The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-05-27
Majestic Aims and Their Achievement"

Every day is fresh beginning every in the
world made new" Sang the poet.
This is beautiful creed of hope. 1t
makes room for fresh start in life,
when yesterdays failures have we'll
nigh over whelmned us.
Longfellow, as WE'LL as indeed, do
most of the poets somewhere, gives
expression to the same truoh in his
Ladder of ST. Augustine
'sSt. Augustine, we'll hast thou said,
that of our vices we may frame ladder,
if we will but tread beneath our feet,
each deed of shane. Nor deem the
irrevocable past as wholly wasted,
wholly vain, if rising on it's wrecks, at
last to something nobler we attain.
In the realm Of character, possibility
can do he ought to do. Lowell makes
is as sheet of paper white whereon
each one of us may write his word or
two and then comes night
l realize that before me tonight are
future men and women. You are en-
barking upon life's rugged way. There
are many struggles before you. How to
help you meet them is my problem.
Behind you are the ages of progress,
around you are millions of your fellows,
everyone of. whom have some individual
purpose and privilege. Before you are
years teeming with golden opportuni-
ties and rife with conflicts. You are
called upon to choose that quality of
aife that will beautify aud adorn you
before your fellows. To achieve this it
is necessary for you to have definite
aim. AS such it will be your inspira-
tion beckoning you each day to do
your very best.
A beautiful soul makes beautiful
body, and twisted body is no more re-
pulsive than twisted soul. High ideal
ism is natural, goodness, uprightness
and truth are inherent. Therefore in
my theme tonight only ask you to fol
low the easy not the difficult and CON-
pick. The natural and innate not the
foreign. Majestic aims are absolutely
necessary to complete, purposeful
life. the life that would surmount and
extinguish all difficulties. The life that
would be grandly and nobly true. That
life that would leave the world richer
fuller, more desirable, because of it's
having lived therein. That life that
has mankind at heart and Gods up
rightness in hope. The life that would
be remembered by deeds not words.
Human souls surcharged with sucf
ideals cannot but be the worlds masters
Would'st thou be slave or serf? Their
give no heed, but if thou would'st
master, victor or king be then harken
Lowell gives it to US in nut shell
mot failure, but low aim is crime
Three words serve us here, purpose
perseverance and patience.
Carlyle expressed it thus "The mai
without purpose is like ship without
rudder, waif, nothing, a no man
Have purpose in life and having it
throw such strength Of muscle ant
mind into your work, as God has givel
you.'
The mistake many make, which Away
beckons failure, is that they regard no
God.
1t is ever true that while imam pro
poses God disposes." Providence ha
nothing high or good in store for hir
who does not resolutely aim at some
thing high or good. A purpose in lif
is the eternal condition of success. TIL
secret OF every successful life, of ST
Isaac Newton, Christopher Columbus
George Washington, Wellington, WILDER
force, Stephenson, Morse, Grant an
Stewart, is perseverance.
Wellington, while directing the bat
tic of Waterloo, said to his officers
s'Hard pounding, gentlemen, hard pound
ing, but we shall see who can pound tn
longest" Perseverance gave to We
lington the victory and = glad home
coming, while the loss Of battle gave
Napoleon the obscurity of st. Helen,
The virtue Of patience is most Difficult
to achieve. Many man has passed OF