Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-08-25

wonder character assumes weird and
strange forms. There is inferiority
complex in this sad, inhospitable
world They live within themselves.
They grow spines for protection.
Their whole attitude says "Don't
tread on me. Let me alone. Orr
take that"
So the cactus has withstood it all
for 100000 years. 1t is still 60
ing strong, because of it's regal per-
sistence. 1t stands it's ground, does
not give an inch, takes it ION the
chin fights standing erect. 1t is a
pointed resistance for sure. Don't
go too close, or reach your hand
into them, for like a buzzsaw, you
will get the worst of it. They grow
stiff and hard as iron, and even a
coyote will avoid them. Horses and
cattle show the effects of them. The
cowboy wears thick leather chaps,
over high boots, to ward off the
thrust Of their spears.
1t is something to have exhaust
less vitality, resources, inner
strength. This the cactus has de-
veloped. 1t turns the suns rays in
to a store Of energies. When all
the world suffers at $50 degrees
Fahrenheit, uncomplaining it bot
ties water and food for perhaps
some dying traveller. 1 have eaten
the fruit, and it is good. Its water
has preserved many a life. When
bovine adversely comes, the rancher
with blowpipe burns off the spines,
providing five tons Of provender a
day, for the eager cattle that fol-
low him close. Burbank spineless
cactus furnishes $50 tons of fodder
to the acre. Forms of food, candy,
and a solvent for lime inside boilers
are other uses of this timely friend.
We talk about originality and in
itiative. The cactus has developed
1900 species. This means 1900
ways of resisting drought, wind,
drifting sand, and other enemies to
life in the desert, 1900 different
kinds OF plant wisdom. How do
they come to differ, barrel, organ,
niggerhead, melo on cactus and
saguaro? If we knew the causes
maybe we could tell why people dif-
fer also, in appearance and nature.
''The freak, the cad, why is he not
like us. / think everybody is queer
but you and me! How do they get
that way? Why do not others
think, dress, vote, or worship as we
do?' We must always give room
for the personal equation.
There is reason. Some are
marred and gnarled in the conflict
with biologic urges. Some are twist
ed in the inevitable conflict with
sin. Some are wounded in the bat
tie with temptation. The desert
teaches so plainly the influences of
heredity and environment The
broken limbed Joshua tree, lives out
his hundred years, and the giant
Saguaro his thousand years, bravely
emphasizing the sweetness of life,
even in the desert. Anywhere by
adaptation, it is worth while to live.
Adaptation is the law of life, one
might almost say, is life itself
Adapt yourself to the universe and
you will live forever. Adjust your.
self to God, salvation and eternal
life, and death becomes one of the
stepping stones to larger life My
friend high in the educational life
of Cleveland for years, lost his cap
able son. In day or so I found
him Browsing in the great library
Il am trying to readjust myself I
have found that life is series Of
continual readjustments." Life is
that. A young couple separated.
Each came to me for advice. I coun-
selled readjustment, and quoted my
dear friend as an illustration. "Try
to adapt yourselves to the married
life. 1t is one continual readjust-
ment" My plan worked out Next
Sunday evening at the door of the
church, as the people crowded by, /
suddenly discovered my separated
friends, arm in arm as they ap-
preached me. smiling and content,
''It is now all right" they grateful
ly assured me.
Every cactus has an inner beauty.
You might not think it, Hidden to-
day it will later manifest itself.
You may see the flowers as l have
done, in all the colors Of the rain
bow. One we brought home with us
bloomed in a few short days after we
set it out.
People are like that. Cultivate
them. Love them Change their
environment Give them new
thoughts, new life, new goals, new
the Cereus, nothing will seem SO
rarely beautiful.
There is none unlovely. I never
did or could believe in total deprav-
ity. You may be surprised, as with
the cactus, to see how beautiful
they are AS God sees them they
have the infinite beauty of an i'm
mortal soul God breathed into them
the breath Of life and they became
living souls. In the human cactus,
along with the ugliness, down deep
somewhere, survives the infinite
loveliness, something lives on, in the
sometimes awful alembic of human
life. Sometimes, somewhere it will
have it's chance. Out of the sorrow
it will bloom. Out of the wreckage
will come forth the inward lowell
ness that was there all the time
''Then shall the righteous shine
forth as the sun, in the Kingdom Of
the Father in heaven. Howard II.
Scott.