The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-12-24

compass the whale, or pursue th'
dreaded swordfsh; and what ghast
ly combat that is, when the shark!
fight over the prey; and wounded
sharks are beset by sharks.
And that which we see among thu
birds of the air, the beasts of the field
the fishes OF the sea, is faithfully du
plicated in the life of man. There /:
no peace anywhere. nor rest, nor Sc
curity, nor freedom from care and
fear. The rivalries of business, the
inroads of disease, the enmities which
luxuriate along the path, the dread Of
tomorrow, the terrors of the unknown
regions that lie beyond the dim river
ali, who is free from thrall?
Worn out by the battle and the
march. the straggler may fall by th@
wayside, crawl into a corner and seek
rest. He will not find it. Nobody has
ever found it, Those who are perfect
| " sure that they are saved, leave their
mansion in the New Jerusalem vacant
just as long as possible. Human
saints who tell us, most positively.
that they will walk the golden streets
and harp with angels, stick to our dirt
roads with piteous tanacity. and re-
iveal a singular preference for the
mundane photograph and piano.
No, brethren, Let us deal honestly
by one another, and make the confes-
sion that's good for the soul We are
a lot of towards. We could hardly be
anything else. From the cradle TO
the grave we are surrounded by hob
COLLINS, imaginary terrors and real
dangers. A part of our childish train
ing consisted of elaborate efforts 10
undermine our native good sense.
Civilized creatures that We are, we
brighten our own children, destroy
their self-confidence. sap their inner
ent strength of mind and character.
feed them on Booger-man stories. poi
soning the very fountains of thought
with fiction and superstitiOns-and
the marvel is, not that so many are
permanently enfeebled or enslaved. !
but that anybody ever emancipates
SO ingrained becomes the
fear Of the dark and the mysterious,
that the bravest of men will quake. in /
uncomfortable panic, if. at night. he /
hears sounds that are different from
anything he ever heard before
sounds that he cannot connect with
any ordinary recurrence. He imme-
Iiately imagines some nameless hor-
ror, and his hair stands on end. He
sn't afraid Of any human being. he
sn't afraid TO die, but he is afraid of
hat unearthly sound, because it has
aroused the slumbering cowardice
hat was injected into him by ghost
stories when he was a child.
So II happens that while most PEG
lie who have been sick, and who have
weakened are not afraid to
-ie-let sudden death confront any
'ody. saint or sinner. and you will see
nat the grimiest log cabin is passion
tely preferred to the best Of those I
in the skies.
Yes, we are all towards; if not e
fraid OF one thing, we are afraid of a
else-and much of it is due
the wretched system of dealing l.
18th the child.
And so, when l seek a picture Of re- p
ose, look upward, and gaze upon the h
uzzard, peacefully engaged in draw
lg invisible circles in the upper air g
ne hubbub in the marts of trade are S
othing to him. The fierce rivalries u
men affect him not Is the world
peace? His rations will not he orr s.
L or shortened. Are the nations al o
ar? So much the better for him. Is u
year of bountiful harvests? He W
III not go unfed. Does famine smite
lie people? 1t has no terrors for him.
Inc storm comes up from far away.
Id thunder clouds obscure the sun
e either rides with the gale, as if he E
we'd it, or scars above the tumult I
i'd lets it pass below.
Some day you will hear a rush of Vi
und, the volume startlingly strong tn
Id you will look up in surprise-it is 81
e buZZard having his finn aDnoror+
by taking a headlong dive into H,
ace. So then, this unclean, unsocia.
p isolated bird actually possesses a
CT