The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-11-11
<ASATURDAY
@S NIGHT
1 SERMONS
BY
s. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
THE GRAPES you CANNOT REACH.

least they look so. And one must be-
iievc his own senses Some say they're
sour. Remember the fox in the fable2
Munchlng luscious grapes, he happens
20 look up, sees larger, finer punches;
leaps. snaps, snars; can't reach them;
finally gives up. "SOur grapes" quoths
he and walks Off; forgetting the rich
purple clusters on the lower vine.
Foolish fox to give up what he knew
was good because he could not reach
what he was not certain was better
"Foollsh reynard!' did you say? Well,
| know some more, present company
not excepted We are Knocked by the
unattainabe. Our vision Is our Tanta-
lus. None is satisfied. Glow much is
enough, Mr.. Moncybags| Just lit
tie more" The most satisfied beings
I've met were Mt an asylum where |
was acting chaplain. They were kings
and queens fabulously wealthy. An
old straw hat was n crown, faded
shawl was erminc bits of paper were
wealth. | smiled pityingly at them.
On my soul, they were smiling plying
ly at me! felt uncomfortable. They
were satisfied; wasn't. Said one
Thalcs, "Prcachcr, the real insane asy
lum Is out of doors" My smile faded
perceptibly. | had no answer Posi-
bly, the best way to avoid a fact is to
ignore 1t.
Tho Mirage Of Life.
IT'S distance lends enchantment to the
And clothes yon mountain in its azure
hue
says Campbell. If you climb the noun
tain the hue isn't there; it's on another
peak five miles away. That is life, a
series of illusous-not receptions,
mind you. Your life begins with them.
You've another guess on shape, dis
lance, color. The treetops do not
touch the sky. Heaven isn't just be-
yond that cloud; the earth isn't fiat;
the sun doesn't move around the earth;
there aren't giants, fairies, Santa
Claus nor-God help us!-possibly any
angels; at least our elders haven't seeh
any. Growing older, you learn the les
son of the falsehood Of appearances.
You modify and discount your earlier
judgments. When the losses come too
frequently you quote the old lines;
Twas ever thus from childhood's hour.
I've seen my fondest hopes decay.
The purpose of the mirage is to draw
us on, like the promise of bicycle to
a primary boy and Phi Beta Kappa to
the college boy. In reaching for the
prize they have got something else
-ganglia and gray matter. As boys
we dreamed we were going to be pres.
idents some day. Were we not famil.
lar with LongfclowS Lives of great
lives sublime etc? But our lives
haven't been sublime.
If You Must Have Them.
First of ALL are you sure you want
that upper branch fruit? Are you
willing to pay the price, Leadership,
for Instance Can you stand the derce
light that beats about throne or that
might beat on the unhappy occupant
of White House or some other Capt.
tol hillt Would you exchange what
you have for any number of blocks Of
Standard Oil or United States Steel
corporation stock? All right. | sim
ply wanted to know if you knew the
varieties of grapes that grow up there.
Might be fox" or chicken" grapes
Fruit high up is deceiving. Remem-
Der Maud Muller and the Judge? Now,
there are varieties that are worth
whilc-ConcordS, Niagaras, Catawbas
and many others. You'll get them by
reaching. Daniel in Babylon prayed
with his windows open toward Jeru-
salem. Fling your lattice windows
open toward what you cannot reach,
The next turn in the cog may set in
operation circumstances that will bring
your hearts desire. There is turn in
the tide, you know. Get in the right
attitude toward your unattainable. The
impossible is just beyond. Notice Ma
poleon the night before Jena? An ar
tillery column got stuck fast in a ra-
vine. Officers said it was all over. The
grapes Of Jena would belong to the
enemy The little corporal patted the
weary gunners, helped carry tools.
held Il lantern for them while they
toiled through the night with sinking
bodies under the eyes OF the emperor.
The column moved Jena was his.
Tho Why of Those High Bunches.
There's discomfort that's of God.
At least it's elementary, The baby
lies fiat on its back, eyes fixed on cell
ing. By and by it tires of that posi-
tion-discontented. Soon wiggles till
he turns over. After Il time he crawls
primitive transit-hands and knees,
then stands at the chair. Now he's off.
| knew n child Of five that lay still.
Then 1t died. God the merciful took
1t. Defeat isn't necessarily failure.
No The first Bull Run was really a
godsend. Lee retreated from the Rap
idan to Appomattox, but he was on his
way to the temple of fame. Column
bus died in chains. Homer begged
bread from door to door. Paul was
beaten in one city, stoned in another,
finally beheaded. The Nazarene was
spat upon, scourged, crucifed at the
age OF thlrty-three. Then he said a
queer thing, 1T is tinished!' He had