The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-04-02
VIRTUE THE HOPE OF THE RACE
I. Our Appreciation for the Beau

We all love beautiful things. w,
love the sunrise and the sunset
We love the flowers, the meadows
the green hills, the clouds and Tn,
stars. We love all that is beautiful
IN nature around us and in tn,
heavens above us. Whether W,
realize II or not there is somethinl
IN us that responds to the beautiful
in nature and this reaction tends u
keep our lives in harmony with tn,
best that God has created. We Sc,
honesty in men and women and love
IT.; we see people who are charita-
Bile and II appeals to our better ma
lures. We prefer to think of hui
man virtues rather than vices be-
cause we arc built that way.
We love especially beauty in
human life. Whoever is honest
whoever is pure and undetermined
whoever endeavors to live up To
high standards Of morality wins us
and holds our admiration. We love
most NJ all beautiful human soul;
"A soul that thinks no evil. plans
no evil, knows no evil. Nothing
else approaches so near to our ideas
Of divinity as the soul of a noble
man or a virtuOus woman that can
withstand temptation and that will
not become smirched though il
dwell in places where sin abounds.
u matters not how low one may fall
he still admires strength and purity
and beauty in others. II is Gods
way Of keeping the human race
from going 10 pieces.
ii. Our Dislike for the Uqly or
the Unnatural.
On the other hand we dislike
what Is ugly. We have certain
standards Of beauty and when an
object does not measure up TO these
u gives us pain. Ugly clothing, I'M
kempt appearance, a cold and cloudy
day do not appeal to us but cause a
reaction that is more or less I'M
pleasant, disagreeable. We do
not ike the unnatural. To see
a man with a club foot, a child
with six fingers, kitten with three
legs, or a calf with two heads gives
us pain. Our senses have been
trained to respond to natural i'm
pulses and when an unnatural OBJ
Ject is before us it CRATES on our
iiaer natures just because it is IN
natural. We love to look at a beau
tiful human face or human form
rNt We loathe to look at an ugly
one. A hunchback gives us pain.
But wsen this ugliess is produced
by disease we are still more panied
when We look upon it. We have a
tendency to shun a diseased body.
IL is natures way of preserving her
children. Where a touch would
contaminate nature makes us loathe
tue luuCn.
We dislike most of all a diseased
h'Iman soul. That soul that grovels
IN mean and sordid things, that
soul that invites not the best but
the low and the vile, we can scarce
ly endure. We are sorry that such
people live-and are particularly
sorry that they live near us or our
loved ones. When we meet man
who has lofty ideals and who has
the blood of a gentleman flowing
through his veins we admire him
and want to make him our friend:
but when we meet the man who
has thrown away his high ideals
and prefers to live in an atmOs-
phere, think in an atmosphere, that
blights mems souls, we want to pass
him by. When we meet a beauti-
ful beautiful in body and
in soul We admire her and love
her. She appeals to all that is best
IN us, and many man would spill
his life blood to keep her from
coming to harm; but when We meet
a woman whose character has been
smirched with sin. who prefers to
live and think in an atmosphere
thai wrecks fair women's lives. we
revolt and allow hcc to pass on
without seeking an acquaintance.
We love noble manhood and pure
womanh0od. but we do not admire
people of low and shadowy ideals
III, Among the people you know.
Each one of YOU knows many
strong. healthy, able-bodied people.
You know many who are strong in
faith and in virtue: many who are
swect-natured and wholesome in all
their relations with their fellow
beings. You know Of many who
would not do wrong themselves and
who would not cause others TO do
wrong. These people are the brick
and the mortar that make up the
foundation of our national life. They
are the mainstay of the race and the
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