St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-12-13
ARP VS.. LORD BACON.
Georgia Humorist Prefers Children
to Philosophy or Fame.
The Great English Essayist Died
Childless and in DisSrace-Loving
Letters Give Pleasure That
0 Money Cannot Buy.

copyrighted by Atlanta Constitution, and
| Reprinted by Permission]
Lord Bacon said that children are
hostages to fortune and impediments
to great enterprises. He had none to
trouble him and no doubt found more
time to study and become great
| man, but his philosophical attain
ments did not save him from disgrace.
Perhaps some children would have
saved him, even though the world
would have lost his philosophy.
Shakespeare had but one son, and he
died in early youth and the family
| name became extinct in the second
generation. Neither DR.. johnson nor
Charles Lamb, nor Hood nor Tom
Moore left children, and Burns only
two. Sir Isaac Newton was never
married, nor was Pope or Goldsmith
or Whitfield. Byron had one child, a
daughter. Calvin married widow
with four children, but died without
any of his own. John Wesley mar
ried widow, but she ran away from
him three times. The last time he
wouldn't let her come back, but wrote:
II did not forsake her; did not expel
her; 1 will not recall her." Martin
Luther married nun, as he said: ITO
please his father and tease the pope
and vex the devil" 1 have noticed in
my reading that almost all the great
thinkers, philosophers and, statesmen
died childless or left but one or two
children. Washington had none, nor
Gen. Jackson, nor Pope. Pierce had
only two, but they died before he did.
Neither Jefferson nor Monroe left any
son. Webster left one. He was killed
at Bull Run, and the family name
dropped out. John Randolph was
never married, and Poe left no chill
dren. Neither Toombs nor Gov. Troup
left any son, and Alexander Stephens
was never married. DIR. Miller died
childless and the family name dropped
out. There is something sad and
melancholy in noting the dropping
out of a noble family name for lack
Of children. Now it is more than
probable that these great men would
not have acquired fame or left to
mankind the benefit of their great
achievements if numerous children
had been born to them and they had
had to scufHe to maintain and edu-
cate them. If father does his duty
by his children he will hardly have
time to acquire either fame or for
tune. We know from experience at
our house that it is an anxious, earnest
struggle to raise ten children in way
that will make them love US and love
home and cherish the memories OF
their youthful days. It is sad for q
man or woman to have to look back to
a hard, unhappy childhood But which
is best for a man-children or great
enterprises? The one is compli-
ance with nature and the divine law
the other a qualification of mans sell
fish ambition. The proper raising of
a family of children is the biggest
thing in life. In many cases marriages
are unhappy and the children curse,
but there is no good excuse for the
average man not seeking a mate. OF
course there are exceptions, but the
UNIVERSAL Id" teAoO ISvOAAOAA was
created for man and that her highest
duty is to be. a mother to his children.
No wife is happy without children.
Children are a heritage FROM the
Lord, and nobody but the Lord knows
where they came from or why they
came ct ALL David says BLESSED is
he who hath his culver full" A child
should be taught early that he or she
was created in the image Of God. The
Bible says SO. It will beget self
respect and perhaps prevent intemper-
ance and bad conduct. When King
Henry II. was making tour OF his
kingdom, his subjects met him on the
way and gave him great ovations and
made presents to him and his cour-
tiers, but one humble peasant came
and brought him nothing. Count
Abensberry said to him: what have