Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-05-09
People Who Live In Air Castles
A Novel and Brilliant Presentation
Of IN Old Theme n n ~ n


possession Of man, for without it every
Fower within him would cease to exist.
Yet he recklessly squanders his great
treasure as if it were valueless. The
wealth Of the whole world could not
buy one second Of time. Yet society
assassins dare to say in public that
they have been killing time.' The
time fallacy has put more people into
air castles than all other causes COM
b1ned. Life is only time; eternity is
only more time; Immortality is merely
mans right to live through unending
time.
IF had library, I would read," is
the weak plaint of some other tenant
Of an air castle. If man does not
read the two or three good books in
his possession or accessible to him, he
would not read If he had the British
museum brought to his bedside and the
British army delegated to continual
service In handing him books from the
shelves. The time sacrificed to reading
sensational newspapers might be con-
secrated to good reading if the individ-
ual were willing merely to live up to
his portion of opportunity.
The man who longs for some crisis
In life wherein he may show mighty
courage while he is expending no por-
ton Of that courage in bearing brave
ly the petty trials, sorrows and disap-
pointments of daily life is living in an
air castle. He is just sparrow look
fvoY rxy}4 NJ %l,1 %oir
where the hardy eagle builds her nest
and dreaming Of being great bird like
that, perhaps even daring in a patron
1z1ng way to criticise her method of
Digit and to plume himself with the
medals he could win for flying If he
only would. 1t is the day by day hero
ism that vitalizes all Of mans power
In an emergency.
The air castle typifes any delusion
or folly that makes man forsake real
living for an idle, vague existence.
Living in air castles means that a man
sees life in a wrong perspective. He
permits his lower self to dominate his
higher self. He who should tower as
mighty conqueror over the human
weakness, sin and folly that threaten to
destroy his better nature binds upon his
own wrists the manacles Of habit that
hold him slave. He loses the crown
Of his kingship because he sells his
royal birthright for temporary ease
and comfort and the snowy things Of
the world. He forsakes the throne Of
individuality for the air castle of de-
lusion.
The man who wraps himself in the
Napoleonic cloak Of his egotism, hyp-
nothing himself into believing that he
is So 'rior to all other men, that the
opera glasses of the universe are TO-
cused upon him and that he treads the
stage alone, had better wake up. He
Is living in an air castle.
The woman who thinks the most
beautiful creature in the world is seen
in her mirror, and who exchanges her
Qleenly heritage Of noble living for the
shams, jealousies, follies and pretenses
Of Society, is living in an air castle.
The man who makes wealth his god
instead Of his servant, who is deter
mined to get rich-rich at any cost
and who is willing to sacrifice honesty,
honor, loyalty, character, family-ev-
erything he should hold dear-for the
sake Of mere stack Of money bags, is,
despite his robes of ermine, only a rich
pauper living in an air castle.
The man who permits regret for past
misdeeds or sorrow for lost opportuni-
ties to keep him from recreating a
proud future from the new days CON-
mitted to his care is losing much Of the
glory Of living. He is repudiating the
mama Of new life given each new day,
merely because he misused the mama
Of years ago. He is doubly unwise be-
cause he has the wisdom Of his expert
ence and does not profit by it.
The man who spends his time lament