The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-16

born, not OF the brain, but OF the heart
out OF the experiences of the race. The
plays of Shakespeare in their essential
life and spirit, existed long in the life of
the race before there was a Shakespeare
to observe and write them. Such books
were written by the ordinary people in
their lives and acts. The genius Of the
author enabled him to. translate these
things into words Kipling was an Illus
tration of this. Where would have been
the pathos of his works had it not been
for the peoples OF India, whose heart
experiences he had translated?
The fidelity with which q book inter-
preted life determined its place in lit
erature. The Bible, Shakespeare. Dante,
stand at the head of the books OF the
world, because they tell of what men
nave hoped, endured and asplred 30.
The sutferlngs of the race on its way
OF progress-and the race hal worn the
crown OF thorns many times-made up
the spirit OF the great works that will
always adorn the shelves OF the library
There was no true education that did
not come from the experiences of the
race. Every student must sit at the feet
of the race. In that IN which we were
great our ancestors had made us great;
IN that in which we were small or mean,
they had helped to make us small and
mean.
There were two occupations, those of
business ana those of life. There were
also the wages of work and the wages of
life.
10 have the wages of money and to
be denied the wages Of life-respect,
love, honor-that was bitter indeed.
N ow, in these days of less opportunity
the man who succeeds Is the trained
man. The strong arm and the willing
heart no longer bring SUCCESS as they
used to do. The tragedies of today are
largely the tragedies of the unframed
F,Ie to- do
thing is to be able to do nothing. 10 be
able to do one thing so well as to be indis-
pensible IN that line of bushes lis 10 be a0le
to do everything in the end. The times Of
commercial and financial shipWreck are
the times when the inefficient men 90 to
the wall. The employer cannot keep
them il he would. He is forced to keep the
skilled man and let the other go. How
few men realize that they themselves de-
termtne whether they shall succeed or
fail
We never had a more striking iIlustra-
ton Of the practical education su CHI as
this library viii give, than hassoccurred
IN the last thirty years. The business
man needs as much training today as
does the doctor or the lawyer.
A hundred and fifty years ago Germany
was beginning her career7 of intellectual
pre-eminence. Her universities made her
the intellectual leader of modern times.
But as late as thirty years ago everyone
said that Germans were intellectual but
not practical. But when the war began
with France new phenomenon was
seen. It has usu8lly taken two periods to
make a war. a period OF education by
costly blunders. and then Of more scien-
t1nc lighting. Nut when the Germans
moved on France they We're already
trained, and their course was one long
triumph until their king was Gro Kned
Emperor in the palace of the old French
kings.
The world asked how Germany sue
eee1ed SO signallyf France Investigated,
and found that science had been applied
to force. Forethought had eliminated
nearly all the old mischances of war. The
clothing, the food, the ammunition We're
always with the soldiers when needed.
The old university training had borne its
fruits.
But even then, while it was admitted
that Germans were great soldiers, it was
said that they were poor, and not enter
prlsing IN business But then the Ger
man training turned to business. Eng
land then held the markets of the world.
But today German competition is driving
out the English everywhere. The legend, /
Made IN Germany" has been like the
handwriting on the wall in England for |
the last ten years. The young English |
men have been brave, honest ana willing. |
But the young Germans ara all this, an d |
they ara trained besides.
Mr. Mabie then went on to say that IN
this country there was q great need of
training. 1t was not enough that we
have good opinion OF ourselves. What
we think of ourselves is not of much &C
count; what others think of US is of vital
Importance. If Americans are to be at
the front IN business enterprise they
must be at the front in technical and
business training.
Mr.. Mabie went on to say that candle
had been lighted in the town of Clinton |
and a door had been thrown open. The
romances of this day were the stories of |
those who had passed through these |
doors. 1t was the lives of many young
men and their progress from humble |
poverty to riches and distinction, that !
made the history of New England so at
tractive and ennObling. Success in life |
means freedom from the chains of power |
ty. And this library which had been |
dedicated on this day was an open door
towards that success.
By an entertaining sketch of the career |
Of Professor Palmer of Cambridge, the |
famous master of many tongues ana
England's envoy to the Arabs In the days
of the Egyptian rebellion, the speaker
illustrated the extraordinary achieve
ments of man who could persist in the |
acquisition of knowledge.
But after oil success in life rather than
IN business should be the great aim. And |
the latter was desirable because it aided |
to attain the former.
This library was an open door to sue
cess in life. No man could know the |
present who did not known the past. No
nation could settle It's problems without
a knowledge of what its fathers had done |
in the crises of years gone by. No man
has a right to live in this house of the
present without knowing who the men |
were who built it. No man has right |
to breath this air without knowing how |
that air was made free. Few men can get |
out OF the limitations of their lives ex-
cept through the aid Of books The |
present is hidden from men who do not |
know the past.
The limitation of the man IS own person
al experiences is one of the hardest forms |
of slavery. The escape from 1t Is in learn
ing of the experiences of other men and |
women. Here also the library affords an
open door to the experiences and lives OF
all mankind Five minutes q day was