Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-13
AN ADDRESS BY CAPT. S. B. EVANS BE-
FORE THE WAPELL0 COUNTY NORMAL

ture, the keenest of critics, possessing
an insight into the innermost recesses
of human understanding and to
degree that was almost super
In conversation with one. OF
his faithful companions at st. Helena,
he was led to comment upon the char
acter, of one his famous generals who
was noted. not only for his courage on
the battlefield, but for his inordinate
vanity, cupidity and gross blunders in
etiquette. He was Paladin in the
field, but hoor in society; hero I'M
der the immediate eye of his COM
mander,. but a plunderer and bandit
whenever he had the opportunity. Ma
poleon, in summing up his estimate of
the man and in explanation of the bad
points in his character, said: His
swadGling clothes were neither fine nor
clean
Need Not Be Born in Luxury.
1t is to be noted that Napoleon did
not intend to convey the idea that it
was necessary for one to be born in
luxury in order that one may be well
born, or genteel, as the saying goes.
But his terse comment conveys the I'M
preston that his general was not born
in respectable and Clearly poverty, but
in the degradation of dirt, as we'll as
in want. Napoleon was too great to
have looked upon the possession OF
wealth alone as a guaranty of respect
ability; his marshals were selected
with but slight regard for their origin
and with no regard whatever for their
purses. He made the son of an inn
keeper a king. and a common soldier
was transformed by his magic wand
into prince of the empire.
| But the emperor's clean-cut distinc-
ton remains. 1t is indispensable that
one shall at least inherit cleanliness in
order that one shall have the appear
ance and manners of a well-born per-
son.
Not Traitor.
do not desire to be regarded as
traitor to my sex in making the decla
ration that too much has been placed
as a burden upon women as to thell
responsibility in the care of children
1t is quite the fashion to say that the
child's character is determined by the
mother; that the child is like clay IL
the hand of the potter, to be nodded
into shape as the mother may elect
This is mans cowardly shrinking from
responsibility and is but an echo of the
ancient whine: "The woman gave me
of the tree and | did eat
Influences of Father.
This leads me to speak of the lnf1u
ence that father may exert IL he VII
upon his offspring, although he may b.
at home only at night and on Sundays
This is the Difference that he owes ant
that he should pay to the mother of hi
children, who is held directly responsi
Bile for bringing them up in the RICH
way.
! A child is one of the most observin
? of creatures. One who knows the sec
' ret can very we'll find out what tn
: parent thinks of one through the mar
i ner in which the child regards one.
|, you are in high favor with the fathe
/ or the mother--and especially wit
+ the mother-the child will manifest
/ in many ways by it's manner towar
/ you. On the other hand, if you ar
\ non persona grata with the parents
l. the child will show it by either inst
e lence or Indifference. 1t is not a hyl
S ocrite, though its parents may be.
- A Keen Observer.
e The child is keen observer and a.
a cording to the Difference that is paid
S it's mother by the father, so will it
d Influenced by the mothers counsel, le
IS that be wise or other than wise.
lie know of child, who, when it We
n but four years of age, had impresse
E. upon its vision mountain peak fro
the vantage ground of valley whel
scene of marvellous beauty was u
lie folded that reached from the valley
b. che summit. There was the glory
u semi-tropical sunset to illumine tt
er picture that was photographed on
to brain and thus it became immortal, b
IS cause it will be remembered by tt
ly child forever. Years passed; the chi
lie became man; he saw no mountain
re for a quarter of century; the va
lie plains and prairies with occasional al
SIS but slight elevations were all the see
er cry that came to his observation; al
yet when the sun would go down upt
ic a bank of clouds, the plain would
al transformed into something wonde
pit full; and he could see again the purp
IL mountains reflected in the clouds
plain, prOSdlC hduSdS. uelc hSN'
was time in his life that the glori
n. of the mountains were not shining
-. his heart and illumining his soul.
~ Hawthorne in that delightful sket
h has the boy Ernest, grow to manho
- in daily view of the great Stone Fa
of the mountains-an image of Natu
Il that has reflected in its lineaments t
10 noblest qualities of humanity; t
ID youth believing implicitly in the lege
~ attached to the image that in the go
81 time a being would appear in the "
W ley in human form with all the
10 qualities embodied in his person Al
no character.
an His Version Expounded.
is The youth saw the warrior appe
n in the panoply of military glory a
welcomed by the huzzas of frantic m
titudes; he heard the great orator W
ed came and crowds of people to he
he the melody of his utterances; the gre
Id statesman with the renown that p
he ceded him and the record of what [
er, people said was undying fame;
ng these he saw but none of them be
Nf ~ 20