The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-30
We Shall Not Pass This Way
Again-What Of 1t?

It worth Wnlle 10 Sp6nu q HE III
multiplying comforts and luxu-
ries? After all, to have the best
of food and the best of drink
and the finest shelter is to put
oneself on the level Of a well |
stalled OK or horse. To accumu-
late money and property, to
heap them up and guard them
ana keep them, is to degrade the
intelligence to the level of the
bee or the ant. All these things
are good, some of them are ne
cessary. Food and drink and |
proper shelter, work and gain |
and increase Of facilities, are the
by products Of living, they are
necessary; but who mistakes
them for the life itself must pay
for his error as if it were a
sin.
And the life itself? Let us
quote from a book we may all be
reading in a month or a year
from now: "Of a sudden ii
came to him that life itself was
beautiful. Not effort only, not
work nor play, success, achieve
ment, wealth or fame or honor,
but life itself. To live was good.
The hours, the golden hours,
were not just empty spaces be-
tween two clockbeats, to fill with
acts. They were themselves a
glory. To sit and let the crystal
flood of time pass over him was
purest pleasure. Not his life
only, but all life was good. To
feel the great and glorious stream
of the worlds life pass on, to be
one with Nature and hear her
sing. For she goes forward to
music. 1t is not always a battle
chant she moves to. In her song
there are all things. The shout
of triumph and the cry of those
who fall are there; but there are
also other notes.-the ripple OF
the river on its stones, the MUIR
muir Of the trees, the rhythm OF
the sap that rises in them, the
thunder in the hills. 1t is the
song of infinite harmOnies. >
This is what comes upon US,
with a misgiving that is almost {
terror, when we pause to think
that we stand here in the mids'
of mortal life and that we shall
not pass this way again. Life il
infinitely beautiful, and we, if we
fail to find it so, much search
for the defect, not around US no
outside of US, but in ourselves
And if in our chase for gros
things and material things w
have outrun the power to live
to perceive, to enjoy, we mus
pay the penalty, for Nature j
inexorable; we pay for our mis-
takes to the last jot just as W
pay for our sins.
But after all, the outlook
not so black. Mistakes are jus
the steps of the stairs up whic
we are climbing. Every tin
we recognize one for what it i
and call it a step instead of
goal, we move on up. And tn
generation is just in the act {
lifting one foot off the step I
materialism to step that shs
be better worth while. We she
stand next on a plane where "
shall realize, as the child wi
has been burned realizes VIII
fire is, that life is not all in Il
body, but that life is happines
And happiness is not bread al
meat, nor yet is it sport, n
gayety, nor excitement, nor
valry, nor prominence. HapI
ness is growth and enlargement
He is happy who sees more, WI
understands more, who effec
more this year than last. He
happy who finds his preceptio
sharpening, his powers increa
ing, his sympathies widenin
his helpfulness broadening.
is happiest who includes me
life in himself and radiates me
life around him.
And how shall he face dea
who has grown to full stature
this life? If, on this chan
journey we call mortal life,
has not only found goodness a
security and happiness, but h
himself had power to create me
security and more bappinei
shall he believe for an insta
that all this can be blotted out
existence by a mere shadow ca
ed death? Dying is hard;
death is easy" wrote a hero,
he bled to death alone at m
night by Pickering camp hg
The change, like all strange a
new experiences, has it's diffic
ties and pains, and then con
the new adventure, strange a
thrilling and surely gladder a
greater than the experience
have just exhausted and cast
hind US. Death is nothing
just the step above US.
And there is but one m
word to this little sermon alb
what is worth while: Men v
are willful and stupid and
worthy of themselves of
enough lay all this aside wi
they begin to think for their C
dren. There is a truth as in
bitable as that fire burns, and
is this: AS we choose today,
shall our children inherit.
What man is willing to lie
his child nothing better t
mere material gains? What r