The Washington herald., 1910-08-07
The Beauty of Conscience.

When, inspired by high ideals. men
seek TO attain lofty aims. It is curious TO
note how often they feel that a burden is
laid upon them to make the world and
their neighbors good. It is infinitely more
important we are sure, that man should
make himself good. In that he viii find
a task that shall call forth all his powers.
snail test him to the marrow.
In the great strife for goodness-for
the impulse is strong within us all-how
much less often than we should do we
credit our conscIences for holding rs
more or less firmly. in the paths Of duty
and virtue. Most Of us are rebels M
heart against the conventions. and faln
would sail at times upon the sea Of our
desires. Often we are inclined TO believe
that If it We're not for what the world
might say about it we should throw off
the shackles Of duty and forget our oh
legations and convention for a while civ
ing ourselves up TO sheer pleasure reck-
less Of the cost. But all the while there
Is that one thing. within ourselves. that
holds us TO the line-conscience
Conscience is harder than our enemies.
Knows more. accuses with more nlcety"-
as George Eliot said. Friend and eney,v
alike may cease their watchfulness. the
beauty Of conscience is that II never
sleeps nor will it let US stray from the
hard paths Of rectitude without giving no
prod. Conscience is the faithful sertt-
mel keeping us from remorse. guarding
US from 81. and furnishing us if We fail.
There IS future paug
Can deal that justice on the selfcondemned
He deals on his own SOUL
It was Joseph Cook who wrote
There is spectacle grander than the
ocean. and that Is the conscience rrboro
Is spectacle grander than the sky and
that Is the interior Of the soul To vrito
the poem OF human conscience were the
subject Of only one man. and he The
lowest Of men, would be reducing all
epic poems into one sublime and final
epos. IL Is no more possible TO prevent
thought from reverting 20 an ideal than
the sea from returning to the shore"
What health is to the human body q
good conscience is TO the soul It 81
guards US and wards us back from the
worst part Of our own natures as to make
life serene; and tender conscience does
much 20 protect us against the calamities
and Affections that lie I'm wait to beset us
Oftentimes the individual. CALLED by
what seem TO be the chains Of the conven-
tons, longs to break them: 10 get away.
TO follow blindly. and regardless Of the
cost, the call Of the desires: to drop the
humdrum work Of every day. and TO sail
of on the sea Of pleasure and self-grati-
hcation. reckless. audacious. and careless
In truth. 1t is not altogether fear Of the
consequences that holds us back II
is conscience that "stm small voice
that is mighty within us for the right:
that insists not only that we mean well.
but that we shall with all our strength
strive TO attain the best that is POSSIBLE
1t IS the beauty Of conscience that II re-
quires u.s. as Joseph Cook said in one Of
his Boston Monday night lectures not
only TO follow all the light we have but
to do so with glad hearts and grateful
spirits.
conscience. conscience mans most faithful friend
Him canst thou comfort ease. relieve defend:
But IL he viii thy friendly checks forego.
Thou art. Oh. for him. his deadliest foer'
wrote Crabbe. and they were almost the
last lines he ever wrote.
II is. indeed only through our con-
sciences that we come 20 realize that we
must answer for what we are. what we
do. what we intend. No sophlstry can
cheat US; no example Of the wicked. sue
cessful in high places, can lead us
astray. In the sanctuary Of our own
hearts We all know that. largely speak
Ing, happiness Is won only through good
ness; sorrow comes to us through evil
As Shakespeare says:
The web Of our life is OF a mingled
yarn, good and III together: our virtues
would be proud II our faults whipped
them not out, and our crimes would
despair II they were not cherished by
our virtues"
And this remains: That nothing on this
earth is surer than the fact that with
an unquiet conscience happiness is not
possible. Life. to be bearable. must be
good, and in being good we must incor.