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Tn is Max ix this Moox.
185
logi.cd 10th century who have a mini in
the moon, more formidable by far than
the "soma" of the old heathens.
Science, literature and art, no less than
individuals all have their men in the
moon. Some limes these produce results
so bencllcial as to he justly entitled to the
homage of all the world. Whore vould
wo he now if Franklin and Newton and
Galileo had never possessed ji man in the
moon, whose spectral linger ever pointing
upward and onward guided them through
all their trials into the triumphs which
lay beyond, who but he, piloted the frail
bark of American liberty through all its
tempestuous voyage, bearing it safe
through those many storms which threat
ened to destroy it, and bnmght it at last
out from the darkness of night into the
clear, bright sunlight of independence
and freedom. Yet on the other hand the
majority of these men are usually merely
the inventions of an imagination ever
leading their deluded followers on and on
farther and farther from the true path un
til total failure overwhelms them. As the
old falacies have disappeared one by one
with the coming ot truth and light, we
looking back upon them from our more
advanced standpoint, consider them ex
ceedingly absurd.
It was the lime of full moon and the
man was distinctly visible when the earth
was considered to bo a tlai surface, and
very little had the size diminished when
Christopher Columbus sailing from Vor.
tugal expected to reach Asia upon the
east. Whim Florida was thought to
contain somewhere within her llowery bor
ders the enchanted fountain of perpetual
youth. When the red man considered
Europeans angels sent trom aerial legions.
When Africa possessed a vast mountain
range crossing her centre from east to
west. When America had streets of gold
and walks of agate and jasper. When re
ligious persecution was commended and
thousand of brave, innocent men and wo
men perished as victims to fanatical delu
sions. When the cry of the down-trodden
and oppressed rang through all the groves
of the sunny south. These were the
limes when the moon in all her pale yel
low glory shed a dim uncertain light upon
the world, Uoforo, long before the east
ern sky was rosy with the approach of
thai dawn whose brilliant sun witli its
beaut ions waves of Hashing light, ollootu-'
ally dispeled the deep gloom of that long
dreary night which had produced it.
Hut it may be that future generations'
will pass the same verdict upon us that
we have upon those who preceded us.
Long before another century rolls
around the world perhaps may have
solved all ihose troublesome problems
which disturb her borcnity now. Not
many years may elapse until the prevail
ing ideas and opinions of to-day shall bo
considered as absurd and ridiculous as
those of long ago seem to us at the pres
ent time. For growth with its consequent
attonding changes is the law ol the uni
verse. If ideas and opinions and beliefs
are to endure the test of time, they must
be capable of growing, advancing as civi
ligation advances, keeping pace with tho
intelligence of the people; for with an in
crease of years and experience and conse
quently of knowledge comes a wider
range of thought, broader and higher
views, more exalted hopes and an idolil
nearer perfection's standard. Tho power
of this spectral monarch is rapidly pass
ing away. Those dark gloomy pcrioda
when the light of the sun was completely
idden by tho thick black clouds of su
porstition am of the past.
The heavy days of sadness preceding
tho reformation live only on tho pages of
history'tlio reign of honor but in the hearts
of patriotic Frenchmen. Slavery has
boon abolished and intelligence reigns in
stead of ignorance. Who in tho i'aco of
these laota can say that the world is grow
ing worse? Halher let us be thankful
that she is rapidly growing belter, that cv-.
cry day is bringing her nearer and nearer ,
that morning's dawn. And once tho
welcome light has broken, who shall Hay
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