Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-12-03
ASATURDAY
@@&% NIGHT
4 SERMONS
BY
MMNunW.PURyBll
THE GRAPES YOU CANNOT REACH.

SICK. PROV. XII, L..
Wonder why nature does it. The
punches are larger, fuller. ripper. up
there, just beyond your reach. AT
least they look so. And one must be-
lieye his own senses. Some say they're
sour. Remember the fox in the fable:
Nlunching luscious grapes, he happens
to look up, sees larger, finer punches;
leaps, snaps, snarls; 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.
foolish reynardw did you say? Well,
l know some more, present company
not excepted. We are Knocked by the
unattainabIe Our vision IS our Tanta-
lus. None is satisfied. How much is
enough, Mr.. Moncybags" Just a lit
tie more" The most satisfied beings
I've met were at an asylum where
was acting chaplain. They were kings
and queens fabulouSly wealthy. An
old straw hat was n crown, faded
shawl was ermine, bits of paper were
wealth l smiled pityingly ut them
On my soul. they were smiling pitylng-
" at me! | felt uncomfortable. They
were satisfied; wasn't. Said one
Thales, preacher, the real insane aSy-
lum is out of doors" My smile faded
perceptibly. | had no answer. Posi-
bly, the best way to avoid fact Is to
ignore it.
Tho Mirage of Life.
IT'S distance lends enchantment to the
view
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, Il
series of illusions-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 seen
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 chldhood's hour,
I've seen my fondest hopes decay.
The purpose of the mirage is to draw
ha of 70
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. We're we not famil
lar with Longfellow's Lives of great
men all remind us we can make our
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 fierce
light that beats about throne or that
might beat on the unhappy occupant
of a White House or some other Capt.
tol hill? 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
while-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
t1llery column got stuck fast in a "a
vine. Officers said 1t was all over The
grapes of Jena would belong to the
enemy. The little corporal patted the
weary gunners, helped carry tools
held a 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 a 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 1t tires of that posi-
tion-discontented. Soon wiggles till
he turns over. After time he crawls
primitive transit-hands and knees,
then stands at the chair. Now he's off.
l knew a 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
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, crucified at the
age Of thirtythree. Then he said
queer thing, TT is finishedv' He had
succeeded. What, the grapes Of Pales-
tine? No, the vintage Of humanity.
Twas his task. He had done 1t.
THANK Jupiter, that's finished" says
the Roman soldier. Finished? 1t has
inst hepuni To-day no lives The