Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-06-22
SATURDAY NIGHT
~ SERMONS
WV BY
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rs LIFE WORTH wHILE7

and borne his own and n little more
OF the worlds burden OF care and re.
sponsibillty has asked that question al
some time or other. The evolutionist
tells us whence we have come. the the
ologIan whittier we are going. The
great central fact remains that we
are here. We walsen to find ourselves
on n swift sailing ocean steamer. frou
what port and especially TO what port
must give us mighty serious thought
vexing. mysterious. tantaizing as are
birth and death that life In between
battles us still more. Woe unto you
II your foot slips or you lose your
grip when money friends. youth and
health are going. Then your fight Is
a desperate one. with the knowledge
that you are not equal to 1t and event
ually must 20 under. Soon the snow
reaches not only your head, but your
heart Time marches relcntlcssly on.
Your daily grind Is for the food neces-
sary 20 sustain those dependent on
you Hope is vanishing. opportunl-
ties have gone. new doors do not open.
1t Is too late In the day TO turn back.
You daren't step out Of line-theres a
dozen to take your place. Ambitions
are checked. personality is robbed,
power OF initiative most gone. you live
because you have to. you are part OF q
mighty, merciless machine.
Perspective.
One OF the most tragic conditions
into which n human soul ever drifts Is
that OF melancholy for which there
may not be a real reason. You can
fight real troubles, actual grief. The
thing that cannot be fought is the in.
tangible. An obsesslon Is worse than
a reality. A trifie may seem tremen.
dous. A cnder may erase land
scape. 4 penny with the inscription
"In God We Trust" may be held so
close 20 the eye that 1t blot out the
sun. The defect OF Chinese art 10 our
western eyes Is its lack of perspective.
Figures OF men mile away are as
large as those in the foreground. The
eye gets no real sense OF distance.
fish has II photographed at his side.
II 1t Is little he suspends Ii closer to
the camera aud steps back To detect
the fraud Use a stereoscope. Its two
lenses will restore the perspective. the
sense OF docking through the air. and
you Will see big man standing back
Of a little fish. Lots OF our troubles
are magnified. We hold them well
forward. Many OF us take life too
seriously. Atlas-like we carry the
world on our shoulders. We insist on
always carrying the heavy end OF the
too obliglng. It's all up TO us. we as
sumo. and the world steps back most
ungrudgingly and says. "Sure" Re.
member the maxim of the willing
horse.
Life's Intending Marathon.
Bravely and heroically. with the mist
and dashing rain In his eyes, the bur
den bearer says. "Pshaw. mustn't
give way. My day isn't done yet" He
tries TO cali back the air castles OF long
ago, but the body tires. the brain
throbs. the crowd pushes harder.
Younger. stronger men are fighting
greedlly. frantically. for the position
he's holding with weakening hands as
a climber on the side of a precipice.
Ills means will not permit him 10 LAY
by" for old age lie fears the day
when he can no longer work or is
crowded out while he IS still able and
willing He breads the reproach in the
eyes IL not IN the voice OF those who
look upon him as the proyidcr rather
than the sacrihcer. Tie has tried to be
good son. IL faithful husband. a kind
father. but intuition tells him that the
very ones he has shaved for will some
day look on him ms n burden. Mean.
while he must plod on. He is slave
and cannot flee. He wouldn't II he
could Duty has been his watchword
so long that he knows no other. His
hardest work brings little results and
stIll less gratitude The fight grows
sharper and his blade IS dull. Who
blames him II he sobs my soul IS
weary of my life?"
The Maze Of Mirrors.
Life is an illusion-not dclusion.
mind you. Your anticipations were
never promised you. As a boy you
were taught TO look forward TO the
White House and the presidency. but
no one could promise II 10 you Sc
cretly your mother prayed that you
might become good enough 10 be
minister. The things you had hoped
for were made up In your imagination.
They are seldom realized. Its wise
and merciful arrangement that they
are not. You began life with Illusions
distance. snaps. color were deceiving
All lifc's experience Is correction Of
these illusions. Ones only real delu
sion is that all things. all avenues.
should reflect back yourself. like the
maze OF mirrors at the worlds fair
When you come TO die You will say.