La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1916-05-27

and endowing 1t with an immortal
soul. But would II have been any
easier than to have made our bodies
out of the dust. as the Bible says He
did, For my part. ! am old fash
toned enough TO take the record as
II stands. And as matter OF senii-
men,. ! prefer it to the theory that
makes me grandson OF some dwell
Ter in the branches OF an equatorial
forest But repudiate the idea that
somehow this great process OF life
got agoing OF itself and that man
came out on top OF the heap. Your
life is from God and of God
This gift has reached you through
the channels OF human parentage.
Your father and mother hold for you
an exclusive place. Their self sac
rificing love has made possible the
attachments in school OF you young
men and young women In whose hon
or We meet tonight Your life is
their gift to you and the gift OF
those who on back through the gen
erations stand In the line OF your sue
ession.
The attachments OF your life are
the gifts of the community to you.
By a self imposed tax they have pro-
vided the facilities for your educa-
ton. They have furnished the build
ings where you have met for study.
the equipment with which you have
worked. and employed the teachers
who have directed you in your ef-
forts. The culture OF the communi-
~ Is the background OF your attain
ments. You could not have been
what you are tonight In a less cul-
tured community The churches OF
the community with the Christianity
that they represent, have supplied
the moral ballast and the spiritual
stimulus for your character building.
The country in which you live and
the age TO which you belong. furnish
the still larger setting Had you
been born in Europe thousand
years ago. or in China or Africa to-
day, your lie would not have been
what Il IS. All back through the gen
erations, men and women have lived
and lsbored and suffered and died
that they might give to YOU. their
distant sons and daughters, the life
YOU have
As Napoleon drew up his daunt-
less French soldiers for the battle Of
the Pyramids. he fired them for vic
tory by saying Forty centuries
look down on YOU" The writer OF
the eleventh chapter OF the Hebrews
says Seeing We are eucompassed
about with 80 great a cloud OF Wit
nesses
Think Of IT, Out OF the galleries
OF the past they look down on you
tonight. the million times millions
Vho have lived and toiled that they
nigh, bequeaih To you a fuller life
Can you not see them. their faces
marked with suffering and TOLL Can
not you hear their groans OF suffer
inr and their shouts Of victory as
they won on the fields Of battle for
YOU In this continuous drama o.
human life no man liveth To him self
and no man dieth to himself" We
are debtors TO the Jew and the
Greek, the civilized and the barbara
an Of every past generation"
what is your nfer It is a d.
vine Gift multiplied and accentuated
by all the lives that hay. trodden
"arth's stony pathway down to this
triumphant moment
Again, life Is a matchless oppor.
tunlty
There is difference between
viewing life a. an opportunity. and
looking for the opportunities Of life
Opportunities are open doors to
places OF vantage. II We are keen
enough OF vision and quick enough
OF step TO get in ahead OF the crowd
We forcs,all them In the possession
OF advantages. These may be self.
ishly employed for ourselves and 10
the disadaVantaTe OF the slowly NOV
Ing crowd II our philosophy Of life
II "Everyman for himself. and tho
deVil take the hindmos,." We will
pre-empt and hold all the vantage
points We can reach. This selfish
philosophy means the enrichment Of
the keenest and the fleet.st and tho
pushing to the wall OF tn. less ca.
pable. II Is selfish.
vlcNinr life itself as an oppor.
tunity raises US onto a higher plan.
of action. II lifts us into a clearer
atmosphere. Above the dust OF con.