Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-01-12

But he little knows the resources of
the human heart who counts on the
effect of such Il reply. 1t matters not
that 1t is itself unanswcrable. 1t can
not keep other questions from arising.
The sum of our prcteXts for evading
duty is equal to the sum of the sands
Of the sea or the stars of heaven.
We take refuge, then, behind duty
that is obscure, difficult, contradictory.
And these are certainly words to call
up painful memories. TO be Il man Of
duty and to question ones route grope
in the dark, feel oneself torn between
the contrary solicitations of conflicting
calls, or, again, to face Il duty gigantic,
overwhelming, beyond our strength
what is harder! And such things hap
pen. We would neither deny nor con-
test the tragedy in certain situations or
| the anguish of certain lives. And yet
duty rarely has to make itself plain
across such conflicting circumstances
or to be struck out from the tortured
mind like lightning from Il storm
cloud. Such formidable shocks are eX-
Ceptional. Well for us if we stand
stanch when they come! But If no one
Is astonished that oaks are uprooted
by the whirlwind, that wuyfarer
stumblcs at night on an unknown road
or that Il soldier caught between two
fires Is vanQushCd no more should he
condemn without appeal those who
have been WorstCd in almost supcrhu-
man moral conflicts. TO succumb UNI
der the force of numbers or obstacles
has never been counted Il disgrace.
SO my weapons are at the service of
those who iutrcnch themselves behind
the imprcgnable rampant of duty i'll
defined, complicated or contradictory.
But 1t is not that which occupies me
today; 1t Is of plain--I had almost said
easy-duty that | wish to speak.
We have yearly three or four high
feast days and many ordinary ones.
There are likewise some very great and
dark Combats to wage, but beside these
Is the multitude of plain and simple
duties. Now, while in the great en-
counters our equipment is generally
adequate it Is precisely in the little
emergencies that we are found want
ing. Without fear of being msled by
n paradoXical form of thought | af-
firm, then, that the essential thing Is
to fultll our simple duties and exercise
elementary justice. In general, those
who lose their souls do so not because
they fail to rise to difficult duty, but
l,nY a.,
which is simple Let us illustrate this
truth.
lie who tries to penetrate into the
humble underworld of society is not
slow TO discover great misery, physical
and moral. And the closer he looks
the greater number of unfortunates
does he discover, till in the end this
assembly of the wrctched appears to
him like a great black world, in whose
presence the individual and his means
of relief are reduced to helpleSsness.
1t IS true that he feels impelled to run
to the suCcor of these unfortunatcs.
but ut the same time he asks himself.
"What Is the use" The case is GER
tainly hcartrendng. Some, in despair,
end by doing nothing. They lack
neither pity nor good intention, but
these bear no fruit They are wrong,
often n man has not the means to do
good on large scale, but that is not
a reason for failing TO do 1t at all. So
many people ahsolye themselves from
any action on the ground that there is
too much to do! They should be re
called to simple duty, and this duty
In the case Of which we speak Is that
each one, according To his resources,
leisure and capacity, should create re
lations for himself among the worlds
dlsinhcrited. There are people who by
the exercise of a little good will have
succeeded Iii enrolling themselves
among the followers Of ministers aud
have ingradated themselves with
princes, Why should you not succeed
in forming relations with the poor and
In making acquaintance among the
workers who lack somewhat the ne
ceSslti2s OF life2 When few families
are known. with their Histories, their
autcccdeuts anu their difficulties you
may lie az tho greatest use to them by
acting the part If j brother with