El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-21

lost causes have always produced re-
/ suits. Recall several well known ones
| Take the Spiritual reformers Of the
| 18th century These men, largely IN
| known except to scholars. stood for
4 a great broad liberty for the lOngings
| within. Luther. the SPACIOUS politi-
| clan, must have an outside authority.
! and he completely eclipsed the Quieter
/ men, whose cause seemed absolutely
1 lost. Near 900 years have gone and
/ now the teachings Of those refOrmers
] is coming to the fore. IN the broad
] theology OF today we find just the
: lessons they tried to teach. Theirs
+ was no lost cause
Take the Chartists. = years ego =
few political enthusiasts drew up =
! charter OF demands. They were laughed
at and apparently completely defeated,
truly a lost cause. Today five o ftheir
six demands have been conceded. Not
much defeat there.
Recall the DOukhobors OF Russia =
number of people banded themselves
together to live in brotherly love and
freedom. They were harassed and hat
ed. banished 70 an inhospitable region
in the Caucasus. They converted the
desert into 2 land OF plenty. There
were then further il-treated. and
seemed about to be done TO death. when
friends interfered, an dafter great suf-
fering a refuge was found IN Canada
Home. friends. and comfort all were
lost-it seemed simply another lost
cause. Today there IS IN Canada
prosperous community Of 5000 souls,
and through the great Russian revolu-
ton the principles for which they stood
are coming into their own Again
'1osc" seems wrong word to use
Another example can be found with
Jesus. His disciples all fOrsOok him
J and fled. Two or three women were
left, surely apparently another lost
cause There Is no need to dwell on
Ideals Do Not Die.
Go thFOrrChoT history can
predict success or failure. Ideals do
not die. They drop some seeds which
bye and bye send forth new growth.
New causes are generally unpopular,
we Ike the old slippers the best. but
the time comes when we can wear them
no more.
changefulness IS the destined way Of
How poor the world would have been
without the socalled lost causes: life
ever needs their spur, without them
We should sink into lethargy. God
semms never TO allow us to be too
contented. Just when we are nicely
settling down, some dreameTs new
idea disturbs. We rebel but new life
will assert itself. Tho great features
OF life OF today are all the outgrowth
OF some obscure idea Of past days We
cannot hold back the new IL we would.
A bishop. through theological hatred,
dug - Wycliffe's bones That same
bishop founded a house in a university
disturber Of Anglicanism became a fel-
low. We cannot tie down life. and the
hated dreamer OF today has a statue
raised to him tomorrow.
There is no coralling the spirit OF
life Today thoughts are struggling
in some obscure life that shall be the
accepted faith Of tomorrow. Some
thinker in some lonely study IS Civ
ing birth TO the movements Of the next
century. At this very moment a child
is being born that shall lead the world
50 years hence II Is still true of
the ideal servant that when We see
him there is no beauty that we desire
in him, yet despite our despising. he
serves and divides the inheritance with
the strong.
What we have 70 do IS 70 be true 10
the best in US. live as near to our ideal
as we can, and care not what the
worlds verdict may be- True living
is never wasted Noble purposes are
never sterile. The worlds lost causes
are generally the worlds eventual in
spiration.
For humanity sweeps onward:
Where today the martyr stands,
On the MORO wcrouches Judas
With the silver in his hands;
Far in front the cross stands ready
And the cracking fagots burn.
While the ho0ting mob Of yesterday
In silent awe return
To CLEAN up the scattered ashes Into
Eistory'S golden urn.