The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-09-20

saying to the indolent forever, go t
the ant, thou sluggard; consider he
ways and be wise. It is the energetic
high-souled men and women who hay,
stefnly followed duty at whatever cos
that have steadily lifted the race tc
higher destinies. Had Arminius beer
an idler the ancient Germans might
never have broken the Roman yoke and
brought her eagle to the dust; and con-
sequently, the Germanic people might
not to-day be the worlds dominant
leaders. Had Charles Martel been a
do-nothlng gentleman or coward, the
Mohammedans, doubtless, would have
oyerrun and conquered the whole world,
putting all Christendom beneath their
brutal heels. Who knows what We'll
llngton was worth to Europe; Washing
ton to America; Joan of Arc to France;
Florence Nightingale to the world? Who
knows what any industrious, duty-loy-
ing man or woman may be worth to
the world-and to eternity? A Shakes
peare may steal deer-and write vast
volume of inimitable dramas. There is
hopes of thief if he has energy, but the
sluggard-I had forgotten the youthful
and rather indolent Patrick Henry, who,
when he reused himself, took the world
by the ears with his masterful eloauence.
There is hopes Of the idler too-if he ever
wakes up and heeds the voice of duty.
Every normal man, as I have said,
has powers, gifts or talents for some
special kind of work, and nature gives
nothing in vain. 1t is a duty that everv
man owes to himself and to the world.
to use industriously, and thereby de-
velop whatever capacity or gift which
be may have for any kind of useful or
1oble work. And any one can only
cap his richest possible fruition in this
ife when he is using, developing and
forth to the utmost the best
hat there is in him. If he fails to do
his, the law of his own progress is vio-
ated, the deity within him suppressed
his own soul is shamed, and feels it.
o bury ones talent for usefulness,
trough negligence, incidence or COW
rdlce, is to thwart Gods purpose in his
fe, to wrong and rob himself of his t
Ighest satisfaction-to be a giddy or '
nhappy nonentity, failure. The idIer, /
drone, though he may be as rich as v
ives, has no lawful place in the econ
ny of the God that made the heav- @
is and earth. The Father worketh v
therto, and | work." said Christ. S.
lall man then be idle?-only at his il
1n peril. Cast ye the Improbable a
ryant into outer darkness. There is a
It one place that is suited to his indo- b
1T and negative nature-outer dark W
IS, for no man needs light and op- g
rtunity if he is not going to use them. a
find ones work and do it with a will OF
the royal way to peace or happiness m
re, and to heaven hereafter. Blessed m
he," exclaims Carlyle, who has ar
md his work; let him ask no further of
ssedness. p" To him who honestly
patiently does his work, however m
ly, is his own heart forever singing, nc
'ell done, good and faithful servant; We
ne up higher" We rise by what ca
have mastered and done-'by the ch
1gs that are under our feet.' The to
b of duty, then, is always one of toll, fill
oeace, of ascension and glorifcation. ric
'uty may lead one through the lowly he
IS of obscurity orpoverty, or through for
highways of riches or fame, but she is /
IS none of these for their own sake Th
as hnality. Duty simply says, far
Ike up your cross and follow me. I ant
the God-sent to lead thee whittier glo
| shouldst go; follow me-" And to see
emily and confdingly follow her VIII
leadership, bowing patiently to ant
most trying burdens, lends per- mo
al dignity and majesty to one that Coz
ing else can give-that nothing can to t
away. And happy is he who can +
entedly follow duty through the BILE;
y valley of useful obscurity, for hol,
!, along the cool sequestered vale seel
fe, !" he may keep the noiseIess God
of his way, sheltered and secured to
the conflicting storms of ''the and
lening crowds of ignoble strife. - char
duty and aspiration conspire to NAL
one to the performance of some refn
and great worldwide service for is th
unity, then indeed to follow her is She
ighest magnanimity and the most of til
ID royalty. And if such a course ness.
d bring envy, aspersion and hatred, out &