Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1905-08-24


life. 1t Is the mystery of mysteries.
We can observe facts and make our
conclusions. which conclusions will
be pictures largely colored by our in.
dividual tastes and personalities. We
snail not attempt to define or describe
life; We are alive-that is quite
enough for us at present But alive
Tor what purpose? We argue about
life from life and have our theories
about manifestation of the one life.
but we must admit that the sense of
mankind places responsibility on in.
dividuals and mankind having it's he.
roes and saints, as well as its failures.
Mans sense of man Is that he is a
responsible being. Responsible to
whom? to what? Do we admit that we
are In any degree responsible beings?
Yes, We do. To whom are we respon.
sible? The answers are many. Some
say to God; some say to humanity:
some to our country and our homes.
But III humanity is only a phase of
life that passes and is lost forever.
what Is the good of being responsi.
Bile to 1t? The same may be said of
AL other final ends, except God. Let
humanity be but 1.-The murmur of
gnats In the gloom or the moments
anger OF bees in the hive" and for
my part l confess that to me you can.
not prove any responsibility due on
my part to any life, or being or pur.
pose that opposes my own will. INV
own desires and plans. Make me but a
stepping stone in a process of deyel-
opment OF race which is to be han
pier in later years, because of my sac
rifice in the present. and make me
believe that l and all the race. for
whose sake l may be asked To sacri-
nee myself, must forever cease to ex-
Isl at some unknown future date, and
l ask at once: Why should l suffer
pain or sacrifice my likings, my tastes.
my passions, for thing that Is so
worthless that IL will pass away i'm a
snort time! But We must not waste
time on such thoughts. There is re-
sponsibility and the responsibility is
10 the great first life. All our gifts
come from that source. To that
source We are responsible. Is IL not
SO! Yes. and our responsibility is
forced home upon us by conscience.
by the sense of cur fellow men. by
the laws and constitutions and eus.
toms OF all nations in all time. Some
men would have us live in doubt ar
least OF cur responsibilities and the
saoredness of our lives. Why? The an
swer we would make is. because they
are mistaken. The early training of
some souls. the dCgmatic or ethical
influences that have affected them.
the lack OF sincerity and honest effort
and intention TO live the life of re-
sponsibility which has been too often
preached, but not lived. These caus-
IS and Others, as disease. a sickly in.
standing OF the laws CO life and of ma
ture-a!l such causes combined have
led. do lead, and will lead some men
even intellectually great ones. and
even Officially good ones. astray
from time to time. But the nobIest
minds. the broadcast. the ones who
mix NEST among men TO help them
the ones who feel most the terrible
horror of all natures wild work. in
the man at least. If there be no God
no loving Father. no Immortality no
chancs Tor the Greater work. the larg.
er love Of which every soul is cana.
DIe-all such souls cry out their be.
lief In God and i'm His benevolent
purposes. You cannot write God ont
oi man life by using a small &. John
MOr.ey tried that: IL has often been
tr.ed: IL always will fail, this effort
TO make man believe that he is as
the grass of the field in a literal sense
Having then a sense Ct our respon.
sibility to God, what should we do
with our lives? We should do lust
as Gods son should do. we should
do our very best to- fulfil the purpos,
OF our being. Admit that you are the
child OF the eternal and you cannot
place a limit to- the heights you NAV
reach. Jesus was the Son of God. He
said that we are to be as he was I'm
this world. He did not exaggerate:
ne told the truth: he opened our eyes
Tor us. aud showed us all the beauty
and wonder and glory Of being Gods