The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-11

Homely P
their spirit. Our ways are not their
ways, but the journeys end remains in
truth the same. 1t Is always the pole
star that guides the seaman, whether he
cruise under sail or on a steamship.
To make Roadway toward this end. with
the means at our command. this is the
essential thing. today as yesterday; and
Il is by frequent deviatiOns from our
route that we haye confused and COM
plieated our life.
TOO many hampering utilities sepa-
rate us from that ideal of the true, the
just and the good, that should warm
and animate our hearts. All this brush
wood under pretext Of sheltering us and
our happiness. has ended by shutting out
our sun. When shall we have the
courage to meet the delusive temptations
Of our complex and Improbable life
with the sage's challenge: Out Of my
llghtr
From the cradle to the grave, in his
needs as in his pleasures, in his con-
ception Of the world and OF himself, the
man Of modern times struggles through
a maze Of endless complication. Nothing
is simple any longer: neither thought
nor action; not pleasure, not even dying.
With our own hands we have added to
existence a train OF hardships, and
Topped of many a qualification.
No Adequate Interpretation.
Il despair Of ever describing SIMPLE
! ity in any worthy fashion. All OF the
strength OF the world and all its beauty.
all tsue joy. everything that consoles.
| that feeds hope, OF throws a ray of
] Z -
that makes us see across our poor lives
| a splendid goal and a bOundless future,
comes 70 US from people OF simplicity.
those who have made another object OF
/ their desires than the passing satisfac-
/ ton OF selfishness and vanity, and have
understood that the art OF living Is to
know how 10 give ones life"
/ Confidence and hope are in the opinion
| Of Wagner the essentials Of proper liv-
] ing. We are not 70 say that We live
in more trying times than. our ancestors,
for things seen from afar are often
/ seen imperfectiy. We ara but travellers
I Of a day, carried along in a vast move
ment to which we are called upon 70
( contribute, but which we have not fore
seen nor embraced in its entirety, nor
penetrated as 10 its ultimate ends. Had
1 we only logic. we should have long ago
drawn the conclusion: Death has every
i where the last woodland we should be
be dead OF the idea.
Let us offer TO hope the highest rev.
erence." he exclaims. IF we meet Il in
the shape OF a blade Of wheat piercing
the furrOw; a bird brOoding on its nest
poor wounded beast. recovering itself
risiog and continuing its way: a peas
ant blowing and sowing a field that
has been ravaged by flood or hail; q
nation slowly repairing its losses and
healing fits wounds-under whatever
guise OF humanity or suffering It ap-
pears 20 us, let us salute It. When VIZ
| encounter il in legends. in untutoreC
I, songs, in simple creeds, let us salute it
For it is always the same. indestructi-
bic, the immortal daughter OF Cod"
The Best Religion.
Wagner has been asked to say what
religion is the best. II IS his opinion
that all religions have. Of necessity
certain fixed characteristics, and each
has its inherent qualities or defects. lie
prefers that the question should be: Is
my own religion good, and how may ]
know Il? To this he would reply:
Your religion is good II Il is Vita
and active, Il It nourishes IN you con
/
the infinite value Of existence; IL it &,
allied with what Is best I'm you against
what IS worst, and holds forever be
fore you the necessity OF becoming 8
! new man; IL IL makes you understand
= that pain is a deliverer; II 81 Increases
q your respect for the conscience of 9th
Z ers; II il renders forgiveness more easy
5 fortune less arrogant. duty more dear
{ the beyond less visionary. II Il doe
4 these things, Il IS good little matter iti
e name; however ruoimentary il may be
when II fills this Office It comes from
3 the true source. ii binds you 10 mar
and 70 God"
In IT'S dreams" says the author
] mans ambition embraces vast limits
I but II IS rarely given us 20 achiev,
great things, and even then, a quicl
e and sure success always rests on I
E groundwork OF careful preparation. III
deity In small things is the base o
every great achievement. We too Otter
: forget this. and yet no truth need
more 70 be kept IN mind. PARTICULAR
ia the troubled eras OF history and Il
, the crises OF individual life In a shin
! wreck a splintered beam. an car, an,
scrap OF Wreckage saves Us. On Tn
tumbling waves Of life, when every
thing seems shattered 10 fragments, Ie
US not forget that single one OF thes
poor bits may become our plank o
, safety To despise the remnants is de
, moraIization.
/ In all classes Of society we find dis