The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-09-24
THE CATHOLIC FAMILY.
ITS INFLUENCE IN FORMING A GREAT MAN
THE CASE OF COLUMBUS AS AN ILLusTRA-
TIoN.
-tMaa.enser Of the snored Heart,


TIoN.
tMnasenSrr Of thn Sacred Hearty
Even in the case of self. made men-as
they are styled-early education and the
surroundings of childhood exert q life
| long influence. They imprint upon the
character certain indelible marks, which
later contact with the world can never en-
tirely eHace. A man may rise superior 10
the associations of boy hood, or he may sink
down TO a level far beneath them. Yet there
will be found in him, in nine cases out Of
ten, certain qualities which are to great
extent the sources OF his failure or his sue
cess aud whose origin may be traced back
to the family circle of the school room.
Careful training is necessary in every
station of life whereas wealth, fashiona-
bic circle Of scQuaintances, a thorough ed
ucation in merely secular branches, in
| word, all the most favorable opportunities,
can never supply the void which has been
left by neglectiDg TO form the character OF
the child to habits of virtue and industry.
This work of formation must be one of
love, of tact, of prayer, of unceasing, un-
firing attention. Il is, therefore, the work
of the parent, not OF servants or strangers.
Hero it is that the humble home of the
practical Christian peasant or mechanic,
where the mother herself assumes the care
Of her own children, SO often gives to the
world noble, true hearted men, whose in
tegrity and perseverance make them
worthy of our esteem and friendship, and
not unfrequently raise them to positions of
honor ana trust in church and state. On
the other hand it is not uncommon to find
among those who have been brought up by
the governesses and tutors in regal pala-
ces, knaves, ibertines, and useless do-noth-
ings, whose very existence is q burthen to
the nation and a scandal to religion.
The case of Columbus forms no exception
to the general principles which we have
been laying down. lr ing, indeed, says of
him " He was one of those men of strong
natural genius, who appear 10 form them-
| selves who, from hsving 10 contend from
the outset, with privasioas and impedi-
| ments, acquire an intrepidlty to encounter
and q facility TO yanQuish difficulties,
| throughout their career. Such men learn
| to effect great purposes with small means,
supplying the deficiency by the resources
| of their own energy and invention. This,
| from his earliest commencement, through
| out the whole of his life, was one of the
most remarkable features in the history of
| Columbus. In every undertaking the scaa-
tiness and slparent insufhciency of his
means enhance the grandeur of his achieve
| raents.H
This, however, does not contradict the
theory which We have been advancing. The
" strong natural genius OF oar hero would
never have made him all the man that he
WAS hsd il nos been nodded AID strength
ene6 and supplemented by The powerful
aids Of 8 thoroughly Christian trAising, be
fore il WAS set sdritt 10 steer lie own course
90 tie sea OF life HIS woodeEful energy
his systematic habits Of order his cos-er-
f1l, kind! temper his sosid, Uoswervlog
! piety bis Unaffected courtesy lis 6evo
ton TO religion and huUAn.Ty; his spirit oi
. constant prayer, EAisa EAs TIE life soc
guide ot eas great enter prise al these bad
been fcs.ered. Il cos created = his toal, 3!
the lessons zh;ca ee ksa received at hi
mothers knee
: coverer passed lis cary years uusi h1y,
. been hsPPy one- GArGocy, Ea.2&l !cv,
! and DctuAi forbesSGEc=, frSlK. OFT spoke.
Z familiarity aId syuPaiA! betEeea TIE pa
: rents sCd children, EeIe saTSiy among IL
: most striking cbATsceeristio<- We CAL eSs
: lily infer this from tie peculiarly tel6er AZ
: fe<.ioo which in Sftsr years, Co.ouba
: I manifested for his relatives As well ~ 10
e his old home II N the "a A0lceaSo- Tb
\ dey0tioa " ich he showed Io1Ard his ps
IS rents In particular has n Il something eI
s qUisitely tOnehiDg which words can haEdl
express Ii SSs fall Of all that oper1ea
: and confidence, that GnQEssEioniDg spiTi
: Of obedience, and that perfect abandon
:. meat of expression, which lend sneh
4 charm TO the love Of little children. An e1
: ample of his deep sense OF fhAl duty vi
not be Oat Of tie place here.
ADO1E E0S year 1NfOy SDau1p1S CA11
is from Portugal to Italy in search of PAtFol
= for his scheme of discovery. His uissio
d uas unsuccessful, - the reader knows.
2 determined, therefore, to return TO LisbO
!. sE soou IS possible, after having frss vi
= tied his relatives At SASo1A, WhitheE the
a had retired in l469, from Genoa The NEE
,s ing VAS joyous one ye- not uumixed vii
= sorrow. He found his parents in6rm, N
, harassed once more by PeeuniSry dif2e1
y ties Their fortunes had not PrOspered dU
! ing the FIVE years Of his absence in PORT
: gal, ard the sun Of money which be hs
!. sent from time 30 time oat of his own seant
= purse hsd been barely Sufficient to satisi
f. the demands Of their creditors. ThrouE
4 motives of delicaey they had not informG
D. him Of their trouble, and he himself new,
it suspected il, for he had Left the family
"a = condition of comparative case before se
8 ting oct on his last expedition.
= He was at this time full of his gre
scheme of discovery. Il WSs the eOostal
:. food Of his thought by day and Of b
: dreams by night He considered is 80 q
= Inspiration from heaven, and he felt &C
1 S-S1 ,e ,esfu,aka av,6 hRne. 2