then he hurried more, and then he went faster still.  Before he turned he had gone further in that direction than he had intended, but he spurred himself on and started on the second side.  Before he turned again the sun had crossed the meridian and he had two sides yet to cover.  As the sun was slowly sinking in the west he constantly accelerated his pace, alarmed at last for fear he had undertaken too much and might lose it all.  He reached the starting point, however, just as the sun went down, but he had overtaxed his strength and fell dead upon the spot.  His servant dug a grave for him; he only needed six-feet of ground then, the same that others needed—­the rest of the land was of no use to him.  Thus Tolstoy told the story of many a life—­not the life of the very rich only, but the story of every life in which the love of money is the controlling force and in which the desire for gain shrivels the soul and leaves the life a failure at last.

I desire to show you how practical this subject is.  If time permitted I could take up every occupation, every avocation, every profession and every calling, and show you that no matter which way we turn—­no matter what we do—­we are always and everywhere weighing the Soul.

In the brief time that it is proper for me to occupy, I shall apply the thought to those departments of human activity in which the sale of a soul affects others largely as well as the individual who makes the bargain.

Take the occupation in which I am engaged, journalism.  It presents a great field—­a growing field; in fact, there are few fields so large.  The journalist is both a news gatherer and a moulder of thought.  He informs his readers as to what is going on, and he points out the relation between cause and effect—­interprets current history.  Public opinion is the controlling force in a republic, and the newspaper gives to the journalist, beyond every one else, the opportunity to affect public opinion.  Others reach the readers through the courtesy of the newspaper, but the owner of the paper has full access to his own columns, and does not fear the blue pencil.

The journalist occupies the position of a watchman upon a tower.  He is often able to see dangers which are not observed by the general public, and, because he can see these dangers, he is in a position of greater responsibility.  Is he discharging the duty which superior opportunity imposes upon him?  Year by year the disclosures are bringing to light the fact that the predatory interests are using many newspapers and even some magazines for the defense of commercial iniquity and for the purpose of attacking those who lift their voices against favouritism and privilege.  A financial magnate interested in the exploitation of the public secures control of a paper; he employs business managers, editors, and a reportorial staff.  He does not act openly or in the daylight but through a group of employees who are the visible