, whose chief ground
of congratulation is that they got themselves born into this
particular century. But power does not come that way. Moses will
control all our jurists to-morrow because he spent forty years in the
desert reflecting upon the principles of justice. Paul had the honor
to fashion our political institutions because he gave twelve years of
general preparation and three years of special application to the
study of individual rights. Milton tells us that he spent four and
thirty years of solitary and unceasing study in accumulating his
material for a heroic poem that the world would not willingly let die.

Homer wrote the "Iliad" because he was blind and driven in upon his
own resources. Dante wrote his "Inferno" because he was exiled, and in
isolation had time to store up his mental treasure. Webster and
Lincoln spent years in the forests and fields, reflecting and
brooding, analyzing and comparing. Many a long summer passed while
they sowed and garnered their mental treasure. Pasteur gave our
generation much, because for thirty years he isolated himself and got
much to give. When Lowell speaks of the attar of roses, he reminds us
of the whole fields of crimson blossoms that have been swept together
in one tiny vial. When Starr King saw the great trees of California
standing forth twenty-five feet in diameter and lifting their crowns
three hundred feet into the sunshine, he was so impressed by their
dignity and beauty as to be touched into tears; but the size of the
trees did not explain his emotion. It was the thought of the reserve
energies that had been compacted into them. The mountains had given
their iron and rich stimulants, the hills had given their soil, the
clouds had given their rain and snow, a thousand summers and winters
had poured forth their treasure about the vast roots. Thus the authors
and statesmen who will help the next generation are to-day engaged in
loving themselves and making the most of their talents. Not until they
have compacted within themselves a thousand knowledges and virtues
will they be able to love others.

With sadness let us confess that our age is sinning grievously against
this principle of self-care and self-love. Individual worth is being
sorely neglected. An age is great not through a large census roll, but
through a multitude of great souls, just as a book is valuable not by
having many pages, but by containing great ideas. The paving-stones in
our streets are v