Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-07-23
THE IDEAL LIFE.
ny Rev. Joseph SiIvermar

mere are llIHtS Nlitu we w no IuNO
lived constantly in the valleys become
dissatisfied with our surroundings,
with the commonplace scenery, the
narrow horizon and contra cted vision,
and look with envious eyes to the few
who have succeeded in climbing to the
mountain top. Then, under some sud
den spell, we summon up courage,
gather our feeble strength and at
tempt to climb the steep and rugged
ascent And when at last, after many
trials and failures, we reach the sum
NIT we are fully rewarded for our eX-
ertions by the glorious sight before us
and by the exhilaration of the upper
air.
Those in the valley can see only a
small part of the worlds wonders
here field, garden there a cavern,
a river, or lake. Upon the mountain
top the sublime and awe inspiring
prospect of the worlds wonderful de-
sign, beauty, majesty and power
bursts full upon the eye. From be-
low we saw only Il few peaks; from
above hundreds of peaks come into
view. hundreds of smaller mountains,
separated by undulations of green for
ests or by silver threads of limpid wa
ters. From below we had a limited
outlook. saw only our own confined
surroundings-a few peasants, villag-
ers, or conceited townspeople; beheid
only petty affairs of mundane life,
which seemed of such paramount i'm
portance to the dcnizens of the valley.
From the heights we have compare
lively speaking, an almost unlimited
horizon and can see at glance many
cities and villages, and in the distance
hills and valleys, rivers and lakes, and
beyond the mighty ocean embracing
all things. From above all great cities
seem but as toy villages, men and
women as tiny miniatures, and our
seemingly vast enterprises as the block
houses of children at play. Standing
there on the mountain top, in the very
presence of the Lord, as 1t We're, upon
the throne of creation, we seem to
realize a sense of our greater selves
and our larger possibilities, and to
feel that the people and the things
we have left below are but the chrysa-
lis from which we have escaped; that
the world in the valley is but the step
ping stone to the higher world above
There are luminous hours in our
lives when the soul yearns to eman-
cpate itself from the limitations I'M
whit oh
tinued to exist, and seeks to rise to
some higher estate of manhood or
womanhOod. We have at times Wis
ions of men and women who have
risen to spiritual heights which we
aspire to reach. They seem to live on
| the mountain tops of life and enjoy a
| greater and broader view of human
| affairs. They are men of unusual wis
dom, profound reason, Of uncompro-
missing convictions; men who stand on
the vantage ground of truth, who love
| righteousness, execute justice, and
walk humbly before their God; broad
| gauge men, full of sympathy and love
for humanity; wholesouled men and
women who can smile benignly and
speak graciously, yet wisely; philan-
thropists, lovers of mankind, who tenn
per justice with mercy, judgment with
charity, and who, like divinity, are pa
tent, long suffering, and abundant in
kindness and mercy.
In our better moments we seek to
stand upon such lofty plane. Our
| ordinary lives seem commonplace
stale, fiat, and Improbable" We go
constantly through the same routine
of eating and drinking, sleeping and
waking The great masses seem like
thousands and millions and myriads OF
molecules and organized cells that
contribute to the mechanism of the
universe. We seem often to be only
as the small teeth on the cog wheels
of human and cosmic life, rotating
upon one another to move some Other
set of wheels and thus transmit pow
er. vitality, and growth to an infinite
number of revolving wheels. Now anC
then some of us rebel against a cruel
at least an undesirable, fate or destiny
We aspire to some higher existence
than that of the beast; we want to be
something more than merely a par
of a cog wheel; we have an ambition
to be power that moves the wheel
to be a conscious and active directing
force, not mere passive piece o.
mechanism. We wish to be not thu
clay that is nodded but the potter wht
designs and executes the plan. II
our better hours we reach out to sucl
an ideal life that is far above our ma
,, terial, worldly existence, with its con
, slant round OF toll and care, coupled
with only a modicum of pleasure,
1t is such an ideal that reconciles II
to the most bitter disappointments. l
is the buoy that keeps us afloat in tn
tempestuous sea of life until some III
expected help comes to our rescue
The man without an ideal is lost il
= this sordid, selfsN and cold hearte,
world. He is subject TO despondcncy
despair and broken spirit that ofte
II follows bitter disappointment, and {