Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-02-02

| one Of the simplest and best men that
ever lived, had touching custom.
Whenever he encountered n woman,
were she the poorest and oldest, he
stepped respectfully aside, though his
bare feet must tread among thorns or
! I'm the gutter. 81 do that" he said, ito
render homage 70 our holy lady the
! Virgin Mary" Let us offer TO hope
| like reverence. If we meet It in the
| shape Of blade Of wheat piercing the
! furrow, a bird brooding on its nest,
! peOr wounded beast, recovering itself,
/ rising and continuing its way; peas
! ant blowing and sowing n field that
has been ravaged 10y flood or hail,
nation slowly repairing its losses and
/ healing its wounds - under whatever
guise Of humanity or suffering 1t np-
/ pears 10 us, let us salute it. When we
encounter it i'm legends, in untutOred
| songs, in simple creeds, let US still sa-
lutte it, for It is always the same, indie
structible, the immortal daughter of
God
| We do not dare hope enough. The
men Of our day have developed strange
.
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 senlle
wisdom has arrived at this prodigy. 1t
! resembles those tcsty old pcdagOgues
whose chief Office Is to rail at the mer-
ny pranks or the youthful enthuslasms
Of their pupils. 1t is time TO become
lntlc 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 but a
trife, and that the world is greater
than our mind, which is we'll for, be-
ing so prodigiOus, It must hold in re.
serve untold resources, ana we may
allow IT some credit without accusing
ourselves Of imprOvidencc. Let us not
treat it rs creditors do an lnsolvent
debtor; we should fire its courage, re-
light the sacred flame Of hope Since
the sun stlll 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 deludcd 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 lin. On the contrary, Of all
forms of evil The one which most dis
mays me is heredity. But I sometimes
Ask myself how 1t is that this effcte
and deadly virus of low instincts, Of
vices inOculated in the blood the whole
assemblagc Of disabilities imposed up
on MS by the past-hOw all this las
not got the better Of us. II 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, fulsehood, hatred, cor.
ruption, suffering, dcath-wlat can we
think, what do? TO all these questions
! sublime and mysterious voice has an.
swcrGd, Love your fellow men. Love
must indeed be divine. like faith ana
hope, since she cannot die when SC
many powers are arraycd against her.
She has to combat the natural fcrocity
Of what may be called the beast in man
She has TO meet rusC, force, self inter.
est above all, ingratitudc. How is il |
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 powerlcss
against the swift wing that scars to.
ward the heights and eludes them.
Thus love escapes the undertakings of
her foes. She does even bettcr-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 pcnctrateS its
deepest sense the most human, is this:
To save lost humanity the invisible
God came to dwell among us in the
form of n man and willed to make
himself known by this single sigh
love.
Healing, cOnsoling tender to the I'm.
fortunate. even TO the evil, love cngen.
ders light beneath her feet. She clari.
fies, she simplifios. She has chosen the
humblest part-to bind up wounds,
wipe away tears, relieve distress,
soothe aching hearts, pardon, make
peace. Yet Ii 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 Speculu
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 Sge seem to stand
marking time with no result. There
are conditions of life and social COM