"What a world this would be," says Christopher North, "were all its inhabitants to fiddle like Paganini, ride like Ducrow, discourse like Coleridge, and do everything else in a style of equal perfection!" Nay, good Christopher, the world would remain the same old dull commonplace world. Our standard would be raised, that is all. If every one rode like Ducrow, no one would stop a moment to look at Ducrow; if every one fiddled like Paganini, Paganini's fiddle would be complained of by the neighbors as a nuisance; if every one discoursed like Coleridge, Coleridge would be voted an intolerable bore. We give our admiration to intellectual performances that are rare and difficult. The moment the rarity and the difficulty disappear our admiration also disappears, we seek fresh idols to worship,—Lippincott's Magazine.
(980)
Excelling—See Best, Making the; Encouragement.
Exceptional Men—See Crowd, and the
Exception.
Excess—See Study Overdone.
Excess of Duty—See Overplus of Duty.
EXCLUSION FROM HEAVEN
A new story of Col. Robert J. Ingersoll is told by the Chicago Record-Herald:
Bishop Potter once lay sick, so sick that
his life was despaired of, and even his most
intimate friends were denied admittance to
his bedside. One day, however, Colonel
Ingersoll called. Bishop Potter, learning that
Ingersoll was in the house, demanded, despite
the protest of his physicians and nurses,
that the distinguished agnostic be asked into
the sick-room.
"How is it, Bishop," said Ingersoll after he had offered his condolences to the in-*vadid, "that I am so highly favored when your other friends are not allowed to see you?"
"Well, you see, Colonel," answered the Bishop weakly, "I may not recover from this illness, and if I do not I have every assurance of seeing the others in the next world. I realized that if I wished to see you again, I must do it here." (Text.)
(981)
Exclusion of Evils—See Fencing Out Enemies.
Exclusion versus Expulsion—See Resistance.
EXCUSES
The biographer of "Father Morris," an American preacher of some local celebrity, tells of him this incident:
He had noticed a falling off in his little
village meeting for prayer. The first time
he collected a tolerable audience, he took
occasion to tell them something concerning
the conference meeting of the disciples, after
the resurrection. "But Thomas was not with
them! Thomas not with them!" said the old
man in a sorrowful voice. "Why, what could
keep Thomas away? Perhaps," said he,
glancing at some of his auditors, "Thomas
had got cold-hearted, and was afraid they
would ask him to make the first prayer.
Perhaps," he continued, looking at some of
the farmers, "he was afraid the roads were
bad; or perhaps," he added after a pause,
"he thought a shower was coming on." He
went on, significantly summing up common
excuses, and then with great simplicity and
emotion he added: "But only think what
Thomas lost, for in the middle of the meeting
the Lord Jesus came and stood among
them! Thomas was not with them when
Jesus came." (Text.)
(982)
See Laziness, Excuses for; Reasons
versus Excuses.
Exercise and Food—See Food and Exercise.
EXERCISE PROLONGING LIFE
William Cullen Bryant kept himself in a
healthy bodily condition up to an extreme
old age by taking long daily walks, and by
swinging a chair, instead of Indian clubs,
around his head each morning and evening.
Bancroft, the historian, kept mind and body
in tune by daily horseback exercise, while
Mr. Gladstone was able at an advanced age
to perform enormous mental work by the
physical stamina which he maintained by
cutting down trees in his park. These are
only a few out of a large number of instances
that might be cited, all going to show
that health and life may be maintained and
the mental powers continued unimpaired
through old age if the obvious needs of the
body are not neglected.—Boston Herald.
