The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-14

er he turns his atttnetion to the i'm
provement of crops and herds. to me-
ehanieal labor. to the perfecting OF
methods of exchange or to the cheap
ening of transportation. or ministers as
physician to the ills of the body, or as
an instructor to the wants of the mind
or as a religious teacher to the needs
Of The heart-no matter to what he do
votes himself, infinite possibilities arc
before him. In whatever walk of life
he takes his place, he cannot shirk the
duties of citizenship, for. living in
land where every citizen is a sovef,
eign and where no one dares to wear a
crown, he must help to make the gov
ernment good or share the blame for
permitting evils that might be cor
rected.
If we apply the term coward to ona
who. from fear of bodily harm, falters
upon the battlefield. we must fnd some
harsher term to apply to those VINO is-
ANONYMOUSLY withdraw themselves from
the struggle OF today. in the presence OF
the tremendous problems whica require
for their wise solution all the energies
of the body, all the powers of the mind
and all the virtues of the heart
strive to make your lives resemble a
purifying stream. remembering that the
higher the reservoir from which YOU
draw the greater win be the pressure
Let not happiness be the aim OF your
lives. for happiness eludes those VINO
most eagerly pursue it. but comes an
hidden into the homes of those who la
Dor for higher ends.
Beware of selnshness for selfishnesa
defeats itself lie that findeth his life
shall lose 1t" is true in other than a
religious sense, while he who surren-
ders himself unreservedly to some great
cause gains larger life than the one
surrendered. Wendell Phillips gives H.
ting expression to this truth when he
says, How prudently most men sink in
to nameless graves. while now and then
few forget themselves into iamortal-
ity."
No ideal is a sufficien one that will
not satisfy us in our declining years as
well as in the days of youth and the
days OF maturity Aye. moro. no ideal
Is all that it should be unless il is SO
lofty as to be visible from beth sides
life from the life that is eternal. Be
not discouraged because you strive for
that which cannot be wholly attained
The ideal is only ideal because t is be-
yond our reach, and yet it may guide
us as the polar star guides the mariner
upon the open sea. If perfection is
not possible to US, neither is IL required
of us. When we have done our full
htlt s.ffts ..s 4
our friends viii not condemn I'VE
work in the real but we live in the
IDEAL, some one has said, and yet th.e
ideal is the most real thing that VIC
know. as all can testify.
The development of the individual is
never complete. solomon describes the
path of the just like the shining
light that shineth more and more unto
the perfect day." and Holland, putting
the same thought into verse, SAYS:
Heaven is not gained by single bound.
We build the ladder by which we rise
From the lowly earth to the vaultea
skies,
And mount to its summit round by
round
SO, with the work of government and
the work of civilization We find an un-
finished work when we arrive: we leave
the work diminished when we are called
hence. Each day marks out our duty
Tor us, and it is for us to devote our
selves to it, whatever 1t may oe, with
nigh purpose and unfaltering courage
whether we live to enjoy the fruits Of
our efforts or lay down the work be-
fore the victory is won. we know that
every we'll spoken word has its infiu-
encei that no good deed Is ever lost And
we know. too that no one can count his
llfe on earth as spent In vain if when
ne departs 1t can be said; The night IS
darker because his light has gone out.
the world is not so warm because his
heart has grown cold in death