The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-25


any similar occasion. and when [ be-
gan to seriously think of what should
talk about-of what would be listened
To with tolerance If not with enjoy
ment and approval / confess that /
found myeslf in a veritable mystic
maze from which lam by no means
satisfied that / have found a credita-
bile way out. The confusion was so
great that the more | thought, the con-
fusion became worse confouuded. an.
] almost made up my mind that the
safest way out would be a note to
Professor Workman informing him
that circumstances beyond my con-
troll" prevented me from; complying
with his fiattering request-and before
j cease to infiict you with my remarks,
/ have no doubt many of you will say
in your hearts, Il wish he had writ
ten that note" But. I did not write
IL. and II Is too late now, and the only
consolation / can offer you is the
Scriptural. quotation, Through great
fluctuations we enter the kingdom" II
therefore, by my failing to write that
note succeed in moving you up--even
by attic tion-,ne step towards he
higher life," / will not regret having
my effort pronounced a fiat failure by
you who, only yesterday We're a step
lower down on the scale of the higher
life" than 1 have forced you by Attic
tion to occupy today.
Yesterday! What have We got to do
with yesterday? Yesterday. like its
millions of counterparts. lies entombed
In the irrevocable Past. We have
naught to do with the last yesterday,
nor with the innumerable dead yester-
days which lie buried in the Eternal
Past! 1t. as the others. is gone beyond
resurrection and repair. Its record is
made up and lies folded away with its
predecessors which began at the dawn
of Light and for unknown ages have
followed each other until now, Why
should we wish to unroll the record
and read backwards. when ii is be-
yond the power of mortal ingenuity to
alter the record of single jot or tit
tie? Why be reminded again of our
mistakes-of our failures-of our neg
lected opportunities-of our errors
our hypocrisies--our multitude OF
wrongs by commission and omission,
when it only adds stings of conscience
and shame and confusion. to know that
we cannot erase and amend that which
is unalterably recorded. Why look back
at the picture these dead yesterdays
would disclose to our view, and have
our hearts narrowed. our minds dis
turbed and the fires of our conscience
burn with fervent heat when We see
what is and think of what MIGHT
HAVE BEEN! Why have our hearts
bowed down in sorrow and grief bor-
dering on despair, when we would see
the skeletons of disappointed hopes
OF blasted expectations, friendships
broken. love grown cold-aye, almost
Faith itself slipping away beneath our
feet like a running stream. The roses
which bloomed along the Travelled
path-these, too. have withered away
: and their fallen petals lie Wondering
into dust. The perfume which we in
hailed of them as we treked the weary
Journey on, was in itself but the evil
dence. even then, OF incipient decay!
Let the slumbering yesterdays SLEEP
on until the scientists of another age
wake them up.
Archiologists have gone down be-
meath the accumulated debris of ages
OF yesterdays and unearthed the ruins
OF forgotten cities and brought 70 light
many treasures and valuable records
which enable us to go back TO the
very day-dawn of history and trace
the rise and fall Of empires and king
doms--arts. arms and literature-cus-
toms and habits of people who lived
in the yesterdays Of centuries which
themselves have grown hoary. From
these unearthed records and treasures
we NOW come to know as verified fact:
many things which for centuries HAD
come down to Us as uncertain tradi-
ton. Evidence is found which forces
the fact upon us that many of the So
called modern achievements in the art:
anu sciences were knoNH anu eHJONSl
by people whose past history was {
few years ago largely traditional an6
mythical. People had had reached {
high state of civilization and made
wonderful discoveries in the science.
and whose genius had thought out anC
constructed great things in the art:
and mechanics. People, the remnant:
of whom now, are but semi-civiliZed
and 1t is left 10 the learning and Labor
OF others - reveal to them what grea
and powerful people they were in th'
forgotten yesterdays which lie buried
in the tomb of hoary centuries,
do not mean TO detract anything
from the great work of modern sci
entists and inventive geniuses who's,
learning and careful labors hav,
brought back to Us the wonderful anC
startling things which We're lost in the
ruins OF the ages long gone, for they
have not only done that. but have ia,
surpassed their ancient brethren il
bringing TO light the unseen and un-
known mysteries of Nature and laugh
us how 10 utilize them for our good