The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-06-10
THE BATTL Els OF THE SOUL.

of us at times strengthens our characters
more than anything else can. 1t is the ST.
lent recognition of our needs that comes to
US when we are in desperate straits, when
we feel that we are lacking in the very es-
sentials that make for individual merit but
do not know exactly where to turn for help.
We face such emergencies at different Pc
RODS of life and unless We are so fortunate
as to possess reserve of high moral cour-
age upon which to draw at will we are never
prepared to meet them satisfactorily. The
soul is the scene of many hard fought
struggle, not the battle ground of human
sacrifice but of the sacrifice of our desires
to high moral necessities. The welfare of
the world at large is subject which is full
of significance to all but our individual
welfare is the sum total of existence. til
good to interest ourselves in the improve
ment of certain conditions which we feel
that We can help, but it is of far greater
Importance to look into our own lives and
keep them bright and pure. The world will
continue to exist without us notwithstand
ing the influence we may happen to WELD,
but we ourselves can live only the allotted
span Of time and then give way to others.
We may like to think ourselves of sufficient
Importance to exert an influence for good
upon those with whom we come in contact,
but unless we know that we can look within
our hearts and see only true worth our in
fluence counts for nothing. Self-mastery
is the first step not only towards our indi-
vidual betterment but also to the improve
ment of conditions generally and unless we
are able to overcome our own natures and
weed out the wrong we cannot expect to be
of use to others.
Our motives may be good but human
nature is week and unconsciously we grow
accustomed to laxity in our manner of
living. We may feel, to be sure, that we
do not live up to the best that is in US and
that our lives while perhaps not of the very
highest order are yet good enough to suit
our consciences, and accordingly we go on
from day to day leading neither the best of
lives nor yet the worst and trying to make
ourselves believe that we are doing all that
is required of US. Then a sudden need
arises which tests our real moral strength
and we are confronted by the fact that to
meet this need worthily requires the display
of higher standard OF morality than we
possess. We make excuses for ourselves;
we think of one ubterfuge and then another
in the hope of placating our newly awak-
ened conscience; we try to salve over a
stern necessity with courage we do not
possess, but all in vain. Each succeeding
effort to find way other than the right
way only makes us the more conscious of
our inherent weakness of character and
unless We are cowardly enough to give up
the fight and sink to a low level we must
finally face the truth and realize that we
have before US great conflict Conscience
is a hard task master. No sooner do we
serve it as we believe to the best of our
ability than it sets for us more difficult
work, work that may appear useless at the
time but which after events prove is indis-
pensible to the strengthening of our natures
and the development of the good that lies
within US. We may put off as long as pos
sible the realization of certain basic truths
but sooner orlater we are forced to ack nowl-
edge them and it is the interval between
our first glimpse of them and our open rec
ignition that witnesses the great conflicts
OF our souls. 1t is not so much that we
lack the desire to develop our moral natures
to their fullest extent as it is the fact that
we are loath to make the sacrifices neces-
sary to their development. The line of least
resistance is the one most followed in every
phase of existence and until we disabuse
our minds of the idea that we can come into
the full possession of our higher moral
powers in any other way than through trial
and sacrifice and disappointment we are
only wasting time. The battles of the soul
discouraging as they sometimes are when
we experience only the loneliness of defeat
are yet the means by which we can lay ur
for ourselves the only real satisfactions Of
life. He who possesses the foundations OIL
high standard of morality is able to builc
for the future in way unknown to those
who merely try to content themselves with
false ideals and shadowy truths. We neee
all the strength that God gives US to endure
the bitter ordeals of life, but it is only wher
the conflict is upon us that we refuse to bt