Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-07-20
Interdependence of Thought and
Action.


Since time was young, strong men
have come from the field, the forest,
the plain. The boy David, keeping
his lonely watch by night and by day
among the hills of Canaan, grew in
might of body and strength of soul
until he slew the lion and the bear
that attacked his flocks; he absorbed
from these hills and serene skies a
passionate love for his country; he
absorbed strength and daring that
found expression when he, a shepherd
lad, slung the stone into the forehead
of the mighty Phillistine enemy of
Israel From that day to this strong
men have In unbroken procession come
from the countryside and made them
selves leaders of men. This is an old
thought, oft told, yet well worth re-
peating. There is in modern science
a new explanation Of this great truth
To-day science tells US whence comes
this strength, this sanity, this endu-
rance Of the country bred man
Courage, f~ortltude, endurance, per-
~sistence come not from muscle pri-
marily but from brain. Brain exists
not for purpose Of abstract thought,
but for purpose OF melting action.
| Each brain mass has its nerve and
that nerve terminates somewhere in a
muscle or in a group OF muscles. 1t is
as essential that those muscles should
respond to the quickening OF the brain
center that controls as 1t is that the
brain should respond to e~xcitatlon Of
the muscle. The two are bound to-
gether by living nerve link. They
mutually react one upon the other.
Cut of the leg OF a child and a por-
| tion of that child's brain suffers afro
ply from disuse. This is the great
thought now taught by modern knowl-
edge Of the brain. Thought without
action is idle, desultorY, lacking con-
| viction, lacking impelling force, lack
ing dominance. Thought without &C
ton is half dead. Men there are whose
thought compels the world. Such men
both think and work.
The most helpful thing in the world
is work. The best thing in the world
is willing work, gladly performed,
directed by a quickened brain. Such
work builds at both ends; it makes
strong the muscle, it makes strong
and sane and sweet the linked brain.
There is n more fact of country
life and work, essentially helpful and
strengthening, explaining much of
the great men whom we have studied.
1t is the opportunity for solitude in
the country. 1t is good to be alone.
Greatness in the human soul springs
up from within. 1t is not a quality
that can be grated on. 1t comes
primarily from intercourse with the
silent fields, it comes from commun-
ings with the trees, the wild things Of
the earth, the stars, the winds and
clouds. Working alone under such
surroundings, uninterrupted by sense
less chatter, the soul destined to
greatness expands, reverence is devel-
oped and sense Of proportion and awe
and courage and, best of all, guided
love. There is developed in the soul
OF the man who thinks and works
ofttimes a sublimes courage, a serene
faith, a large patriatism, a real nobili.
ty OF soul, that is very hard indeed to
reach surrounded by the a~rtiticiality
OF mems inventions.
Why this preachment? Because
country men, remembering the toll Of
their youth but forgetting the strngth
that came from 1t, from mistaken
kindness rent their farms and move TO
town, taking their boys witfahem,
There the boys loaf in Undesirable,
sometimes dangerous, cof6pany and
environment or study books e~ndlessly,
linking none Of the facts gained TO
appropriate muscle. These boys are
deeply wronged OF their true BIRTH
right, their need Of daily toll. For
each thought there isl correspond
ing muscle; use each In turn II you
would attain q perfect manhnod