Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-02-03

edge and culture. not their rulers nor
those who scrv" tErGI and supply their
needs. have ever attracted their atten-
ton That there Is ingratitude or i'm
providence in not knowing ones work
men, ones servants all those, In short.
with whom one has Indispensable so
cal relations this has never come Into
their minds. Othcrs 81 much further.
TO certain wivc:, their husbands are
strangers. and conversely. There are
parents who do not know their chill
dren; their development. their thoughts.
the dangers they run. the hopes they
cherish. are to them n closed book.
Many children do not know their par
ents. have no suspicion Of their diff
cultes and struggles. no conception Of
their aims. And l am not speaking OF
those piteously disordered homes
where all the relations are false, but
Of honorable families. Only oil these
people are greatly preoccupied; each
has his outside interest that fills all his
time. The distant duty-very attrac-
tive, l don't deny-claimS them entire
ly. and they are not conscious OF the
duty near Mt hand. ! fear they will
have their trouble for their pains. Each
persons base Of operations is the field
Of his immediate duty. Neglect this
field. and all you undertake ut dis
lance is compromised. First. then. be
OF your own country, your own city.
your own home, your own church. your
own workshop; then. II you can, set out
from this to go beyond 1t. That Is the
plain and natural order, and man must
fortify himself with very bad reasons
to arrive at reversing 1t. At all events.
the result Of so strange n confusion Of
duties is that many people employ
their time in all sorts Of affairs except
those In which We have a right to de-
lnand 1t. Each Is occupied with some
thing else than what concerns him, Is
absent from bis post. ignores hia trade.
This Is what complexities life. And 1t
would be 50 simple TO- each one to be
about his own matter.
Another form Of simple duty. When
damage 1s done who should repair It?
Ho who did It, This is just, but 1t Is
following the theory would be the evil
In force until the malefactOrs were
found and had Offset it. But suppose
they are not found. or suppose they
cannot or will not make amends?
The rain falls on your head through
a hole in the roof or the wind blows
in at q broken window. Will you wait
to ind the man who caused the mis-
chief You would certainly think that
absurd. And yet such Is often the prac-
tice. Children Indignantly protest. Il
didn't put 1t there. and shall not take
1t awayl" And most men reason after
the same fashion. 1t is logic. But It
IL not tho kind Of logic that makes the
world move forward.
On the contrary, what we must learn
and what life repeats to US daily Ia
that the injury done by one must lie
repaired by another. One tears down.
another builds up; one defaces. anoth-
er restores; one stirs up quarrels, an,
other appeases them; one makes tears
to flow, another wipes them away; one
lives for evil doing. another dies for
the right. And In the workings Of this
grievOus law lies salvation. This also
Is logic. but logic of facts which
makes the logic Of theories pale. The
conclusion Of the matter Is not doubt.
full. A single hearted man draws II
thus: Given the evil. the great thing il
to make It good and to set about 1t on
the spot. Well indeed IL Messrs. the
Malefactors will contribute to the rep.
aration. but experience warns us moi
to count too much on their aid.
But however simple duty may BE-
there is still need Of strength to do It
In what does this strength consist OF
where is It found? One could scarcely
tire Of asking. Duty is for man an
enemy and an intruder 80 long as II
appears as an appeal from without
When It comes In through the door he
leaves by the window; when 1t blocks
up the windows he escapes by the roof
The more plainly we see it coming the
more surely we flee. It Is like those
police. representatives Of public order
and official justice, whom an adroit
thief succeeds In evading. Alas. the
officer. though he finally collar the
thief. can only conduct him to the sta
ton. not along the right road. Before
man is able to accomplish his duty he
must fall into the hands Of another
power than that which says. do this
do that; shun this, shun that, or else
bewarey'
This Is an interior power; 1t Is love.
When q man hates his work or goes
about It with Indifference all the forces
of earth cannot make him follow 1t
with enthusiasm, but he who loves bis
Office moves Of himself; not only Is 1t
needless to compel him. but 1t would
be impossible to turn him aside. And
this is true Of everybody. The great
thing is to have felt the sanctity and
immortal beauty in our obscure desti-
ny; to have been led by a series Of ex-
periences to love this life for its griefs
and its hopes; to love men for their
weakness and their greatness and to
belong to humanity through the heart,
the intelligence and the soul. Then an
unknown power takes possession Of US,
as the wind Of the sails Of ship, and
bears us toward pity and justice. and.
yielding to its Irresistible impulse. we
say, Il cannot help it; something Is
there stronger than l." In SO saying
the men Of all times and places have
designated power that is above hu-
mainly. but which may dwell In mems
hearts. And everything truly lofty
within us appears to US as a nantes
tation Of this mystery beyond. Noble
feelings. like great thoughts and deeds,
are things OF inspiration. When the
tree buds and bears fruit 1t Is because
1t draws vital forces from the soil and
receives light and warmth from the
sun. II man, In his humble sphere,
in the midst Of the ignorance and faults
that are his inevitably. consecrates
himself sincerely to his task, it is be-
cause he is In contact with the eternal
source of goodness. This central force
manifests itself under thousand
forms. Sometimes 1t Is indomitable
energy: sometimes winning tenderness;
sometimes the militant spirit that
grasps and uproOts the evil: sometimes
maternal solicitude. gathering to Its
arms from the wayside where 1t was