The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-23
THE SPIRIT OF THE TWENTIETH
CENTURY,
BY Faith Clark.

CENTURY,
BY Faith Clark.
Every age has had the repre-
sentative genius. The long
line of incongrous figures
stretching away to where at its
foot, one discerns the shadowy
outlines of a Grecian goddess is
forgotten along with the past,
to whose atmosphere they owe
their creation. But the twenti-
eth century has created a gen.
ius, which wills remain more
brilliantly carved upon the an
nails of history at the end of ten
centuries than were any OF its
predecessors at the very hour
of their birth. 1t is the embodi-
ment of the best of these, yet
by the domination of one quail
ity utterly different. A winged
Mercury it is, seated in the car
of the nation; tense hands
gripping the wheel of progress,
searching eyes peering straight
along the flying course. y tre-
mendous rush of wind smothers
every detail; the great wheel,
and above, the determined pro-
file of the driver clear cut as
cameo, alone rise from out the
chaos. Some day a master
hand will paint such picture,
and beneath it write its title,
The God OF Speed
And speed it is, that charact-
erizes every achievement OF to-
day. 1t is not the question now
how much will this thing
cost?-but, how quickly can this
thing be accomplished? I'm
disputably, the plodding toll OF
generation after generation has
made possible the elimination
of the first question, but it is to
our credit that we take advant-
age of that thoroughly laid
foundation, and show our ap-
probation by seizing the op-
portunity of utilizing our herit-
age. But this spirit does not
pervade the business world
alone; under it's influence old
sports have taken on new as
poets and others have materiallZ-
ed to meet the eXigencies of the
moment. The new order OF
things is particularly noticeable
in the theatre. Shakespeare
has had his day; new class OF
plays has come to reign; plays
dealing with problems of cur
rent interest; plays dealing with
music and clever comedy, to
which men go to be amused
not taught. This is an age when
to decide in haste is absolutely
imperative, when to hesitate for
a second is very often fatal.
To carry out this principle re-
quires greater strength OF
character than the average in
dividual has in the past, been
blest with. To merely exist in
this day and generation is not
less difficult than to make a
name a hundred years ago, yet
the problem holds no fears for
modern man because he has
been especially fashioned for
Just such life as he is bound
to live.
With the new era has come
a man who is the very counter
part of the century's genius. 1t
is a question whether he made
the period, or the period made
him, so repeatedly has he prov
en- himself equal to any occasion.
He devotes himself as strenuous
ly to riding, tennis, and cross
country walks as to problems of
international Importance. The
land will have lost man of
unlimited energy and ability
whose height of popularity will
not soon be equalled when they
lose Theodore Roosevelt.
Like every age, this has not
escaped criticism. Perhaps it
does not meet the ideals of those
who view it from an esthetic
standpoint, but to those who
view it from a business-like
standpoint, the twentieth CEN
tury seems but the beginning Of
an Augustan age that will
startle history.
UATEnIOTORV