Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-15
TIL E M Cd R II He ROIS M

} - T. X ~ IL L
By Bliss Carman
-
thing was made ready had they hesitated on the
brink of action, above ali had they lost them
selves in absent musing, the moment of their des
tiny would have passed them by, and the web
of life would have slipped through their fingers
unmodified by any desire of theirs Not so
have the efficient masters of fate dealt with
this delicate fabric of existence Their great
desiring crippled by incertitude indie
cision of mind nor by any fumblng in execution.
For the strong man no time can be inappropriate,
age preferable to another. He takes his
place in our modern world as gladly as he would
have in the world of Archimedes, and finds in it
just as wide scope for all his powers. He is too
busy bringing his ideals to pass, to think much of
fabulous antiquity. 1t is he who will make the
pomp of enperors ridiculous" and spendidly prove
the rich sufficiency of the passing hour This
dreams of conquest, and this evening will not be
too small for his triumphal reward He grasps the
scepter of success with eager a hand ever bar
barian conqueror reached forth above his fellows,
and he has never misgiving about the excellence
and value of the world or the delghtfulness of life.
Ancient Heroes Had Help of Gods
A ND yet between ancient and modern heroisrn
there must always remain a difference. To the
men of old it given to contend against terrors
and expressions, always with the fortifying consola
ton that the gods were near to aid them In
large measure that consolation has been withdrawn
from ourselves, and many to-day must carry
his fight with ghostly company to help him,
unseen captain to approve The cold approba-
ton of his lonely conscience must often be the only
sanction he find for hours of unremittng strain
and days of unmeasured endurance. Let grief
accident or misfortune or any disaster fall upon
him, and there is friendly, attentive palpable
divinity ready with solace and cheer.
The men who died at Marathon were supported
by friendships with the gods. Anyone of them
may have beheld his protective deity face to face
and received encouragement in living words. The
fresh imagination of that youthful age peoped
wood and plain with radiant presences, superhuInan
and benign, and derived from these divine appari-
tions daily fund of courage and hope. In that
simple childish and lovely earth, the gods of war
and love- of harvest and chase and freside were
indubitable and potent to Mans faith relied
upon them and suffered no disiusion. He might
give all his heart to their worship without reserva-
ton, and be of protective guardianship in
return If doubt assaied him. it was only of his
own unworthlness never of the virtue recti-
tude of his gods. His strength, his valor, his
cess, were all traceable to them; his fate was in
their hands from day day; and into their keeping
at last his being resigned.
So it was for ages. Only the names and attributes
of godhead changed with changing races and lands
and times. The integrity of the divine was
challenged Mans faith remained undistracted and
unimpared. Then came knowledge; with knowl-
edge came curiosity and the scientific spirit and
skepticis1n; and with skepticsm the putting
away of myth and fable and much simpleness of
heart. Until to-day while faith remains it is
grounded the reasonableness of truth the fascina
ton of beauty, the generous exuberance of the
loving heart rather than in the attested revelations