The Madman on the Shore of Time.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 361, 21 February 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Madman on the Shore of Time.

In*VfiinHe Searches for thfi Chance PASSED BY.

TAa Him, in Vain YOU Will Search for the Opportunity That Yon Have Xet Fall.

Td Keep Watching, to Keep Working, to Let Brain and Hand Go Together—That Is the Secret of Success.

J!ago«»,; the Indian poet, whose first ' hi* »W Ryhirwirynath, has received thia • prize for the best work jfdbfel: was tiw Scandinavian who In* vented ,nitro-®breerine- Ha gave to the dynamise-, that destroys life and ritekas. warj dangerous. - He left to civilisation his vast fortune that prises might be given each year lor toe beat worit of the human mind. And we give to yop here, as the text for a Sunday Sermon which youyonreeff can write, one of .Tagore s stones. An old man beheved m the toucnst<mc” or Philoeopher’a Stone.” Somewhere, he thought could be founu ■the inag& Stone with the touch that . would cEitoge base metals to gold. He went "along the shore of the ocean, with ha right hand he picked up one stone after another, one pebble after another —thomAmds, tens of thousands, hun* dreds of thousands of them. - . ArOund his , neck he had, a chain of iron. Arid as he picked up each stone he touched it with the chain. The Philosopher's Stone, if he found it would «4»mign that iron chain to a chain of Day after day, and through the long years ho hunted for that magic stone that was to make gold of iron and make of Ids restldss, yearning heart a happy and contented spirit. One day a boy asked the old man where he got that chain of gold on his neck. And the poor, sorrowful old hunted looked down to find that tlwr iron had changed to gold and he had not known when the change came or what stone it.was that worked the miracle. He hpd got so much in the habit of picking up stohes and touching them agaimt the iron drain that he no longer thought to look for the change from iron to gold. ~ .. At samp time during his search he had picked up toe magicstone and dropped it. The stone had done its w<wk, the iron had changed to gold. But he d*d"not know when the thing had happened or which was the stone that had accomplished toe wonder. Back he turned' on his path. Old, bent, weary and hopeless, he started on the return journey along toe shore « the ocean, which is THE SHORE OF UFE AND TIME, and hopelessly sought to recover the opportunity neglected and missed.

Are you this man searching for the touchstone' of "suecfess and magic and not knowing when you up? Millions of human beings once actuSr hunted for the Philosopher’s Stone, ieving that it would change iron to gold. The beginning of the science or riiemistry was toe work of the ancient alchemists, who. in their struggles to manufacture gold artificially, discovered many important scientific truths that are now of great value to. mankind. They did not learn how to change lead, iron or copper to gold; but they learned how to change human thought and experiment into pure golden, priceless scientific knowledge. . One single experiment- . resulting u« the discovery of a new scientific truth was worth more ’in actual wealth to the people of toe earth than would have been the creation of a mountain of gold a thousand miles high. There is »limit to-the use toat men can make of gold, but no limit to the

use that men can make of that better gold, absolute truth and knowledge. What a fine parable is that Tagore story of the miserable madman retracing his steps to pick up the loot Touchstone. How many of us, in our old age, are doomed , like that miserable creqtu.e, on the seashore to turn back, grope and search vainly and pitifully for the chance that we dropped from our hands in our youth! What a lesson for the young, m the dreadful face of that old man as he comes back, retracing his steps so miserably, hopelessly and uselessly! Wo no longer search for the Touchstone or the Philosopher’s Stone. We know that work, not magic, _ must change the heavy, dull iron of toil and monotony to the gold of success and opportunity. But millions of us are like the madman in Tagore’s story. And like him, we find in old age that we have held the magic stone in our hands only to drop it without seeing what it was. When tfie madman began his search for the touchstone he d“d the work well and carefully. His mind was alert, keen and attentive. like the mind of an ambitious boy. As he picked "up each stone a.d touched it to the iron chain around h>s neck ho looked at the stone and he looked at the chain to see if it had become, gold. He believed then, as you believe now. that he would continue to do his work attentively and seize the chance, seize the precious opportuity as socn as it came within his reach.

But litle by little he began to do his work mechanically—do yon dr. your work mechanically

He picked up the stones but did not look at them. He touched the chain of iron but did not look to see if it had changed to gold. His work had become a mere routine of the body, and the brain played no part in it—has your work become a mere routine which your brain plays' no part? To ell of us, or nearly all, opportunity comes. To that madnuiuthe Touchstone came- He held it in his hand. He touched the chain of iron and it turned to gold. But he had become Aired of careful work, tired of watching for that which he sought. He had changed from a seeking mind into a dull machine He did not see toe" stone, he did not see the iron change to gold. Some one else must tell him, old and worn and bent, that he had missed his opportunity. He turned back along the shore, hoplessly seeking for that which he would never again hold in his hand.

Here is a lesson for you. young or old. At any moment a chance may come. Are you keen and ready to seize it?

Opportunity does not come to the dull or the heavy foot. It comes to the open, eager mind. The brain must be rested, well fed. normal, attentive end perceptive., If you dull it with dissipation, if you dull it with drink, if you dull it with lack of sleep, lack of fresh ar, stupid living. YOUR BRAIN WILL NOT NOTICE THE CHANGE WHEN IT COMES. And in late life some younger man will tell you as the boy told Tagore’s madpian. “You had the chance in your Sand and you let it fall.”