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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1875)
THE HESPERIAN STUDENT. .1 Hut before any ono can onjoy such an on viable position as this, ho must expect to answer certain questions testing his Idness. Kor the world is jealous and decidedly snaring of liur good gifts. Then comes the trying time to every one who supposes himself deserving the good will or man kind. How Important that these questions should be well answered. His influence may depend upon n single reply. His usefulness will depend upon every reply. The first question will he likely to strike, him where he Is least expecting it. Though deeply probed, may he not flinch. Ho will never make an answer of more concern. This will lay bare to the world his morality. It is not necessary that 'he should say In reply, that he had visited the tomb of St. Th-unas, that he had gone on a pilgrimage to Mecca or that he luul caught the gleam from the dome ol i St. Peter's. Neither will he be required ' to say that he Is a remote descendant from this or that particular line of nobility. I Hut the question will pros straight fo the point, and he must plainly say whether he j reverences those things which In all ages j have been held as sacred. This will also determine whether ho will perjure him-' self, commit forgery or sell his vote. 1 know that there are professedly wise scof. ll-rs at honesty and fair dealing. The same ones arc looking forward to emolu ments. They expect to gain them through deception and corruption. They hate the truth, because it disturbs the scale that shields the shanker of their sins. A voune man never comes to a more impor. tant conclusion than when be derides that morality shall ever be his guide. He can as well neglect it as a man would neglect he foundation for bis bouse. In order to build successfully there must be some thing immovable at the bottom. If we build without morality and lose, all is is lost; but if with it and meet with fail ure, our foundation remains, upon which we can establish an edifice perhaps far more beautiful than the first. It is true that there are some who claim that there is a certain policy separate from morality, which wu nu..l pursue. These also complain of the rule of the church nnd sway of the clergy ; for the fact is that society is based on moral principles. It is true that there is n policy which we must adopt in order to bo successful any v.hcre; but because the base of society is the moral law, our policy must also be founded on that law, in order to meet the demands of society. Thence wo conclude that there is no true policy that clashes with principles ; but as far as the results arc concerned, they are the same. They never conllict, but are parallel forever. Is it nee essary, then, to say that principle should be the base of our policy? Saying nothing f that reward which good muit speak of, wiing nothing of the purification of ipirit, saying nothing of the taint that evil leaves upon the soul' nnd the restraint it forces upon the mind, It becomes us, even if our whole aim be to rise in tltc world, Hint our dealings that our whole policy fclimild be founded strictly on principle mill savored with the thought of the im inurtul. But ther'j v. ill bo something more required. A man, it is true, must ground his actions on principles and mo rality, he must not bo a suckling, peevish nml obsequious, nor a complaining old maid, but a man worthy the name, ever willing and able to defend the right, to lay Ins guuulct at the feet of w rong. By the lore he can derive the greatest benefit from society, he must be acquainted with its rules and adopt its customs. Many a man, otherwise well qualified, has justly been discarded by a community, because he was too sheepish to obtain respect, too coarse to mingle with refinement, or too gruH'and clownish to appreciate sympathy from culture. It Is true he must not be smeared with complaisance, but he must sheer so nicely between extremes that lie can always say and do the right thing in the light place. In order that Ills Intlu 010'.' may be the more felt, he should po. sess that easy and pleasing address, that tame and gentle manner, that pointed judgment to direct his conversation and that childlike yet bold, keen and convinc ing approacli by which lie can persuade men to his own opinion and move them toward his own purpose. To such a man society ever stands waiting to oiler posi tions of trust, but requires that that trust should not be misplaced. He himself cannot all'ord to allow that confidence to go unrequited. For positions are but stepping stones by which lie ascends to honor and renown. Xo one can with safety take a backward step. It may take more energy to rise a second time than be will be able to command. Necessity re quires, ills prosperity requires that be should never fall, but always equal the occasion. And in order to advance, he can safely calculate that he must do his work better than others in like situations. The man, who thus stands braced by his own diligence, certainly must look out on the real, active life with bounding antici pations; of his future we can safely draw conclusons, because we have examples of the material he must use. This material is the opinion of the masses. These opin ions arc modified only by directing them. A mail's judgement is nearly always intlu. enccd by others. lie who iutluenccs the greatest number of judgements receives the greatest applause. The greater the magnet, the wider is its circle of attrac tion. In like manner the greatest man is be who influences the greatest number of his fellows. Newton reached his fame when he discovered the force that caused an apple to descend to the earth. At the same instant he did not realize, perhaps, that he was gaining a like force, by which lie would ever attract mankind to a com mon center. Franklin first caught the electric flash upon the lightning rod, and the curious old philosopher perchance did not overlook the fact that no he did it, he lit his own fame to burn forever. In a word a man should be an original inves tigator, his theories must stand the test This principle will apply to every one from the farmer, the district school teacher or the mechanic, up to the greatest philos opher or sage. It is said that Tbales of Miletus measured by the height of the pyramids their shndow-. from the sun. But if the discovery had been un important, if anyone- luul preceded him in the demonstration, or if it had been disproved by otliors, bo would have derived no benollt from bis pains. It is originali ty only that can attract attention, and the demonstration of a iruth fastens the at tention forever. But it will bo of little advantage to us if wo piddle our lives away upon trifling matters even though they are original. We cannot raise a