The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-24

just what line Of work they wero to
follow, they have been preparing
themselves for service. and they will
be ready when the opportunity comes.
know a young man who came to
this country when he was eighteen
years OF age; he came to study our
institutions and learn Of our form OF
government, and now he has returned
with "a determination to be helpful
to his people. I watched him for Ave
years, and I never knew a man who
more patiently or perseveringly pur-
sued a high ideal. You might have
offered him all the money In the treas
ury to have become a citizen Of the
United States, but 1t would have been
no temptation to him. He would have
told you that he had a higher ideal
than to stand guard over chest OF
money. His desire was to be useful
to his country, and I have no doubt
that he will be.
Some years ago II was my good for
tune to spend the day In the copn-
try home Of the great philosopher of
Russia You know something Of the
history OF Tolstoy. how he was born
in the ranks of the nobility and how
with such a birth he enjoyed every
possible distinction. At an early age
he became a writer OF fiction and his
books gave him a fixed place among
the noveiists Of the century He
sounded all the depths and shoals OF
honor" In so far as honor could be
derived frem society or from litera-
ture and yet at the age OF forty-e!ght
life seemed so vain and empty to him
that he wanted to die. They showed
me ring In the ceiling OF room
in his house from which he has
planned to hang himself. And what
deferred him? A change came in his
ideals He was born again, he be-
came a new creature, and for more
than twenty-eight years. clad in the
aarb of a peasant and living the s.m-
pie life of peasant he preached unto
all the world a philosophy that rests
upon the doctrine Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all they heart
and thy neighbor as myself" There
Ia scarcely n civilized community in
all the world where the name of Toll
stoy is not known and where his in
fiuence has not been felt. He made
such an impression upon the heart OF
Russia and the world that while some
of his books were refused publica-
ton in Russia and denied importa-
ton from abroad. and while people
were prohibited from circulating some
OF the things that he wrote. yet with
a million men under arms the gov
eminent did not lay It's hands upon
Tolstoy.
Let me add another illustration Of
a complete change in the ideal. In
college became acquainted with a
student fourteen years my senior. and
learned the story OF his life. For
some years he was a tramp. going
from place to place without fixed pur-
pose or habitation. One night he
went by accident into a place where
a revival was in progress and he was
not only converted but he decided 70
be minister. / watched him as he
worked his way through college. do
ing chores to earn his board and
lodging. working on Saturdays IN
store. and during the summer months
at anything he could find to do. I
watched him az he worked his way
through the theological seminary. and
then watched him as ne preached
the Gospel until he died, and / never
knew a man more consecrated to q
high purpose. The change came in
his life es in the twinkling of an
eye. Could anything be moro mar
veious7
In the Journey from the cradle TO
the grave we encounter nothing so
marvellous as the change In the ideals
that work a revolution In the life
Itself. tina. there Is nothing In mater
iaiism to explain this change.
IL makes great deal of difference
10 the individual what his ideal is
and Ii also makes difference to
those about him. If you have a man
working for You, 1t makes great
deal of difference to you whether he
Is watching you all the time to see
that You give him the best possible
pay for his work. or watching himself
n little tn see that he gives you the
best possible work for his pay. And
we are all working for somebody
Instead Of working by the day and
receiving our pay at night. or in
stead OF working by the month and
receiving our pay at the end OF the
month. we may be in Independent
business and receiving a compensa-
ton fixed by competition. but IL we
are not living a life of idleness we
must be working for somebody. and 1t
makes a great deal OF difference TO
society whether we are simply bent
upon absorbing as much as possible
from the world. or are trying to give
a dollars worth of service for dol
lars worth of pay. There are some
who regard II as discreditable thing
to engage in productive labor. There
are places where they count with pride
the number of generations between
themselves and honest toll. II can
leave but one thought with you. let
II be this--that we must all have
food and clothing and shelter. and
must either earn these things or have
them given to us. and any self-re-
specting young man ought to be
ashamed to sponge upon the world
for his living and not render unto
the world valuable service In re-
turn.
There IL abroad in the land Z spe-
culative spirit that II doing much
harm. Instead OF trying to earn .
living, young men are bent on max
ing fortune Not content with the
slow accommodations OF honest toll.
they are seeking some short cut to
riches. and are not always scrupulous
about means employed The "get-rich-
quick" schemes that spring up and
swindle the public until they are dis
covered and driven out to prey upon
the speculative spirit md all their
victims among those who ara trying
to get something for nothing.
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