The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-24

II
NA/ Have you ever attempted to
w estimate it's worth? Have
you ever tried to measure it's value in
dollars and cents? If you would know
the pecuniary value of an ideal. go into
the home of some man of great wealth
who has an only son; go in that home
when the son has gone downward in
path of dissipation until the father no
ask the father what an ideal would
have been worth that would have made
man out of his son instead of a wreck.
He will tell you that all the money that
he has or could have he would gladly
give for an ideal of life that would turn
his boys steps upward instead OF down
ward.
An ideal is above price. 1t means
the difference between success and
failure-the difference between no.
BILE life and a disgraceful career and
1t sometimes means the difference be-
tween life and death. Have you no
tuced their increasing number of sui
cides? I speak not of those sad cases
the hand no guide. but rather of those
cases increasing in number, where the
, person who takes his life finds moth
ing worth living for. When read of
one of these cases 1 ask myself whether
1t is not caused by a false ideal of
life. II one measures life by what
.others do for him he is apt to be dis
appointed, for people are not likely to
do as much for him as he expects One
of the most difficult things in life is to
maintain the parity between ones opin-
ion of his own merits and the opinion
that others have of his. If, I repeat,
man measures life by what other do
for him. he is apt to be disappointed.
for others. there is time for despair.
If he measures life by its sccumuls
tions. these usually fall short of his
expectations, but If he measures life by
the contribution which he makes to the
sum of human happiness. his only dis
appointment is in not finding time to do
. all that his heart prompts him to do.
whether he spends his time trying to
absorb from the world. only to have the
burdep of life grow daily heavier, or
spends his time in an effort to accom-
plish something of real value to the
race. depends upon his ideal.
The ideal must be far enough above
us to keep us looking up toward 1t all
the time. and IL must be far enough in
advance of us to keep us struggling
toward 1t to the end of life. 1t Is a
very poor ideal that one never fully
realizes and 1t is a great misfortune
for one to overtake his ideal,for, when
he does, his progress stops.
The ideal is permanent; 1T does not
change. Therefore. it is so important
that the ideal shall be a worthy one.
speak as parent to parents, and teach
ers will indorse what say. when I de-
clare that one of the most important
things in dealing with the young Is to
get the person to take firm hold of
high ideal Give one food and ne will
hunger again; give him clothing and his
clothing Will wear out, but give him a
high ideal and that ideal will be with
him through every waking hour, lifting
him to a higher plane in life and giving
him broader conception of his rela-
tions to his fellows. Plans may change;
circumstances will change plans. Each
one of us can testify TO this. Even am
bitions change, for circumstances Will
change ambitions. If you will pardon
a reference to my own case, nave had
three ambitions--two so far back that
can scorcely remember them, and one so
(srecent that can hardly forget 1t. My
first ambition was to be a Baptist
preacher. When I was small boy, IL
anybody asked me what I intended to
be, | always replied: "A Baptist preach
err" but my father took me one evening
to see an Immersion and upon reaching
home asked him If 1t would be neces-
sary to go down into that pool of water
In order to be Baptist preacher. He
replied that 1t would. and 1t is a tradi-
tion In our family that I never after
wards would say that l was going to be
Baptist preacher
MY second ambition was to be farm
sr and raise pumpkins, and there are
doubtless a great many people who are
glad that until recently have had a