The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-15

independence was not possible for him
in the conquered provinces. He set II
work, therefore, to master the French
language. accepted position ut Re
miremont. in the French EoS~eS. and
in 1882 went to Paris, where he en-
tered upon Il successful career rs
minister and Il literary man. The
Simple Life is IT., best known OF at.,-
eral works that he has written. though
Youth and Courage" and Tho Better
Way" are fairly well known to Amer.-
can readers.
After President Roosevelt spoke in
complimentary terms OF The Simple
Life such interest in the book and its
author developed in America that Rev.
Mr.. Wagner came across the Atlantic
to lecture. one of the first men he call
ed upon WAS President Roosevelt. and
concerning the visit he wrote the fol
lowing for Success magazine:
Il was particularly struck with the
simplicity of the home life of the presi-
dent. To one accustomed to viewing
the pOmp and ceremony which sur
round the rulers of Europe there
seems TO he something notable in the
entire lack of ostentation in the RoOse-
welt family. l was surprised ut Mr.
Roosevelts habit of inviting to his pri-
vate dining table those who are doing
good work in the world quite regard
less Of what their power or social po-
sition may be. He looks TO the man him
self rather than to his appurtenances,
and this is IL brushing away of the
superfuitieS which is rare in men of
his position. In Washington l saw his
boys starting to public school. and
one of them did not even bother to
wear Il hat. This, of course, was a
small matter, but it impressed me. In
Europe the children of a ruler with not
One-tenth of the power of Mr.. Roose-
welt do not 90 to school at all. much
less to a public school. They have
corps of private tutors and rarely ven
ture into the streets except in elab0-
rate equipages.
'The observance of complete sim
plicity in his personal and family life
by the president of the United States,
one Of the most powerful rulers on
earth, has e wholesome influence not
only upon America, but also upon tho
world at large"
When he landed in New York not
long ago Rev. Mr.. Wagner said:
Il love the American people l want
ed to see them in their own country
and to know them personally. TO OBJ
tain that end I learned their language.
and here 1 am"
He referred to the kind of English
he was about TO speak, saying he had
studied the English language only
short while ago to tell the American
people Of simplicity, and that if any
accidents occurred it would not be
by generalization.
L know that you are saying in your
hearts that it is not possible to live the
simple life in this great city of rush
ing thought and energy, this city of
tremendous activities and skyscrapers,
lie said, but tell you that it is"
1T is possible to live the simple life
on the twenty-fo floor of New
York skyscraper in the midst of all the
noise and confusion The simple life
is not thing of the first floor or the
fortieth, not OF the shoes or the waist
coat, but of the heart
Once in Paris, that great city of
dust and busy human dife, | heard a
lark singing in a garden. lie was a
prisoner, it is true. But when l heard
him lifting up his voice to the blue sky
and | remembered the freedom of the
hills and the Fields that had been mine
as Il boy, the walls and houses of the
great city seemed to fade away. to
stretch out and expand.
Il speak to you here in the center of
one Of the most tremendous cities in
the world. | sing my song of simplici-
ty like lark in a cage-but it is a good
place to sing it. The more | study
your national character here in Amer
lea, the more L look into the founda-
tons of Your government, the more |
see of your stupendous energy, the
more | realize that at the bottom of it
all is the simplicity of your national
character
Il visited the White House at Wash
ington. | found there nothing of the
grandeur of the homes of kings and
kaisers, but the pure simplicity of a
great people expressed in the home of
chief executive. | was Il guest of
your president. | pressed his hand,
and | had many long talks with him
upon the great questions of the day
And again I felt that a splendid. sim
plicity was at the root of your national
character. Stay true to your tradi-
tons; be true to your convictions. The
human race demands it of you"
DR.. Wagner told how he came to
write The Simple Life" He was call
ed upon while pastor in Paris to
marry IA workman and his sweetheart.
One of the six witnesses was the
daughter Of a great politician
81 talked to them upon the beauty of
living simply" he said. "a few days
afterward the young lady came to me
to ask me to perform her marriage,
and she asked me to give Just the same
talk that l had to the workman There
were to be 1000 people present, includ-
ing the greatest diplomats, the greatest
politicians and the leaders in the in
tellectual and social life of Paris.