The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-06-15

a.
give bis children I" start in the world, !"
when, were he their worst enemy, he
could hardly adopt a surer means OF
keeping them in poverty and obscurity.
The only money which benefits a man
is that which be has himself earned.
Inherited wealth, instead Of prompting
to further acquisition, is - a title deed
to sloth. The feady-made fortune
of an ancestor. Ike his ready-made
clothes, rarely fits the man to when IL
falls.
There are some people. who. instead
of making the best use Of the facilities
they have for achievement, are always
telling of what they might do under
happier circumstances. . The truth is,
the " circumstances" upon which go
many faint-hearted ones dwell with
doleful eloquence should be regarded
rs the very tools with which to work
the stepping stones by which 20 mount.
We pity the Chinese who cramp
their feet, and the Indians who fatteD
their heads, In obedience to custom
but are these checks upon physical
growth half SO contemplate as those
put in civilized countries upon intel
3ectpal growth by the despotism of
public opinion /. Are we entitled to
condemn the South-Sea Islander, who
tattoos his face, while We bow slavishly
to customs in dress that not only dis
figure the person. but are destructive
to health and comfort? Mr.. j. L.
Mill, in his work on Liberty, saws.
truly, that III this age the man who
dares to think for himself and to act
independently. does service to the
race. Eccentricity has always
abonnded when and where strength of
character has abounded; aud the
amount Of eccentricity in society has
always been proportional TO the
amount of genius, mental vigor
and moral courage which it contained.
That so few now dare TO be eccentric
marks the chief danger of the time.
Miss Pearl Crippen's Yaledictory
speech
CHARACTER.
What Is character .
Emerson tells us that character is a
certain reserve force which acts direct
ly by presence and without means" I'll
is certain undefinable force by whose
impulses man is guided, but whose
counsels be cannot impart.
We cannot determine man of char
acter by his deeds and exploits. Sir
Philip Sidney and Sir Walter Raleigh
were men of great character, but were
OF few deeds. We can only say that
something resided in these men which
begot ali expectation that outran all
their performances. The greatest part
of their powers was latent. What some
accomplish by talent or by eloquence
others accomplish by magnetism.
Character is one of the greatest mo-
tive powers in the world. II is the
corner stone Of individual greatness.
This motive force appears III trade.
There are geniuses in trade as well as
in war, or the state, or letters; and the
reason this or that man is. fortunate is
not to be told. IL lies in the man, that
is all anybody knows about it,
Character works with the most
energy in the smallest companies and
in private relations. In all cases it Isl
extraordinary. Higher natures over
power lower ones. affecting them with
certain sleep. "What means did you
employ.n Vas the question asked OF
the wife of Concini, in regard To her
treatment Of Mary of Medici. and the1
answer was: Only that influence
which every strong mind has over a
weak one"
In life our paths are strewn with
flowers, there comes To all OF US hours
of need, hours Of sorrow, hours OF tenn
tation. What is. it which, defends us
when these struggles come? On what
staff do we Jean The answer comes
back, character. Without this What
are the consequences? All is lost and
nothing left US except vain regrets and
spenitential tears.
Character is power. character is In
-4uence. and though We have nothing
else except character, We have the
means OF being eminently useful not
only to our immediate friends, but to
society. to the church of God and to
the world. Whea character is lost all
Is lost. One despises himself and is de-
spised by his fellows. II is better to be
poor, better to be reduced to beggary
than I'd lose character The individual,
the community. the nation, tells OF It's
standing. its advancement. its worth.
its true wealth and GLORY IN the eye OF
God by its estimation CT character.
The man that lightly esteems charac-