The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1904-12-28

rising and continuing its way; a peas
ant blowing and sowing field that
has been ravaged by flood or hail, a
nation slowly repairing its losses and
healing its wounds - under whatever
guise of humanity or suffering it APP
pears to us. let us salute it, When we
encounter it in legends, in untutored
songs. in simple creeds, let us still sa-
Lutte it. for it is always the same, indie
structibe, the immortal daughter of
God.
We do not dare hope enough. The
men of our day have developed strange
timidities. The apprehension that the
sky will fall-that acme of absurdity
among the fears Of our Gallo forefa-
thers-has entered our own hearts.
Does the raindrop doubt the ocean,
the ray mistrust the sun? Our senile
wisdom has arrived at this prodigy. Ii
resembles those testy old pedagOgues
whose chief office is TO rail at the mer-
ny pranks 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
]
us; to remember that, in spite Of our
| knowledge, what we know is but
! ufe. and that the world is greater
| than our mind which is well, for, be-
| ing 50 prodigious, ii 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 murdered the stars. For my
part | world | might find glowing
words to say to whOmsoever has lost
heart in tiese 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
/ nope is nearer truth than the most ra-
! tional despair.
! Another source of light on the path
! of human lie 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 hcredity. But | sometimes
ask myself how it is that this effete
! and deadly virus of low instincts, of
| vices inoculated in the blood, the whole
! asScmblagc 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 broOdng above
our heads. cur limited intelligence, the
grievous and contradictory enigma OF
| human destiny, falsehood, hatred, cor
ruFtiOn. 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 and
hope, since she cannot die when so
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 it
that she passes pure and scathless in
the midst of these dark enemies, like
the prophet of the sacred legend among
the roaring beasts? 1t is because her
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 eludcs them.
Thus love escapes the undertakings of
her foes She does even better-slie
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 /
iugs, and 10 him who penetrates its |
deepest sense the most human, is this: /
To save lost humanity the invisible |
God came 10 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 |
Gers light beneath her feet. She clari |
fes. she simpllhes. 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.
would not discourage lofty specula-
ton. dissuIde any one whomsoever
from broodlng over the problems of the
unknown, over the vast abysses of sci
ence or philosophy; but we have al
ways 10 come back from these far jour
neys to the point where we are. often |
to place where we seem to stand |
marking time with no result. There |