Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-06
OUR SOCIAL WORLD

UUR NOUlAL NURLD
(All items of social interest will be gladly
noted in these columns Ii sent to Mrs,
: George c. Ball, Nineteenth street, between
Tenth and Eleventh avenues, South High
lands. Telephone $685.
The calling together of the various con-
crosses at the Atlanta exposition brings
into prominence the many causes advo-
Gated by eminent men and women in all
parts of the world. These congresses are
rarely limited to a representation from
America, and the objects intended to be
accomplished are all for The Improvement
of the race. Delegates from many for
eign countries will add their influence to
these remarkable conversations, thereby
bringing about unanimity OF action.
which will certainly result in great and
widespread good to humanity. Among
the several gatherings composed exclu
;sively of women there is none which will
create a more general interest than that
of the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton, which convenes on the 18th of
this month. To the members Of this or
ganiZation the meeting will be one of vi
tai Importance; to those who feel con-
Germ for the perpetuation or an interest
In American history this particular con-
eress will bring a qualification. To 9TH
ers who mistake the purposes of the or
der 1t will possess absolutely no interest,
or tend to excite unfriendly or adverse
criticism.
This assembling together of women
who desire to keep fresh the memory of
great deeds and greater men gives an OPP
portunity to discuss question which
has strong and eloquent advocates for
and against. And that question is,
whether the pride of ancestry Is bene-
f1cial and laudable? Much of the oppo-
sition to this pride in past generations
has rightly come about, because many
persons who feel this admiration for
members of their families, who have ac-
eompllshed something worthy of record
in the minds Of men, are extensively ar
rogant in keeping before disinterested
people the cause for their vain glorying.
They frequently make themselves utterly
absurd In thrusting constantly before an
Indifferent public their private and indi-
Vidual claims. The world is very little
concerned about our personal matters,
and the sooner we learn that constantly
thrusting of our individual successes or
grievances upon a busy and uncaring
public the better for us and the com
munity in which we live. But discuss
itas we may pro and con, as our incl-
nations tend. the virtue of the whole
matter lies in the good to be accom-
plished, because of the fact that history
furnishes examples for our emulation.
The value Of an honorable ancestry
consists not only in satisfaction that
naturally comes about from this fortu-
nate condition, but 1t should prove an in
SEPARATION for noble lives on the part of
those who lay claims to such an inner
itance. Men and women who boast de-
scent from heroes are unworthy of the
heritage If they are useless citizens In
any community. To fall short of the rec
ord made by noble ancestry is to be
doubly inferior. If in your veins flows
the blood which has been shed upon
hard-fought fields of battle, or has
touched the heart and brain of men dis
tinguished in any of the walks of life in
the years that are gone, you are unwor
thy Of that blood unless you do some
thing to make the world richer or brig hit
er because you have lived. An inferior
present is a reproach to an honorable
past In discussing this question we
should keep prominently before US the
fact that we-are now also making his
tory and that ere long we will be an an
cestry to the coming generations, to
whom they will refer with pride or re-
greet. according to the lives we have led
Are we willing, upon the records we are
now making, to go down to future gener-
ations? Are we fulfilling the require
ments Of our time in such brave. proud.
NOME way. InaI VIII Iildhe uS tAduiVic'
for emulation to those who come after
us? Are we making the most of the
glorious opportunities that this ninH-
teenth century presents. so that those OF
the later centuries can point with pride
to what was done by us? Unless we are
so doing we are not embracing. as we
should the possibilities that surround
us, nor are we showing ourselves wor-
thy of the. eminent men who have pre-
ceded us?
AS we all know the heroes of the world
were not all made upon battlefelds. such
as mark the progress Of American his
tory. In every day life there are fought
such combats as make those of history
seem mserahly insignificant: and IL in
the daily struggles we fail to DO our part
with pluck and uprightness we should
not claim kinship with heroes The de-
plorable willingness to rest quietly i'll the
shadow of a noble name gives evidence
that we are unworthy of such an Inherit
ance. To find ease and self satisfaction
only In memories argues that there only
remains to us the tradition. the traits and
characteristics of brave ancestry have
only become q memory indeed. Our own.
insignificance Is reproach to this traGi-
ton. II our aims and purposes are in
ferior,to those of our forefathers then we
should hesitate to let the world know of
our claims to an honorable ancestry.
Upon each and every individual there
rests the responsibility of making their
lives such that to the present and future
generations they will be an Inspiration to
constant and higher endeavor.
The battlefields of history are not es-
sential to the development of heroes.
There are men and women who tread
the quietest paths of life. who daily win
victories greater than those Of Trenton
or Bull Run. They bear the heat
and burden Of the day, and bravely strug-