The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-06-10
Eloquent Bacca
laureat Sermon
"a lcentlnued from PAGE Four.l s

lcsn.laasd ttom. pau. fout,
new art 81 developing manhood and all
the attributes Of a well rounded and
great soulet man. must in large meas.
ure be himself the embodiment Of the
vision Of the perfected man which
stands before him as the ideal he
would seek 10 make real. No man
without manhood in himself can i'm.
part manhood to another. No human
artist can implant faith in human
soul that Is now seeptIcal and unbe.
lieying without he has faith within
his own soul. A dry fountain will not
give forth living waters.
A few days ago while writing this
sermon in my Office man present.
ed himself before me desiring me to
purchase some small articles he had
for sale. He first showed me picture
of himself nude above to his waist
His arms were wasted and withered
no flesh, no muscle, the bones and
Joints stood out all over his body as
great projections. His limbs too were
wasted away. He was but mass OF
bones. His arms hung limp at his
sides. His limbs were unsteady be,
meath him, and TO be able to walk he
must first be helped TO his feet by
another. He told me that many years
ago he had met with an accident and
with the accident his flesh and mus.
cles began, to wither away. There
atrophy OF the whole physical man.
He was useless and Incapable Of every
kind Of physical work which required
strength or skill. Though he had
imagined In his mind ten thousand
perfect angles. It would have been i'm.
possible for him to release one.
Though he may have seen vases and
vessels OF finest pattern and honor In
his minds eye. he was utterly inca.
pable OF turning the wheel making pos.
sible the molding the vessel OF bis
dream. He may have had before his
mind the pattern Of some great ca.
thedral exceeding In architectural
beauty and splendor that Of Straus.
brug or Cologne. and yet there was no
power within him 10 stay one stone
upon another. carve one design or
mold one pillar toward realizing the
resign ne carried In his soul.
But TO You there is a far more ca.
lamltous atrophy than that which over.
took this withered man have describ.
ed. and that is atrophy OF the soul.
More calamitous. say. for worse
than atrophy OF limb or even brain or
heart Is the atrophy OF the soul. It IS
easy enough TO put the soul out OF
action. Disuse or misuse OF spirit.
ual powers will cause them 10 wither
away. In such case the eyes OF the
soul 60 blind. unable to see the glor.
ions revelations OF God, duty, priv,
lege. Not because there are no eyes,
hut because the eyes are blind from
dlsuse. With an atrophied soul you
can no more perform the duties and
functions OF this high art Of teach.
Ing and shaping manhood and calling
forth the eternal in man than could
the poor withered man Of whom
have made mention scale the peaks
Of the Alphs or build with his own
nani St. Fouls in London.
7 entraat von N ,,o-d yo,rso,re,
well and 10 watch the signs of anv mn.
proachinc spiritual atropby. Do Won
ask what are some of the signs Of II,
approach?, Let me answcr. whom ,bs
center of gravity OF your life falls ont.
side the spirituaI IN tho snhere ~ ,ra
animal II,ban ,.o,, olto,..,