heavy weight with a short levor, nor turn n massive wheel with a small stronm from a low spout. Buf on the contrary there must be an aim for important truths; for . ..Alitor tim truth we discover the greater will bo the circle of mankind over which our reputation will extend. From tills wo naturally drift to the thought that, be fore wo can perceive what will be most useful, or most highly appreciated, and hence frnught villi most praise to the an- 1 thor, we must know well the cast of those by who n our work shall be received. i From which wo readily conclude that no ! man can rise unless he be acquainted with the general tendencies of the human I mind. He must be a close student of hu man nature, before he can know what that nature will bear or will appropriate. It is not necessary that he be acquainted with the peculiarities of every man, but to the attentive student it is plain that there are I always general currents of thought which he must expect to follow and which he , may hope to guide. These currents r we their bent to the age in which they pre vail. What would be loudly applauded. In one period would be hissed from the stage in another. It was a general cur rent that brought about the Reformation. That during the stubborn days of Henry VIII caused the excommunication of the whole English people. It was the ebb of this current that swelled the ranks of the ! Roundheads, that severed the head of ' Charles I, that drifted Cromwell to the - throne. It was the same general current that produced the Restoration, and after ward another mighty wave that fixed the fate of England forever, ant' left William of Orange on the throne. It is with the (great currents of thought that the great man must deal. These he must either ' aspire to change or by these hope to bo ' moved. He who proposes to control the general current, must approach his work as a man who attempts to dry the channel of a trreat river. He need not calculate to change its bed by turning it into some course that leads off at right angles to the main stream ; but by some route that at lirst is nearly parallel and at length bears fin flier and further away, ho may lead it wherever he will. Whoever expects to be carried onward by mankind must take a very different method. By a few bold strokes he must gain the middle of the deep, broad stream, where the swift current alone will hurry him down. Here bis only task will be to steer himself. He must keep his eye ever on the general stream lest he should run aground. There are, however, comparatively few who have the ambition, the shrewdness or force to undertake a feat like either of these men tioned. The great majority of men, it is true, do float, but they float nearthe shore. They lack the spirit to strike for deep water. They do not know that they could I advance much faster and with much ! greater case if they would only attempt the -swelling channel, bo they cluster like trash in the bends of the stream and eddy 'round and round. Every freshet raises i them and for ft few days they float, but when the stream falls they again settle with good ability and having a single purpose. An advancement, I trust, that will add both beauty to the mind and pur ity to the soul. For I hold it as a princi ple, that we should pursue such a manner of life that when we die, ur minds will bo as nearly perfect as possible. As the lapidary who spends many days polishing a brilliant gem, yet willingly yields it to take a place in the crown of his king. F. M. Lamiihutux. Oration, Adelpliian Society.' on the mud to again be raised when the agitation moves them. Such men can find expressions for their patriotism only on the fourth of July, for their religion only at protracted meeting. They never catch sight of the main stream, only as it rushes past them and drives them ashore. But among those who have changed the ! digressing stream, we have examples of men like Bacon or Luther. Ol those who have made themselves immortal by drift ing on the bosom of the general current, we And a Sumner or n Washington. Thus far I have tried to briefly consider the best means of advancement for one endowed During a clerical conference, the fol lowing conversation was heard hutwecu two newsboys: "I say, Jim, what's the meaning of so many ministers being hero altogether?" "Why," answered .Jim, sorrowfully, "they always meet once a year to. swap sermons." Mr. Caiiyle has the floor. Harvard University recently conferred upon him the degree ol LL. 1)., which ho declines in a scornful manner. "American universi ties," he says, " are 'semblances;' their de grees the 'silliest sham feathers;' ami that lie should be asked to 'join in head ing your long line of D. D.'s and J At D.'s a line of pompous little fellow's hobbling down to posterity on the crutches of two or three letters of the alphabet, passing on into oblivion of all universities ami small potatoes' is more than he can bear." Oil, ho! Mr. Carlylo! Ifrportor. The Method M thus hits off one of tho silly customs of adolescent writers and speakers : " So you have finished your studies at the seminary? I was much pleased with the closing exercises. The author of that poem Miss White, I think you called her bids fair to become known as a poet." "We think the authoress will become celebrated as a poetess," remarked the young lady pertly, with a marked empha sis on two words of the sentence. " Oh !ah ! " replied the old gentleman, looking thoughtfully over his spectacles at the young lady. " I bear her sister was quite an actress, and under Miss Hosnicr's instructions will undoubtedly become quite a sculptoress." The young lady appeared irritated. "The seminary," continued the old gen tleman, with imperturbable gravity, "is fortunate in having an ellicient board of manageresses. From the presidenlcss down to the humblest teacheress unusual talent is shown. There is Miss Harper, who as a chemistress is uncqualed, and Miss Knowles has already a reputation as an astronoincross. And in the depart ment of music few can equal Miss Kel logg as a singeress." The young lady did not appear to lik the chair she was sitting on. She took the sofa at the other end of the room. 'Yes," continued the old gentleman, as if talking to himself, " those White sisters arc very talented. Mary, 1 understand, has turned her attention to painting and the drama, and will surely become famous as a paintoress, and even as a lecturess." A loud slamming of the door caused the old gentleman to look up, and the critic- ess and grammariancss was gone. We believe in woman's rights, and are glad some of the young ladies of the .Uni versity are asserting their rights of be coming millers. Several came into chap el a few mornings ago, with their faces and hair covered with flour some of-the malicious boys said it was powder, but wo don't believe 't.
