Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 1.djvu/433

383 conviction; it is a sacred obligation; and it is a heaven-ordained mission. As such, it is a silly question to ask him, ‘Why do you do it? ’ Carlyle asks, ‘What is the use of great men?’, and declares, in answer, that they are themselves a use. There is no other measurement by which you can calculate it. The truly great man is a use in himself. He is the central organiser from whom all usefulness goes forth. You stand in tlie presence of a splendid picture drawn by a master-hand. Then your soul seems to melt into that of the artist. You look with contempt at the person who disturbs you in that state. Similarly, great men are the master-pieces created by the Deity. Their very presence is useful. Burke was a man of time genius. One day when Burke stood in a shower of rain, his friend remarked, ‘There is a wisdom coming spontaneously from him!’ That is the characteristic of all devoted souls. True life is a rich, beautifying symphony, a marvellous vision, a potent fact, a mighty force. Thus, he of the noble spirit might be bed-ridden; and yet his presence was enough to keep up our larger