The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-06-19
THE FIELD AND THE MAN.

THE FIELD AND THE NAN.
There is a curious and instructive resem-
blance between field and man. The
field can teach US many moral lesson to
which we may profitably give heed.
First, the soil is full of dormant possibil-
tiles. Under right conditions it will yield
an abundant crop, but the conditions are
imperative. and we must accord with them,
or the crop will never be reaped. Ii you
allow the field to do as it will, unless it is
Disciplined and cultivated, unless some-
thing is given to it and something taken
away from it, it will be valuless to the end
of time. Left simply to itself, you will find
it in the autumn just what it was in the
spring. r.
This is strictly true of man also. He,
too. is full of possibilities, and they are all
dormant. Give him the right environment,
put into him a noble impulse and holy
aspiration, give him the training which will
SUPPRESS certain tendencies and substitute
others, the education which will enable him
to see his best self, the very sight of which
will render him ambitious to reach it, and
YOU will produce the noblest type OF
manhood. On the other hand, let him lie
fallow. or let him follow the lead of his
impulses and caprices, his appetites and
passions, and in middle life you will have
a ruin, wasted years and no achievement
worthy the notice of either earth or heaven.
1t is perfectly natural for the field to grow
weeds. 1t would seem that it prefers weeds
to grain, and, though this fact is puzzling
every tiller of the soil must face it. Weeds
require less nourishment than grain, and
thew need no care or attention. Only let
the field alone and the weeds will flourish
abundantiy.
1t is equally curious that evil habits need
no cultivation. They appear to come by a
kind of spontaneous generation. Ii man
simply lets himself alone, to go where the
uppermost impulse may lead him, he very
seldom takes the road to heaven, but, on
the other hand, is apt to sink even in his
own estimation. Weeds flourish with very
little sunshine and multiply themselves
with surprising rapidity.
In the second place, the field must be
ploughed, narrowed and planted with seed
There are forces, very productive forces,
under the sod which can find their way to
the surface only after the plough has torn
the sod to pieces. 1t seems ruthless KIND
of work t6 do, to run that ploughshare
down deep into the soil, but we, who have
some information on the subject, know tina
the plough is the soils best friend as wei
as the best friend of the farmer. The mos
valuable and the richest elements of the
soil are down where only the ploughshar'
can reach them. 1t does reach them, and
in spite Of the apparent roughness, it doe
bring blessing to the field, for "N'
plough, no crop" is the motto of nature.
The same is true of man. The MOBILES
elements of character are deep down in tn
soul. They can never be brought to tn
surface and can never obtain control of tn
mans life until Gods plough is driven a
far as the share will go. When the depth
have been brought up where the sun an
dew can reach them, and when the man ha
been SO torn by the harrow of experience
that he becomes conscious of his NANTES
destiny and of the achievements which ar
possible then the real spiritual life begins
If you ask why man should be ploughe
up in order that he may bring forth some
thing worthy of himself, we can only answe
with perfect frankness that we do not know
1t is one Of the strangest problems in tn
universe, and we doubt if we shall reach
solution until we stand on the further shor
and look back. The fact, however, is NJ
to be denied in the case of the man an
more than in the case of the field.
Gods plough has close relation to spirit
ual excellence. The noblest souls that wal
the earth have suffered. Greatness cannt
be attained without trial and struggle, an
more than corn will grow in an unploughe
field. There is more power for good in
life of hard work than in life of luxur,
and there is more of the higher kind {
happiness in the years which SO rudel
tossed US about that we were compelled
cry to heaven for help than in the yea
when we had all we desired and were sa
isfied with the earth.
1t is the carfully titled soil that is cove
ed with rich grain, and it is the discipline
soul that produces true manhood ar
womanhood. The memorable law is tn
your own way shall prove itself the wor
. way, and that Gods way, which is SOM
times plentifully sprinkled with disappoin
ments, is after all and in the long run tt
best way.