The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-04-07

property smile SO suddenly, when
1t serves, their purpose, that 1t seems
the smile must be connected with
some electric button concealed in
their clothes. Their voice has
simulated cordially that long train.
ing may have made almost natural.
But they never play their part abso-
lutely true, the mask will slip down
sometimes; their cleverness cannot
teach their eyes the look Of sterling
honesty: they may deceive some
people, but they cannot deceive all.
There is a subtle power of revelation
which makes us say: well, cannot
explain how it is, but know that
man is not honest. /"
Man cannot escape for one moment
from this radiation OF his character,
this constantly weakening or strength
ening of others. He canot evade the
responsibility by saying 1t Is an I'M
conscious influence. He can selec,
the qualities that he will permit to be
radiated. He can cultivate sweetness,
calmness, trust, generosity, truth,
justice, loyalty, nobility, make them
vitality active In his character and
by these qualities he will constantly
affect the world.
Disbursement often comes to
honest souls trying to live the best
they can, in the thought that they are
doing SO little good in the world.
Trifles unnoted by us may be links
in the chain of SOME great purpose.
In 1897, William Goodwin wrote The
Inquirer, collection OF revolutionary
essays on morals and politics. This
book influenced Thomas Nautilus to
write his Essay on Population, pub
lishsd in 1898. Malthus' book sug-
gested to Charles Darwin point OF
view upon which he devoted many
years OF his life. resulting, In 1855,
in the publication of The Origin Of
Species-tne most influential book of
the nineteenth century, book that
has revolutionized all science. These
were but three links of influence e1-
tending over sixty years. 1t might
be possible to trace this genealogy OF
influence back from Goodwin, through
generation and generation. to the
word or act OF some shepherd in early
Britain, watching his flock upon the
hills, living his quiet life and dying
with the thought that he had done
nothing to help the world.
Men and women have duties to
others, and duties to themselves. In
justice to ourselves we should refuse
to live in an atmosphere that keeps
us from living our best. If the fault
be in us, we should master it. II /.
be the personal influence-if We can
possibly move without forsaking
duties. II it be wrong to move, then
We should take strong doses Of moral
quinine to counterfeit the malaria OF
influence. 1t is not what those around
us do for us that counts-it is what
they are to us. We carry our house
| plants from one window to another
to give them the proper heat, light,
air and moisture. Should we not be
at least as careful of ourselves?
To make our influence felt we mus,
! live our faith, we must practice what
we believe. A magnet does not at
tract iron as iron. 1t must first con
/ vert the iron into another magnet
before 1t can attract 1t. 1t is useless
for parent to try to teach gentleness
to her children when she herself il
cross and irritable. The child who il
told to be truthful and who hears 3
! parent lie cleyerly to escape some
little social unpleasantness is moi
4 going tic cling very zealously to truth
+, The parents's words say don't lie,
the influence of the parents life say,
!; do lie''
No man can ever isolate himself
/ to evade this constant power of III
fluence, as no single corpuscle can re
bel and escape from the genera
course of the blood. No individual i!
SO insignificant as to be withou
influence. The changes in our vary
ing moods are all recorded In thu
i delicate barometers of the lives O
others We should ever let oul
influence filter through human Low,
and sympathy. We should not b,
/ merely an influence-we should be al
inspiration. BY our very presence W,
should be a tower Of strength to tn,
j hungering human souls around us.