The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-01-18

Bibles that you find In these rooms,
you read Presented by the Gideons-"
Noble men all over the country have
entered into the great campaign of
putting down vice and crime, civiliza-
ton is speeding the world up to the
high hill of thought. Have you not
felt our country rise and can you not
see that she is now moving up in
high? Now some of you may differ
with me and think that the world is
going to the bad and the good people
had just as well give up in despair
and quit But If you will think for
moment you will see that it is class
of people who have no principle that
. is bringing about all of this turmoil
and disturbance throughout the land.
They know nothing about the better,
happier, nobler side of life. They are
having brutes going about trying to
get what other people have without
laboring for it. The secret of all pro-
gress lies in improved citizenship. in
Integrity and industry and unselfsh-
Eess. Experience is the real teacher.
Most of Us sometime In life have
made many sad mistakes. We should
profit from these by so shaping our
lives that we would avoid making the
same mistake again We should pre-
pare ourselves against untoward ex-
periences, which is best done by tax
ing stock of our mental and physical
assets. We should take stock of our
selves at least once day, not 20 see
what we were a few years ago, but
to see what we are now. That would
igive US strength and help US to bring
out the best that is in US. Whatever
weaknesses we possess is excess bag
gage that should be thrown away.
You can take the history of the life
of many noble men and you will find
that sometimes in their lives they had
their weaknesses. So in the lives of
the very best of us, unless we are
careful things are blurred because of
our weaknesses, indulgence in evil
thoughts and passions; acts of selfish
. ness, narrowness and intolerance to-
ward others; outbreaks of temper,
harsh, unjust and unkind words to-
. ward our fellow men, and sometimes
, towards those we hold dear to us. So
7 whatever weakness we possess We
, should cast aside and when we grow
| older we will have no pang of remorse
! in our hearts; no accusing sting to
, our conscience, no blush of shame to
!, our cheeks. The keenest agony is that
E OF burdened conscience. The sharp
est pang that writhes and tortures the
soul is that inflicted by the scorpion
4 tongue. 1t is said the tongue will
| sting on after the teeth are worn To
e a crumble. Whatever weaknesses we
/, possess, as l have said, is excess bag
4 gage that should be thrown away. We
cannot travel in high with fear, mol
! can we make any speed with any OF
its uncles, aunts or cousins, which are
q envy, malice and greed. The strong
est force that can come into the life
of any man is memory. When men
. forget the high responsibilities which
rest upon them. binding them to noble
purposes, then their lives sink to q
low level. A man can sink into the
: livery path of slime and 60 in low ir
|, the dark lanes and alleys of ill-gotter
= gains and luxurious indulgence
but he will ride to fall and will pay
:, at the end. The moment anyone
!. doubts and acknowledges that they
cannot conquer a weakness, then it j.
> they begin to 60 down hill and finally
they lose control of the steering vince
:. Of true manhood and into the ditch
4 of shame they land.
e 1t is the young man who has tn.
e best chance to win. He has the ad
r vantage of the years. But on hi.
d eventful journey, If he chooses to car
L Try with him any weakness, promise
a you that it will bring failure. dishonol
v and loss of will-power and loss o.
a Iself-control 1t will brutalize him AMI
e make him do things that he will loath,
g and when he grows old and the eve
" ming shadows of his existence begil
i Ito hover over him and the fires begin
= to burn low and he has these thing,
e along with him, they will be hard II
z shove aside. But on the other hand
while he is young and at his best j
e he will once for all time kick off what
m ever weaknesses he has into the gut
: ter, where they belong, then his as
II sociates and all people with whom h
@ comes in contact can see that he ha
IS no hypocritical elements in his nature
p they can see that his mind is clear an
= unclouded; they can see that his eye
a are filled with vigorous light and
lr conscientious desire to win and to d
q so honestly. Business men aroun
n him will have confidence in him an
IL can see that he has the ability to g