Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-07-10

tor all these laws, and therefore, as
might be expected. the elements for
our own self-destruction are to be
found in the very instincts and facul-
ties that raise us superior to the brute.
Wrongfully used memory, Imagination
and the allied faculties would, II per-
sisted in, surely annihilate our civili-
zation.
The history of the past 10000 years
as indelibly written in the substance
of the earth itself proves civilization
to be an intermittent and recurrent
phenomena.
When weary 1t is very easy and very
pleasant to relax and sink into that
delightfully."- dreamy state: but here
lies the danger, for 1t is in that state
one so readily become interpretive
and by imperceptible stages drifts
into self-sympathy and self-pity and
quickly becomes self-conscious and
self-centered.
A self-centered mind is like a root
bound plant: unless the roots are
shaken out and freed so they may con-
tinuousy reach out into new soil that
plant will surely sicken and die. Smash
the pot and the roots will shoot out
into new soil and the plant will grow
and thrive. Just SO the self-centered
mind must break out of its shell Of
self and forget itself in working, fight
ing. striving for something worth
while.
The dominating instinct in man IL
fear and this is why self-contempla-
ton h dangerous. There are many
store rooms in the basement Of mans
consciousness, commonly known as
the sub-conscious mind, and In these
dark and forgotten corners many
strange things are stored, only wait
Ing for the opportunity when they
may come forth to puzzle and con-
found us.
There is nothing mysterious or ter
rible about the subconscious phenom-
ena II, with a full knowledge Of the
laws of the universe, of which we are
a part, we frankly consider ourselves
a link in the chain of life extending
from an incomprehensibly remote past
to an equally incomprehensible and re-
mote future.
We deem It not at all strange. mere
ly because we happen to be familiar
with the fact, that there are handed
down to us strong memories out Of the
remote past in the form Of striking re-
semblances to a grandparent, or to
a great-grandparent, or to one even
still more remote. All inherited traits
are but cell memories: then why
strange or mysterious that there should
be handed down to US in the same way
and from the same source out Of that
misty past. dim memories, vague anil
nebular. but none the less memories.
of q past long left behind in the ad-
vancing consciousness Of the race?
In these latent impressions will be
found the key to the very pitiful truth
that the dominant impression in the
mind of man is that of fear. and that
this is undoubtedly the source of those
so-called causeless terrors Of early
childhood coming at period before
terror should be known. and in later
years coming to US SO furtively In the
night and in all weakened conditions
due to illness, to sudden surprise. or
to relaxation from any cause, a fear
impossible to overcome by any reason
ing because it was burned into our
sympathetic nervous systems back in
the past when devils lurked behind
every leaf and man was In constant
terror Of the unknown.
With the dawn of q more intelligent
comprehension Of the universe there
has come an appreciation that natures
movements are so vast and contain so
many complex and never to be under
stood forces that balance and counter
balance each other. that ones conf
dence in ones self il always in inverse
proportion to ones knowledge Of the
laws involved. Hence, the most intel
ligent physician uses the least medi-
cine because he realizes more keenly
than any one else the completely of
the phenomena with which he has to
deal and the extent to which conclu-
sions are likely to be vitiated by un-
known factors in the problem. And
today, throughout the world. the issue
is being reverently but boldly met
The remedy for our ills? To investi-
gate: to think; to become PERSONAL
ties; to lay aside all fads and fancies.
all prejudice, all superstition and ira
dition, and take such steps for there
moval of the known cause as are found
to be necessary in the light of the
truth derived from modern methods
of scientific investigation-all the
while remembering that the only
strong individuals are those who work.
and that work alone gives courage
and faith.
can word for that simple thing, q kiss,
is tetennamiquihztli.
But that Is nothing. says Mr..
Charles w. Domville-Fffe In his book
on Guatemala. to what the Central
American can do. His best efforts
eclipse even Shakespeare's often
quoted Observation-Disclosures I"