Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-01-26
now SUCCESS n won.

Al lntssesting sketch Of JON
Wana0akeS-Hls Lea1ssship d
coed works.
Miss Sarah X. Bolton contribute
the following to the juvenile magazin
called Wide Awake:
II WAS about twenty years ago that
poor young man In Philadelphia started
la the southwest part Of the city,
Sunday school In q shoemaker's shop
Saloons were on every corner roun'
about. Rough men fought and stones
each other In the streets, and murder
were not uncommon. .et
"You will probably lose your life +
said his friends, trying TO dissuade him
But that yonng man become Chris
tiaD. The highest love always render
us heroic and forgetful of self. Youn,
Wanamaker's sunny face, his warn
grasp Of the band, made him imme
diately seem q friend to the roughes
man he accos,ed.
His school grew In numbers and WA
moved into o tent. While the younl
men Of his time enjoyed their leisure
the encouraged superintendent, labor
Ing all day TO earn his bread, went o.
gladly giving his evenings and bill
Sabbaths to lifting the lowly; year BY
year his hope, and his faith, and tn
school grew. One after another tn,
saloons disappeared. Pleasant home.
were built In their places. The year.
still went on. BY and by beautiful
stone structure arose, with these words
craven on its front: "A Little Child
Shall Lead Them" On Sundays 3,OOl
scholars gathered In the spacious ~.
sembly room. This room was of itself
with Its frescoes Of blue and
gold, and It's cool, silvery fountain In
the centre. Presently, too, the adjoin.
ing church was built for the twelve
hundred members which had grown up
from the Sabbath school, the poor young
man, now millionaire, giving sixty
thousand dollars as his thank offering
for Gods blessing on his work.
The last time stood In bethany Sun
day school and heard the exquisite
music, and listened TO the dying mes
sage OF one of the boys, "Thank the
for the help he has
been to me" bowed my head In graft
tude that here and there, like beacon
light, there shines out al ideal life like
that superintendent's to inspire noble
In others--noble aspirations
and courage 70 undertake Christian
work.
John Wsnanaker was born In 1898.
II 10 parents were Christian people, but
they were poor, and all his early life
was struggle with pow rty. Of q sum
ner morning, before school.time, little
John turned five hundred bricks for
bis father, that they might dry in the
sun, thus earning two cents each day.
When a mere boy, he worked In book
store ut dollar and quarter week,
four miles each morning and
'vening to do IL, often buying u two
'ent dinner--a cup Of milk and o bus
cult, that be mig ht save the more mon
y for his mother. A good boy he, be
urc, who would undertake fonr.mile
walks and two-cent dinners to earn
money for his mother.
"Her smile was like bit of heaven"
10 once said to me, and IL never faded
mt of her face to her dying day." ia
,iss from Benjamin Vests mother
made him painter, the smile of John
Vanamaker's mother gave the in
piration and cheer which made him
he warm-souled " Merchant Prince"
by and by the cheerful lad obtained
place in clothing store at q dollar
nd half u week. There he soon won
he approval of his employer, because
u determined to be the best In what.
yer be had In hand" This sort Of am
'ition has been the keystone OF many a
ridge over which boys have passed
rom penury TO plenty.
Balzac, the French author, when
rged by his father to enter law, be-
ausc In literature one must be either
ing or holman, replied, Very well
will be king.
The boys first intellectual stimulus
'as from hearing a sermon which he
Id not understand. Writing down
II the difficult words, he looked up the
roaming of each in the dictionary AZ
Don o. opportunity offered Not con-
mt simply TO sell goods, At eighteen,
nth another lad, he published paper
allied Everybody's Journal, he solicit
ID the advertisements and served the
disorders. The partnership could
OF be other than harmonious, as he
i'd all the labor. Until he was nearly
years Of age, he worked
n In the store every week carryingl
Is money TO his parents. Does this
,em business folly and weakness TO
ny Of you? Well, l have never
nown son or daughter who cbeyed
ne fifth commandment to 20 unrGwar-
ed.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
And now the work Of the Bethany
unday school was begun. There was
ut one life TO live, and how could he
AXE the most of 1t ? Full of the reach.
q, leaping strength and the unlimit-
enthusiasDs of youth, he was yet
editative and reflective. Should he
udy for the ministry !? He ponder d
he subject Then, instead, he consid-
ed men like George Fl. Stuart and
I'm. Il. Dodge, prominent business
len who had done honor to Christiani-
in their daily deeds, preaching II
,ble and very convincing gospel in
their dealings, great and small.
urely there was az sore need for con-
Grated basiness men, on Change and
the counting-roon, In these days Of
arvelous commerce with the ends of
Q earth, AZ In the pulpit. |,
On his twenty.third birthday he had
cided. 1t was then, l think, that he
rote over his name the resolutions
lich have governed his lite. He said
will embark in the clothing bust. ,
A., because / understand 1t, and l
II let no body dissnade me from my y
rpose." Two of his notices were
,So (:
He Is rewarder of them that dill
ntly seek him." l.
No man is ever lost on q straight
.d." H.
And now his life WAS we'll ballasted .
III purpose. That grand old Scotch .
10, Carlyle, once said The man =
thnnt N mn rvoua 10 lila ahin With b