Article January 24, 1901 Issue

The Ideal Life

Julia M. Dalton with contributions from Macdonald

Galveston Semi-Weekly News

The ideal life is to be found only in work. That work must satisfy our mental powers and make use of all the heart power of which we are possessed. It must be a work that we go to eagerly in the morning and look upon with satisfaction in the evening. We must have an object in view. It need not necessarily be a material object; we only need to feel it within ourselves. It may be to lead a pure, harmonious life, so that others, seeing how we adjust ourselves to the stones, or flowers, as it may chance, found in our path, will take heart and cease to strive against the inevitable. We will not only assume cheerfulness, but will be the embodiment of a cheerful spirit. Like the flowers, we will turn our faces toward the sun and, like them, give to the world hearts ease. We will realize that we can do no greater thing for humanity than to live cheerfully, hopefully from day to day. How few of us realize the good one pure, well-rounded life does in a community. If we did there would be fewer restless, longing hearts among us.

Even in this ideal life there will be barriers here and there to check our progress. It will take time to remove them. but instead of falling back in despair we will wait with patience, and "we will fill all the stops of life with tuneful breath." We will be content. We will feel that the place we occupy is our niche in the wall humanity is building for eternity, and we will be busy beautifying it.

We will live not only among the people, but be one of them, taking a living, active interest in all, as a whole and individually. Our home, in which each member will feel a personal interest, will be a place of peace, sweet peace, and abiding love,—a home that will satisfy the heart,—a home into which is brought from the world nothing but charity, and where love for all mankind is fostered. Our home life will be the strongest link in the chain that connects us with the eternal home.

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January 24, 1901
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