The Washington herald., 1912-05-26
LOVE AND SERVICE
SYNONYMOUS TERMS
The Life Well Spent Is the Unssl-
fish Life.

Among the ancient philosophers there
was great contention as to what was
the true aim Of life. One class main
tained that pleasure was the aim or end
Of existence, while the other held TO
the belief that duty was the highest
good.
Surely time has proved that the latter
class Of thinkers was correct Although
we Of modern times may not always
live up to our belief, yet there are few
among US who would take exception to
the belief that the highest good con-
sists In obeying the three great fund
amentsl laws Of the universe-the law
Of love. In other words, the chief end
Of existence is not pleasure, but duty;
not our own good, but the good Of
others; not the individual benefit, but
the general. common gain The ideal
life is not the narrow life whose para
mount factor Is selhshness, but the
great, broad, widely sympathetic ifs
whose aim Is the promotion Of the good
Of all mankind.
Nature comprises q large part Of this
plan In nature the great fundamental
laws are implicitly obeyed.
Common Laws of Life.
Why should man as part Of the great
scheme be exempt from the common
laws Of service and sacrifice? II he
neglects TO apply these great laws to
his life he will stand outside the har-
mony OF the universe. In the lower
forms Of life obedience to the laws Of
service and sacrifice are mechanical and
unconscious, but among the higher ami
mails, and certainly mankind, service
apd sacrifice are founded upon the great
law Of love- and hence may be made
conscious. grand. noble. and glorious.
Love without service and sacrifice Is
not love at all The life which Is rooted
and grounded in love naturally and with
out questioning gives itself TO willing
sacrifice and cheerful service, When a
man realizes this he has gone q long
step toward solving all the problems Of
his life.
In the great plan Of the universe we
men and women are but as mere atoms
in relation TO the whole. Each life which
seems so important to the owner thereof
is but as blade OF grass In hundred
acre field. AS Alexander Pope says: IAN
are but parts of one stupendous whole"
But We should never lose sight Of the
fact that every part Is necessary for the
whole Every life, though It seems 50
insignificant in comparison with the
grand plan, is essential IN carrying out
that plan and bringing It 70 perfection.
and since no man can live a normal life II
he lives for himself alone never commit
the error Of thinking that your own
individual happiness Is the most impor-
tant thing in the world.
To seek happiness is seldom TO find IL.
The blnebfrd Is not found by seeking In
striving to make others happy we attain
our own happiness. In forgetting self
and thinking Of others We lose sight OF
our own sorrows. trials, troubles, and
yexations and learn 20 hx our mind on
our blessings and the many happy things
IN life for which we should be supremely
thankful
The well spent life Is the unselhsh life |
the life OF toll and service for others, the !
lie that strives 70 make the world q 1T |
tie better and brighter. There are such
lives being lived about US, lives that ap-
proach the IDEAL. lives Of self-forgetfui- |
ness and Of consecration TO others, lives
whose fundamental law Is love, lives
whose owners have found the true aim |
Of existence. the noblest and the highest
coed
y your life one Of thesss