Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-12-14

4 wisdom mas arrived at THIS prodlgy. 1t
resembles those testy old pedagogues
whose chief office is to rail at the mer-
ry FRANKS or the youthful enthusiasts
of their pupils. 1t is time to become
! little children once more, to learn
again to stand with clasped hands and
wide eyes before the mystery around
us; to remember that, in spite of our
| knowledge, what we know is out
trifie, and that the world is greater
| than our mind which is well, for, be-
! ing so prodigious, it must hold in re-
serve untold resources, and we may
| allow it some credit without accusing
ourselves of improvidence. Let us not
I treat it as creditors do an insolvent
debtor; we should fire its courage, re-
light the sacred flame of hope. Since
| the sun still rises, since earth puts
| forth her blossoms anew, since the bird
| builds its nest and the mother smiles
| at her child, let us have the courage to
be men and commit the rest to him
| who has numbered the stars. For my
part | would | might find glowing
| words to say to whomsoever has lost
| heart in these times of disillusion:
Rouse your courage; hope on. He is
sure of being least deluded who has the
daring to do that. The most ingenious
hope is nearer truth than the most ra-
! tional despair.
Another source of light on the path
of human life is goodness. l am not of
| those who believe in the natural per-
| lection of man and teach that society
/ corrupts him. On the contrary, of all
| forms of evil the one which most dis
mays me is heredity. But ! sometimes
ask myself how it is that this effete
| and deadly virus of low instincts, Of
vices inoculated in the blood, the whole
assemblage of disabilities imposed up
| on us by the past-how all this has
not got the better Of us. 1t must be
| because of something else. This other
/ thing is love.
| Given the unknown brooding above
| our heads, our limited intelligence, the
! grievous and contradictory enigma OF
human destiny, falsehood, hatred, cor
| rGption, suffering, death--what can we
think, whatdo? To all these questions
| a sublime and mysterious voice has an
| swered, Love your fellow men. Love
must indeed be divine, like faith ano
hope, since she cannot die when sc
many powers are arrayed against her
| She has to combat the natural ferocity
of what may be called the beast in man
She has to meet ruse, force, self inter
est, above all, ingratitude. How is II
that she passes pure and scathless ii
| mil e,f IS ,rI,
the prsphet of the sacred legend among
| the roaring beasts? 1t is because hel
| enemies are of the earth and love is
| from above Horns, teeth, claws, eyes
| full of murderous fire, are powerless
against the swift wing that scars to
ward the heights and eludes them
| Thus love escapes the undertakings OF
her foes. She does even better-she
has sometimes known the fine triumph
of winning over her prosecutors. She
has seen the wild beasts grow calm
| lie down at her feet, obey her law.
AT the very heart of the Christian
faith, the most sublime of it's teach.
ings and to him who penetrates its
deepest sense the most human. is this
To save lost humanity the invisible
God came to dwell among US in the
form of man and willed to make
himself known by this single sign
| love.
Healing, consoling. tender to the un
fortunate even to the evil, love engen,
| ders light beneath her feet. She clari-
| fies, she simplifies She has chosen the
humblest part--to bind up wounds
wipe away tears, relieve distress,
soothe aching hearts, pardon, make
peace. Yet it is of love that we have
the greatest need And as we mediate
on the best way to render thought fruit
full, simple, really conformable to our
destiny, the method sums itself up In
| these words: Have confidence and hope
be kind.
l would not discourage lofty specula-
ton, dissuade any one whomsoever
from brooding over the problems of the
unknown, over the vast abysses of sci
ence or philosophy; but we have al
ways to come back from these far jour
neys to the point where we are, often
to a place where we seem to stand
marking time with no result. There
are conditions of life and social com
plications in which the sage, the think
err and the ignorant are alike unable
to see clearly. The present age has
often brought us face to face with such
situations. | am sure that he who
meets them with our method will soon
recognize its worth.
Since l have touched here upon reli-
gious ground, at least in general way,
some one may ask me to say in few
simple words what religion is the best,
and l gladly express myself on this
subject. But it might be better not to
put the question in this form. All re-