Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-01-26

ephemernl form. True life is the
realization OF the higher virtues-Jus
tlce, love, truth, liberty, moral power
IN our daily activities. whatever they
may be. And this life is possible II
social conditions the most diverse and
with natural gifts the most unequal
II Is not fortune or personal adynn
tnRe, but our turning them to &c
count, that constitutes the value OF
life. Fame adds no more than does
length OF days. Quality is the thing.
Need we say that one does not rise
| 10 this point Of view without II strug
gle? The spirit Of simplicity Is not an
| inherited gift, but the result OF labo
/ rlous conquest. Plain living. like high
| thinking. II slmplihcatiOn. We know
that science IL the handful Of ultimate
principles gathered out of the tufted
mass OF facts. but what groupings ia
discover theml Centuries Of research
are often condensed into principle
that line may state. Here the moral
life presents strong analogy with the
scientific. II. too. begins In Il certain
confusion makes trial Of itself. seeks
TO understand itself and often mis-
takes. Bat by dint of action and eX.
acting from himself strict account Of
bis dcAds man arrives at better
knowledge Of life. Its law appears to
him, and the law Is this: Work out
your mission. He who applies himself
10 aught else than the realization Of
this end loses in living the rHlsOn detre
OF life. The eRotist does so, the pleas
ure seeker, the ambitious; he con-
Eunes existence rs one eating the full
torn In the blade: he prevents II from
bearing It's fruit; his life is lost Who
ever, on the contrary. makes his life
serve good higher than ITSELF saves It
in giving It. Moral precepts which to
superficial view appear arbitrary and
seem made TO spoil our Zest for life
have really but one object To preserve
us from the evil Of having lived I'm
vain. That Is why they nre constantly
lending us back into the same paths;
that is why they all have the same
meaning: Do not waste your life; make
II bear fruit; learn how TO give It IN
order that 1t may not consume itself!
Herein Is summed up the experience of
humanity, and this experience, which
Il. oh man must remake for himself, f.
more precious In proportion as 1t costs
more dear. Illumined by its light, he
makes moral advance more and moro
sure. Now he has his means Of Orien-
tatiOn. his internal norm TO which lie
may lead everything hnck. und from
the vRclllatlng. confused and conUIlCN
being that he was he becomes simple.
by the ceaseless Influence Of this same
law. which expands within him and IS
day by day verified IN fact. his Opin-
ions and habits become transformed.
Once captivated by the beauty and
sublimity Of the true life, by what is
sacred aud pathetic IN this strife Of
humanity for truth. Justice and broth
erly love, his heart holds the fascina-
ton of il Gradually everything sub
OrdinateS Htself TO this powerful and
persistent charm. The necessary HER
archy of powers is organized within
him; the essential commands, the sec
Ondary Obcys, and order IL born Of SIM
plicity. We may compare this organ
ization OF the interior life to that OF
an army. An army is strong by its dis
cipllne, and its discipline consists in re-
Bpect of the inferior for the superior
ana the concentration of all its ener-
giles toward single end. Discipline
once relaxed, the army suffers. It will
not do to let the corporal command the
general. Examine carefully your life
and the lives OF others. Whenever
something halts or Jars und compiled.
tiOns and disorder follow It Is because
the corporal has issued orders to the
general. Where the natural law rules
in the heart disorder vanishes.
despair Of ever describing slmpllcl.
ty in any worthy fashion. All the
strength OF the world and all its beau.
ty, Rll true JOY. everything that con-
sOles, that feeds hope or throws Il ray
of light along our dark paths, every
thing that makes us see across our
poor lives II splendid goal ana bound
less future, comes to us from people of
simplicity, those who have made an
other object Of their desires than the
passing satisfaction OF selhshness and
vanity and have understood that the
art Of living is to know how to give
ones life.