The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1904-12-07

WibersviIle. in the Vosges, on Sunday
morning, Jan. 3, 1852, while his father
was preaching In the village church.
He was only seven years old when his
father died. and yet he was the eldest
of five children. The family moved to
Phalsbourg. and there Charles labored
In the fields and studied for the min
istry. He was sent to Paris at four
teen and took q degree at the Sorbonne
in 1869. He was student Of theology
at the University OF Strassburg during
the Franco-Prussisn war, and there he
underwent a sort of spiritual revolu-
ton, losing his religious faith. He read
Spinoza and found In that philosopher
something to compensate for what he
had lost. but two simple Incidents led
to the restoration Of his religious life.
One was the first sight Of the Alps.
The mountains seemed to him Gods
witnesses. The other event was some
thing that has happened to nearly ev-
erybody-simply the sight Of his moth
er on returning home after a long alb
sence She was there. loyal to her du-
ty. doing her daily work with tranquil
energy. never wearied and never dis
couraged. and the very thought Of her
brought quietude. content. faith.
He went from Strassburg to Got
tingen in 1875 aud from there he re-
turned to Alsace and became assistant
pastor ut the foot Of Ste. Odllle noun
tain. His native place had been taken
into the Prussian territory, his pastor
ate was within the new German from
tier, and for the first time the political
change began to weigh on him. There
was no sense of political oppression,
but consciousness that intellectual
independence was not possible for him
in the conquered provinces. He set to
work, therefore, to master the French
language, accepted a position at Re
in 1882 went to Paris, where he en-
tered upon a successful career as a
minister and a literary man. THE
Simple Life" is the best known of sew
eral works that he has written, though
youth and Courage" and THE Better
Way" are fairly well known to Ameri-
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 cali
ed upon was President Roosevelt, ana
concerning the visit he wrote the fol-
lowing for Success magazine:
81 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 be something notable in the
entire lack of ostentation in the Roose-
welt family. l was surprised at Mr..
Roosevelt's 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 a brushing away of the
superfuities which is rare In men of
his position. In Washington / saw his
boys starting TO a public school, and
one of them did not even bother to
wear a hat. This, Of course, was a
small matter. but it impressed me. In
Europe the children of ruler with not
one-tenth of the power Of Mr.. Roose-
welt do not go to school at all, much
less to a public school. They have a
corps OF private tutors and rarely ven
ture into the streets except in elabo-
rate equipages.
1.-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 a wholesome influence not
only upon America, but also upon the
world at large"
When he landed in New York not
long ago Rev. Mr.. Wagner said:
Il love the American people. want
ed to see them in their own country
and to know them personally. To OBJ
tain that end learned their language,
and here am"
He referred to the kind of English
he was about TO speak, saying he had
studied the English language only a
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