The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-05-06
CONVERSATION CLUB.
Exchange of Thought and Sentiment On
Current Topics.


Current Topics.
The lives Of great aud good men should be
| more generally studied. They are usually the
records of those who have overcome many diff
cuities, and so hold out healthful incentive to
those who would themselves achieve success.
perusal OF the biographies of great men will
prove that it is not the rich or the great or to
those surrounded by the best advantages that
success most certainly comes.
The stories of the lives of men who have be-
come great in our own country are fresh in the
minds Of all; but going to the mother country.
beyond the sea. We find noble examples in the
| lives of Burns the pow- boy poet: Cook. the
navigator and Brindley. the engineer all from
the working classes-men with great hearts
and clear heads, aud never ashamed of their
| origin.
Carey, the missionary to Africa, was one o:
| these. On one OCCASION seated at dinner with
the Governor. General, he heard an officer sit.
ting near inquire if he was not the son of
| shoemaker. when he responded quickly: No,
sir; only the son of a cobbler."
A member of the British Parliament was
| won't to introduce his recollectous of boyhood
days with the words when / was a weaver
boy at Norwich" And it was creator honor
| to have achieved such distinction than to have
owed his place to rank or gold
Sir Francis Bacon was from the common
ranks; so was Simpson, the mathematician, the
two Mines-Adam Walker, john Walker aud
Wilson. the ornithoogist. Livingston, the
great African explorer aud missionary tray.
eier, was q weaver, as was also Tannahill, the
poet.
From the ranks of the shoemakers came Sir
Cioudesley Shovel. the great Admiral; Stur-
geon, the electrician; Samuel Drew. the
essayist. and Clifford, the editor of the rem owned
| Quarterly Review. One of the creates.
naturaists is Thomas Edwards, shoemaker at
Banh. From all the trades and industries
have come hosts of great men, some so poor
That. Ike our Saviour, they had not where to
| lay their head.
In ali my studies of the lives of great men
have found that, without exception. their lives
were built upon character and that thew had
learned the value Of self help. Our own
Nation viii be strong. patriotic independent
just In proportion rs the men who compose it
have consecrated their efforts to noble ends.
III our young men among the poor and lowly
are satisfied with their place. aud do nothing
to raise themselves to a higher plane of thought
and action. our country must be the sufferer
therefrom. Young man, what is to be your
stand in this generation
o. F. SAMPSON
CHRISTIANITY IN THE HOME.
Where shall Christianity be taught? I
answer, In the home. 1t is the mothers DUTY
to teach her children to pray and that praver
though it be only Now i lay me down 10
Sleep. will never be forgotten. Fow man
eminent in science or religion but have a~.
pressed deep-felt gratitude for the eyamnIe
counsel, and prayers Of an affectionate and pinus
mother.
1t has been related by one of our Presidents
the Senior Adams. that he never retired at
night without repeating the little PRAYER
taught him by his mother, Now / lay me
down to Sleep"
The influence of the mother is alI.nowefuI
for evil rs well as good. The mother of Lord
Byron was without Christian character. or
natural affection. Her son had club foot and
when young submitted TO some very painful
operations. Speaking of his mothers lack
of sympathy to Lord Sligo. Byron once said
that she IN one of her fits of passion uttered
an imprecation on me praying that might
prove as hi-shapen in mind as am in boiyn
The prayer WAS more than answered and
Byron's pen was dipped in gall and bitterness
Mothers may make Byrons or Paysons.
devils or angels. They can with divine
assistance make their children fold of Christ,s
vpers. Aver NJ T,ov,~yH
REPLY TO BACHELOR.
bachelor brother asks me IN ren,r n ,ar
eral questions. First. is marriage !. fa;inra
| and what do you think of divorces and socn,d
marriages. As L am not clergyman or inv.
yer, and am not married myself / have VT
studied these problems aud so in ardar q,
| answer i have had to consult with a man NIL
has given wide attention to socialogic questions
lie has seen life in all stages of happines. and
misery, both in this aud the old world and bis
| opinions are entitled to some value
He says marriage is not failure when II ia
entered upon with a clear conception of tho
soiemnity Of the marriage contract: a contract
! not for few months but for life-a union of
souls for all time. But it is a failure when
| entered without elaboration; with the thought
that should hetes prove the least irksome they
can be easily broken.
Young people may tell of love and sentiment
but they viii lind it all of short duration nm
less it has for its advance post love of God and
hope of heaven.
The second question is, in this competitive
age are we pursuing fame as an object so much
as to underestimate the value of happy homer
In other words do we oyer-estimate tho valua
OF public applause so that matrimony. that
most sacred state, is entered with as little an
prehensiOn of It's gravity and appreciation Of
its possibilities for joy or sorrow, as has the
sunny-haired child chasing butterfly down
the garden walk?
Well, if :he number of divorces, the deserted
anc oesecrated hearthstenes, are a criterion.
marriage is esteemed too lightly. This comes
largely from lax divorce laws, making divorce
TOO easy. Incompatibility of temper. because
husband aud wife cannot agree upon the
size OF The Kitchen range. or Is to the color Of