The Irish standard., 1890-04-05
I; lfi


AT recent meeting of the Crusaders
Literary society of Saltwater Miss Liz
zie McGrath, read an original paper
upon Heroes, ",from which we give the
following:
Heroes, according to Webster. are
men of distinguished valor, intrepidltv,
Or enterprisein danger; prominent or
central personages in any remarkable
action or event; hence, great, illustri-
GUS, or extraordinary persons.
Now, what is meant bv a great
person? To be great in the estimation
of the world, a person must distinguish
himself bv the performance of some
grand act.
Among those who have been consid-
cred heroes by the world may be men
toned: Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon,
the Duke of Wellington, and Washing
ton, as generals; Demosthenes and
Cicero, as orators; Diogenes and So
crates, as philosophers; and host of
others, whose deeds have been pictured
in The most glowing cOlors both, BY
poets and prose writer's.
Miss McGrath here proceeds to give
an interesting sketch of the life and
woik OF many of those mentioned, clos
ing as follows: "
Socrates was a Greek philosopher and
was called the apostle Of thought. His
influence in leading men to use dnect
and effective modes of examination and
reasoning was incalculable, and has per-
haps had more effect on the world than
the victorious career OF Alexander, or
of the Romans. Being accused Of cor.
rupting the youth Of Athens, he was
condemned to death by his fellow citi-
zens and accordingly poisoned in 800
Be.
Byron SAYS of the heroes Of Greece.
and it can be applied to those of other
countries as well:
They fell devoted, but undying:
The very gale their names seemed signing;
The waters murmured OF their name;
The woods We're peOpled with their tame;
The silent pillar lone and gray.
Claimed kindred with their sacred clay;
Their spirits wrapped the dusky mountain :;
Their memory sparkled O. or the fountain
The meanest riil, the mightiest river,
Rolled mingled with their fame forever.
The world has many great heroes, and
so also has the Church. It should not
be necessary to give their biographies
here for the Imitation Of their virtues
should be among the first lessons we are
taught.
st. Louis. king of France. possessed
the combined q utilities OF hero. states
man, and saint. St. Edward, a descend
ant Of Alfred the great was king, and
also great saint.
!. st. Augustine, the son Of Roman
nobleman. was renowned tor his great
learning. Although at one time very
wicked. through the prayers of. his de-
vout neither, he became one Of the
Church's greatest ornaments.
ST. Ignatius, great general, was st
one time exceedingly proud, but the in
fuence Of some good books which he
CHANGED to read. changed the course Of
his life. and he afterward became the
founder Of the Jesuit Order. the men,
bers. Of which have figured 50 promi-
nently in evangeliz,ng our country.
Besides these. there are thousands of
others. Cardinal Newman says:
..Yes. there is a plenty there.
knights without reproach or fear,
5 Such St. Denys, such st. George.
" Martin. Maurice, Theodore,
b And q hundred thousand more.
And now to come down to ourselves.
Can we do anything to make ourselves
heroes? Perhaps we cannot in the eyes
OF the world, but every one Of us can in
the eyes Of Him who created US. We
all have a battle to fight from our cradle
to the grave: the great battle Of life;
the battle against our OVID weak hearts
and evil passions. IL we conquer these
we are indeed heroes. We have done
what the great Alexander could not do,
cong uered ourselves. And let us fol-
low the advice Of the Duke Of Yelling
ton, who on being asked his secret for
gaining battles. replied that there was
no secret, but that we should do our
best and trust ia God for the rest. 81
Chesterfield says: Aim at perfection
in everything. though IN most things 1t