The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-04-14
RANDOM THOUGHTS.

es. are at this time enjoying the
return of living beauty to the
bare hillsides and the trees.
Blights and plaques Of various
kinds may destroy that which is
so promising of fruitage, but who
is much troubled at that ? Dam
ages are of the future, and they
cannot destroy the beauty of the
present promise. TITS as though
we were never to enjoy the charm
of an infant, for fear some day it
might grow to be a coarse man
or a coarser woman. Beauty has
value in its day even if later it
vanishes completely.
If we could see the action of
life in the roots, what a strange
compelling it would seem Inert
particles of rocks, chemical sub
stances, gases, molecules of
water drawn into the being of
plant by a force irresistible and,
even in this day of scientific ad-
vance, quite inexplicable except
by saying ut is Life" To see
that the plant can take from its
surroundings in most unlikely
places, no matter how unpromis
ing they may seem, and then
send up its little shoot of green
ness-to see this is to realize that
life is always stronger than
death, that real life takes unyield-
ing things and makes them yield
results, that there is nothing so
dead and lifeless in its nature but
that can be taken up by some
form of life and transformed into
beauty and utility. The force
that drives the sap to the top
most twig, rises above the dead
law of gravitation; the force that
we living creatures can exert to
make and remake our surround
ings rises superior to it also-the
lift of a hand, and the motion of
a foot are mysteries of power
over the laws that hold dead
things. Will is greater than
senseless resistance. We will to
do and to grow brings its own
results.
We do not feel like preaching
on this topic, for Spring is its
own preaching. 1t speaks to the
best in us. it prompts to the best
in US, for it is the voice of Leg
ion, not evil spirits but good,
saying that while there is any
life left there is hope, that nc
matter how gnarled and ancient
a tree may be, the good wood in
it will feel Spring and put forth
its best. While there is life, nc
matter how trampled down we
may be by rough shod circum
stances, Spring makes that life
strive to raise its head once more
upward to the light of day and
to the world of endeavor.
Some people feel depression
in the Spring. This we cannot
understand. The message of 4;
new world build upon a deaC
winter, of a new awakening from
a long sleep, speaks to our hearts
as it speaks to the heart of tn,
bird, making it sing for gladnes'
that the time of new effort ha
come again.
Nature perhaps is selfish. w
see no memory in the flowers o
to-day, recognizing that thei
life is based upon dead thing
that have gone before them, bu
to us who think as human beings
head of created things, Their
must never come forgetfulnes
that the Spring of our endeavo
is always traceable back to er
deavors that have ended an
passed away, leaving simply th
impulse within the heart of som
other human beings to carry O
the labor. Thus Spring for u
human beings is a season of re,
ognizing the past, rememberin
that IT'S very incomplete endea'
ors are the impulse for us to s
on trying to excel, in our compl
ted accomplishments, those wi
have gone before.