The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-11-03

truth JOY lar UeyOHu tHc tIiidi
pleasures OF weaker mind. So nature
makes full compensation and balances
every effort with It's equivalent in re-
ward
What is the purpose of life, If not
for the opportunity to express life?
Nature allows nothing to remain in
active. II one form of life does not
fulfill its mission she dissipates 1t, in
order that such force as it may pcs
sess shall be utilized in other forms
for her purpose. 1t is only by activity
and expression that we grow. We can
not evade any responsibility for the
necessity of achieving that which ma
ture has mapped out for us. We are
forced, even against our will, to full
fill every duty, ii we would live at all.
70 cease to express ourselves is to
cease to be.
But again the physicist may say, II
you do not realize your duty, then you
can not be expected to perform 1T.
Turn half the energy you are reyotin2
to what you call reform into CONNER
cial channels, and it would reap for
you large returns. You could enjoy Il
ulOlt IOuliOi tdDlC uCluS. ioul ldihify
would have the fruits of your labor for
their frxf pineSs, education and health.
Life would be sweetcEsfar. 1t would
be free from care. Where fgnvFsance
is bliss, tbs folly to be WISE and "he
that is robbed, not wanting what is
stolen, let him not know it, and he's
not robbed at ALL" Therefore remain
free from boo-s that tell you the
wrongs OF the world Cease to trouble
yourself about the sufferings of man
kind.
However one may feel that his love
for humankind and for justice, may
impel him to sacrifice every personal
comfort for the cause of their advance
ment, he can not escape the RESPONSE
bility OF caring for those dependent
upon him. For the protection OF the
innocent lives he has contributed to
bringing into the world, he must be
ready to die. But having provided
them to the best of his ability with the
necessaries OF life, ii they be worthy
of his devotion at all, they would de-
splse him, ii he either remained ignor-
ant of or blind to the injustices heaped
upon others. They would have just
reason to doubt the sincerity of his de-
votion to them, If he proved recreant
In his duty to the world.
The highest test of ownership is not
in the power to defend it, but rather
in the willingness to surrender Ii we
prove by our acts that we are willing
to die for the possession of anything,
it only proves that we are slaves to
that thing. TO the extent that we are
slaves, just TO what extent are we less
Individual To be independent of
: them All is proof that we are truly
entitled 10 aham- and they will there
fore grayitate to us u certainly as
that water viii run down hiii He kat
clings to life to such an extent that
he would sacrifice manhood and honor
to that end, by that act proves him
self unworthy to live. He has the
highest Claims to life who is willing to
surrender it, rather than compromise
with wrong
Aside from and above all this, there
is still vaster hope Try how we
may, we can not entirely Danish from
the mind the idea that beyond this Wis
ible expression OF life there is some
thing. What that something may be
we may honestly differ We can not
fully know But when we see on every
hand the impossibility of the total an
Inhalation OF things in visible life, it
is uncomfortable that natures plan
could be the humiliation of. the minds
that have swayed the world. For back
of all physical expression we may
know that there is controlling force
unseen and unknown, though not I'M
movable Life can >not be mere
physical speck. Nor can this world be
the mere ante-rOom to another. This
can not be the beginning, If there is
any future For what began must end.
This is but one of the stages, one of
the acts, of the great drama of life.
We are utilizing it, just as we have
utilized every other form of it in the
past, and just as we must every form
of it in the future, for the fuller de-
velopment of life. 1t must follow,
therefore, that we can not escape any
task, except by the performance of it.
To repress the expression of any func-
ton of our natures the expression OF
which is essential to growth is to re-
press just that much of life itself
Were such thing possible, could we
afford to do it?
1--WE live in deeds, not years; In
thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on dial;