The Irish standard., 1894-12-29
into which the life Of Tell was thrown,

He was an intimate friend of Goethe who
had seen it; but he had read about
Switzerland, and his description of the
scenery is wholly perfect. How did he
obtain the power to make that scenery
life immortal on his pages? He had never
thrown his eyes upon it. We have not
bis genius, but we can cultivate that
power There is one thing we all can
learn, never to speak word without be
Ling able to see TIE thing it symbolizes.
3 got this idea from teacher of elocu-
cution. Well, I only took few lessons.
lLaughter.] When you speak, try to
look at the thing you speak Of; whether
it be the mountains, the streams or the
flowers, try to see them If you see the
thing in your imagination, you will find
the right word to express it in the right
way, and it will produce an effect on
your hearers. Never speak a meaning
less word, one which you feel does not
convey, your own meaning. Never use a
word you don't understand.
A young man ought never to sit in his
room unless he is sitting on a dictionary
OF beside one. He should never pass a
word which he does not thoroughly un-
derstand, never pass word the pronun-
clation of which he is doubtful about
Learn what you learn, know it exactly,
accurately. This is the secret Of educa
ACCURACY in looking, in hearing, in
speaking, in thinking. That is all in all,
and you can learn this. Little things
make up our lives, and these things,
little as they are, eternally recur. Ripe
tition makes these little things great, as
little animalcules formed the islands of
Great Britain; little microscopic things
grad ually built up England, Ireland and
Scotland, working for untold ages; just
so these little things all tend to remodel
us into higher beings. Well, what wish
to;come to is that education is physical
process. It is divine thing to have the
mind of genius, the perfection of q
great scholar, or. the knowledge OF one
who has read all history and knows the
facts Of physical nature. I suppose rela-
lively few are enthusiastic about this
idea. The real human idea is that Of
conduct. We are born to do i, fnite|y
moro than we are born to think-to think
in an original way. We are forever do
ing something, and I hold that there is
no Indifferent deed. All deeds are good
or bad, whether we apply ourselves to
some light task or seek to solve some
or eat problem-whatever we are doing.
The great aim OF anything IS the stan
dard of moral will
Nine tenths Of the joys of our lives
come through our characters: those
flights of intellectual inspiration, and re-
naming long upon them But we can
be strengthened, consoled and benefited
by our moral nature. In the first place,
what the young should seek to acquire is
humanity-to become human. We are
not born human. We are born savsges,
and remain barbariang until we become
human. The courage to bear is the larger
part of wisdom-learn how to bear.
Know that it is only through suffering
that real wisdom is obtained; that you
will not be able to hold your place in the
battle of life if you are weak and ever
ready to complain. A real man can bear
all things and die il necessary, and utter
no complaint in dying. 1t is easy for
man to train himself to this. Prove that
you are 9 strong and mature man. To
be weak is to be miserable. Forever re-
member, not to be able to suffer is to go
out unprepared for life. Those who can
endure most, still cheerful, still cour-
apeous, these are the heirs of the world !,
theirs are the victories, theirs the genius
of success. What I wish to emphasize
in this part Of my discourse is that our
moral character is as active and suscept-
ible Of education as our physical or our
intellectual being, and that the import
ant and final result Of education is to be
determined by its ethics.
Fear this, my boys, that you should
break down in your faith; that, as Rus
kin says, you should be wrecks OF 9! life
Of pleasure, and die in sensuality and
llowness Of instinct. The years you pass
here viii Determine. Then be human,
suffering tenderness to encircle your
lives. Think Of the mother that held Us
ii her arms, Of the father that toiled for
us, whose heart was always cheered and
made victorious by love Tor US; think OF
the brothers and sisters and friends who
have loved Us, who have educated ua
Let us look into our hearts and think OF
it. How is il possible that we would
throw ali away and lead vicious, sensual
lives? It cannot be. Strengthen your
selves and your hearts. Build up e be-
ing thst IS useful Make yourself men men
OF character, Of humanity, OF honesty
and of siiustice and Of all high qualities.
Then you will walk this earth like angel
i - - i.