The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-28
FINER SPIRIT SHOULD RULE
 OUR LIVING
Noble F. Hoggson Says We Live Too Much in Past and
 Future But Not in Present.

(By Noble Foster, Hoggson, Presi- dent, Hoggson Brothers, Builders)
 That individual is truly great, as a man, who puts his highest, truest and best self into every moment of liv- ing, into every activity. It Is the spir- 1t of those sculptors of old who carved i'll perfection the backs of the angels wings high up near the dome, where no human eyes but their own might ever see. It is the fine efficiency of the soul, not merely of the mind, nor of the hand. It is automatic self-ad- justment to the best in life. a When Dr. Samuel Johnson was ask ed the secret of his great power in conversation, he replied that, if he possessed any power, 1t was merely because that in everything he said he 1 sought to say in the best way he pos- sibly could express 1t. Edwin Booth, the most graceful actor on the Ameri- can stage, never permitted himself even in private, to assume an ungrace- full attitude. Lincoln, whose clearness of mind was remarkable, said he was always irritated when he heard any, thing he could not understand, and he was never satisfied until ''he had bounded it north, and bounded 1t south, and bounded 1t east, and bounded it west" It was this thor oughness, this one element in his gen. jus, that made him ready in every crisis X
 What these men sought to do in certain phases of living was but typ ical of the finer spirit that should rule over all living. We live too much in the past and too much in the fu- ture, but not enough in. the golden today. Life would grow wonderously simple for us if we but concentrated it to living it each day the best we can by the light we have, and facine results, brave and undaunted, what. ever they be. '
 The consciousness of doing our besi will strengthen us and inspire us tc meet with serene smile whatever lift may bring to us, to be preserved un. spoiled by wealth, prosperity and sue, cess, and be enabled to meet trial failure and sorrow with calmness tha, radiates power and inspiration.
 We hear much today of efficiency fr business. This efficiency means thu lmaximum result at a minimum cos Iof money, time and labor. It mean, the conservation of mental and man ual energy. It has place and goot place, but it is not all. We need fl the world today finer moral efficien cy; more virile, vital, aggressive, effec tive individuality, stronger character constantly dominating and radiatinl truer acts compare with those of oth CTS or the standards of others, bu how they conform to our own highes ideals. 4
 This finer spirit thinks little O seeming, but all of being. Mere theor ies of true and exalted living are use
 less unless transformed and manifes in action. They are useless as the liv ing seed in the dried hand of a mum
 my. A feeling of fine thoroughness il living makes the individual accep each new day as if it were his who'll life. In that day, he will give tn
 touch of consecrated service, of fin thoroughness to every duty, countini each new duty new privilege t ] manifest to the world around him tn spirit within him.
 This inspiration of truer faithful ness, this fuller, freer expression 0
 courtesy, consideration, kindness, t
 others and of the very sould express ing itself in every form of the indivi 'dual's activity would make to hin the finer spirit of living 8 real, pres ent, dominating and inspiring fore for good to himself, to those aroun him and to the world.