,
it becomes to him part and parcel of
perfect life. From being an art con-
noisseur he turns creator, the lover
and critic becoming an artist, work.
ing in himself, in his own character,
the beautiful work of God. Here is
the criterion, the test, the credential
OF membership in the great art insti-
tute of the universe. Is the mans
zeal also a spiritual JUNCTION?
The social lesson which the truth
OF the hour inculcates is that no man
or woman or community or nation
can do too much to propagate among
the people love for true art. Just
as the art work in our public schools
is jeered by many as a fad, so, no
doubt, many think of every agency
for teaching art as quite without Sc
cial significance or function, an extra
elegance for the wealthy and the leis-
urely, meant solely for such as would
themselves enjoy life but have no
wish to enrich, purify or strengthen
the life of society at large. There
could hardly be greater misconcep-
ton. The spread of esthetic taste
among the citizens is vast public
benefit worthy the patronage of every
patriot. Next after that which min.
listers to the mere necessities of life.
no expenditure of capital is of greater
social utility than that which sets
before the peoples eyes or brings to
peoples ears prominent creations of
true beauty.
Schemes for promoting art culture
are important everywhere, but in