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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1877)
i 3 I' l 11 I'j l1!l h I -4 f m t i 241 WiMJAM Pitt. Vol. vi, As a lion cautiously and silently creeps upon his prey unci then with a leap and a bound he has it in his possession so "Wash ington under cover of the night took the foe by surprise as though he and his army had instantly sprung from the earth. Consternation tilled the British ranks. No greater amazement could have been produced even though a voice had come pealing through the vault of heaven, as of old at Sinai. The victory was complete. The defeated army were beaten back in great confusion like a boxer sent reeling by a staggering blow. From this time on the war took a different aspect. .Men ev erywhere were willing to volunteer in de fense of their country. While but a short time before men could scarcely be re tained in the army, yet now when success was more promising with eagerness and alacrity they flock to the standard of lib erty. The athairs of life present a similar picture. "When an individual is weak and weary battling with the wars of oppression, how few there are who take notice of these things, and has time to extricate himself from these cillicultics. But when the tide of battle changes and circumstance are favorable, a far different scene meets our view. When an individual is in wealth and fortune, friends are plenty, and every one seems to be particularly interested in his business. So loo when the result is doubtful in the great battle of the opposing elements within the human breast. When the will is about to give way, how few there arc to inquire into these things, and lend a helping hand. Hight in the nick of time a little succor might be the means of rescue. Surely we are mutually dependent. Again, as in the solar system there arc innumerable worlds revolving around one common center, so in the battle field (in the broad sense of the term) is the com mon center around which cluster us many battle fields us there are individuals en gaged in the conflict. While we cannot guide the affairs of men and nations and arrest the battles of the world, yctthcre is this scene of conflict of an individual character, over which each must preside for himself. If then, with the weapons and powers already provided,--. we can di rect the tide of battle in one case, let us direct it according to the dictates of our better judgement And then it is ourkdu ty to lend assistance' to, the weaker ones in the coullict. ' Let .us go out into the high-ways and hedges and inquire how the tide of battle changes there. We may be able to rescue some fellow traveler, who has been passed by those more suc cessful in the race. As uplthu hill we travel on Lending help to fullow-niim, We gather I an rule one by one Traveling "foremost in the van." J. o. s. WfLLIAM PITT. "Lives of great men all remind us," according to one of our professors, is no doubt " trite." Some remind us how, by shunning their errors and missteps, to right our own lives. Hud the poet said good and great men he might have been more correct, but it is not always best to analyze poetiy; some of its beauty may dissappcar in the process. No one would take a character like Nero, expecting that the loot-prints he has left would be of any encouragement or hope along life's way. The lives of some men shine brighter und brighter according to the distance we look back to them. Hardly an individual can read Ihe life of Lord Nelson without hav iug some emotions, some aspirationsstirred within him. A character so brave, so good and pure and withal so noble will ever be a potent agent for good in life. While England can boast of many men, great and famous, during the last century, among them all there is no single one to which the people look with more pride and reverence than to William Pitt. The ' Commoner," as he was called. There it MgGKHjigijngniHMinnHggSSSK