Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-12-21

resembles those testy old pedagogues
whose chief office Is to rail at the mer-
ry pranks or the youthful enthusiasms
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
| 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. lie 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 ! 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 I 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
ruption, suffering, death-what can we
think, what do? To all these questions
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
She has to meet ruse, force, self inter
est, above all, ingratitude. How is il
that she passes pure and scathless il
the midst of these dark enemies, like
the prsphet of the sacred legend among
the roaring beasts? 1t is because hei
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 its 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 oul
destiny, the method sums itself up il
these words: Have confidence and hope
be kind.
l would not discourage lofty specula
ton, dissuade any one WhomsoeYel
from brooding over the problems of thu
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, Otter
to place where we seem to stant
marking time with no result. Their
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 ha'
often brought us face to face with sucl
situations. l am sure that he WIT
meets them with our method will sool
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 thi
subject. But it might be better not t.
put the question in this form. All re