The Washington herald., 1915-07-18

and to do. But because God is and
because it is possible for a human
soul to be in league with God, there
| fore the highest wisdom of this world
is the wisdom of youth. or faith. or
! enthusiasm, of confidence Because
| God is. therefore. the best things are
I true and therefore the best things be-
! long to us and are within our reach.
If not within our grasp.
| The glory of youth and the glory
which no number of years ought ever
to take away from us is that which
| trusts instinctively the hidden forces
| instead of fearing them and marches
! boldly out into life instead of en-
| trenching itself against life: and risks
years. life, talent. heart, as great souls
| have always risked these things. in
! believing that there are few things
| in life worth getting but a host of
| things worth being and worth doing:
| that it is better TO meet with ship
wreck seeking worlds than to rot in
harbor safety" To believe in the pos
! sibilities of moral adventure. 10 be-
lieve that there is no safety except in
doing the highest possible things. to-
| believe that the wisest thing in the
world is TO throw a purely worldly
wisdom to the winds and that we will
never know what can do and what
we can he unless we do throw il TO
the winds. to have great expectations
and TO live by them. this is the secret
of the life that avails and of the life
| that arrives.
| l. Such is the spirit that we need
| TO carry into our work. 1t must he
! kept fresh and young and efficient.
| Perhaps this is more evident in some
| professions than in others In the
/ profession of teaching. for example.
we all understand that il is the spirit
! behind the teacher rather than the
! thing that he teaches that makes the
impression and leaves its mark. When
Nathaniel Smaller died. for example,
some years ago. a writer in the Har
| ward Graduates Magazine predicted
that Mr. Shailers pupils all over the
world would lay down the message
with the words, There died a man"
Not a scientist. not a geologist. nov
an author. although he was all or
these. but pre-eminently something
more-a man--with the unspent vi
tally of youth with the dew of tine
morning on him. looking toward the
East That is the spirit which makes
man. and always and everywhere
measures the worth of what he is do
ing.
We may he good doctors, skillful
surgeons. keen lawyers. influential
inanCiers: but the measure of our
work will depend ultimately on the
soul that lies beyond and shines
through our special task whatever 1t
may he. In business. in finance. in
commerce. the indispensable quality
of fine work is the gift of seeing
things that are not visible to the eye
of prudence and calculation: and what
is more, the quality to believe in the
reality of what we see: and what is
most. the capacity to make the things
that and in which we believe
come true just because we believe in
them and act on the faith that they
are true. This quality is rated high |
asset than any amount of experience
and fund of prudence. 1t is the qaul- |
ity that makes really good work in
any department in life. | heard read
only the other day letter written in
answer to request for information
2 bout a man wanted for a certain po-
sition; and his friend writing in reply |
about him said this: He is all right
when he lets himself go: but then. !
he seldom does" No one is really all
right unless he knows what il is to
let himself go: but then. how seldom
people do. For things that are really |
great and truly fine are never thought
out or worked out in advance. They
are the poetry of the soul written
Win "a Tree lUSIlI eu cl VIC ppeH
page of this worlds life. If a man
cannot work like that, he has truly
passed his prime: but if he can, then
he is accounted a leader whom men
delight to follow and to honor.
Lands HOpkinson Smith.
When Hopkinson Smith died some !
time ago. between 20 and so years or
age, reviewer declared that ito the |
ba Cd 10
dor of youth" 1t is just that stamp !
Of unspent ardor which puts the fine
ness into the work that any man does. |
and determines the true measure of
our contribution to life. What it may |
be will depend. If I may use phrase !
once spoken of sydney Lanier. Upon !
a certain immortal. uncomfortable |
fneness of fiber: upon a lordly and
large compass of soul" upon large |
blue heaven of moral width and de- /
light which the cares of life, the dull
effects of routine. the hard facts of
experience. can never obscure"
II is according to our faith. our eN-
pcctations. that il will he unto us in /
the work which we have selected to
do. To preserve that faith. to Guilt
vate and cherish these enthusiasms
and labor on in the hope and light
of these expectations is the ultimate
necessity of every true workman. A
man is no older than his ideals: he is
as young as his faith: he is as fresh
as his hone; his work never loses it's
value so long as the light shines on
within it, that never was on sea or
land"
. 1t is our expectations. our faith.
also. which measures our worth in
the social order to which we belong.
II is this quality which literally makes
men and women he the salt of the
earth. centers. that is. of life. OF
quickenins strength. of pervading and
contagious vitality. Perhaps there
never was a time when such men were
more needed than the day in which
we live If there is any moral les
son, any spiritual truth, that we need
to get hold of and to keep hold of
more than this. / simply do not know
what it is. III this modern world of
ours is going to be saved. it must
deepen its faith. il must freshen its
hope it must preserve its enthusiasm.
It's problems are SO perpleXing. its
cares are so many. its duties are SO
difficult. that nothing can save it but
q great tide of spiritual vitality"
There never was a time which called
SO urgently for a truly spiritual opti-
mism for genuine, well-grounded.
unsuitable belief in the entire prac-
ticability and ultimate invincibility of
truly spiritual faith. The kingdom of
heaven awaits generations of men and
women who. with work to be done.
wrongs to be righted. evils to be over
thrown, walk right out not only IN
the sure faith that the thing can be