The San Francisco call., 1906-08-18

than in fear he made his way to the
street, not for safety, but in hopes
OF held for explanation.
There we found him-a proprietor
in front of his property; landowner,
secure in his titles, his head on one
side, his fists partially clenched and
his arms half akimbo, his entire be-
ing translating his uppermost
thoughts in unmistakable sign Ian
guage. who dared to hit 'Frisco?"
Not word escaped his lips. Slowly,
reluctantly, regretfully, the full argu-
ment dawned upon him-the test was
supreme; he was in travail, being born
again. He saw himself as he saw the
image totter; in twinkling of an
eye the old was passing away, not a
mirage, but a reality. 1t was glorious
to watch him evolve The struggle
was keen, the reaction sharp. He
emerged with full credit Self-de-
tached from his personalities he rev.
eled for brief period in the strange
ly fascinating spell outborn of the i'm
mensity of the change that if it at
one and the same time despoiled him
also made him free from all response
~bility.
Some agency, that for the i'm
mediate at least ignored mans inter
ference had done all this; he, citizen
though he was, was a free irrespon-
sibility. The sense of that freedom
rapidly cancelled the revulsion to the
awakening and its penalty. The old
routine was obliterated, the customs
of the day wiped out. He was so far
an observer, but not participant
His entire connection with his fellow
man was sevcrcd-no master, no SER
want; no merchant, no clerk-all were
simply human entities in the great
nature field; earth, trees, rocks, men,
all alike common wayfaTers. This
sensation of oneness was soothing
it seemed fraternal TO be thus in
cluded. Nature was supreme, and it
was compensatory to feel that Man"
was not considered "a little loxer"
1t is but rarely in ones life's his
tory that these supreme moments are
experienced. A man may indeed re-
Joice that he is permitted to know
them. They exalt man; they show
him at his best; they reveal possibili-
ties ever latent but ever suppressed.
They anticipate his evolution by a
cycle of time. They show the man
with his admixture of divinity, the
man his brothers keeper. They
prove that Man himself is the noblest
and mightiest of all facts.
The total will'' of San Francisco
was centered upon its truest claimant,
Man. You felt so those days; you
may not have known why. You
would not forego that experience for
many times what it cost you. You
were conscious all those hours that
not the earthquake, not the awesome-
ness of the fire, but your fellow-citi-
zen, your kinsman was the greatest
feature in the great drama. He
seemed higher, better, nobler than
ever. He had been your neighbor.
your co-worker, your partner for
years; now you saw him uplifted in
that period of test.
In such an experience is there not
involved a great lesson as we'll as a
vast possibility? If life is an art,
the greatest art is to discover the
differentiating principle The dis
aster outlined that principle and
showed it to be simply the attitude
of man toward his fellow-man. In
the long ago it was voiced somewhat
in the edict, Man is his brothers
keeper" He was that in our city
those glorious days. Think the
sequel out for yourself-it is not OBJ