isa-normaladvance-1909-00077

Description:	THE NORMAL ADVANCE77And years must pass for light to come fromthee,The tardy messages of vision teach usThat all is past which now we seem to see.Yea, all is past that we may see from earthWe view nor scene nor action at its birth.And light is ever bearing on its pinionsA record of our doings evermoreStill carrying through Heavens wide dominionsA picture record from this earthly shore For light flies on while men and worlds growold,Tis distance that determines what is told.To some far station, Troy but now is burning,Or Rome with Carthage struggling, fierce inhate,Or Norman William to the northward turning,Or Colon guiding on his ship of fate,Or Washington has fought his conflict through,Or Bonaparte is lost at Waterloo !The true recording angel, the vibration,Writes on forever with his pen of rays,Of every act of man, or act of nation,Unchangeably through all creations maze.O where, in all the universe, or whenIs found oblivion for the deeds of men?Courage, the highest gift that scorns to bendTo mean devices for a sordid end.Courage—an independent spark from Heavensbright throne,By which the soul stands raised, triumphant,high aloneGreat in itself, not praises of the crowd,Above all vice, it stoops not to be proud.Courage, the mighty attribute of powers above,By which those great in war, are great in love,The spring of all brave acts is seated here,As falsehoods draw their sordid birth fromfear.—Farquhar.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34107
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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