The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-12-24
Influences That Led Author Of
The Simple Life" to Write
RICH IN LOVE FOR NATURE
Partisan Author Tells How He wor-
shipped the Moon and
Found a Key to the
New Life.

Before an audience that occupied ev.
cry bit Of room in St Paul's church al
Atlantic City Thanksgiving morning
Rev. Charles Wagner OF Paris, author
Of 1.-THE Simple Life" for the first
time since lie has been In the United
States told his hearers of his early
life and training and how he came tc
write the book, says the New York
Tribune. John Wanamakef Of Phlla.
delphia bad charge Of the Thanksgiv.
ing day services. and he introduced Mir
Wagner
In the course of his address Mr.. Was
ner said
las look toward my childhood dayi
look toward time that was full Of
riches and joy yes, even though /
was a poor son Of a village pastor
but was a king Ia those days, fol
my being craved the beauties Of IA.
ture, aud / had them all about me. !
was rich In the love for nature. Ny
father said 70 me, Boy, 90, look and
listen / was free.
'Ah, soon was among the flowers,
the birds and the fishes, and. as | had
religious heart, the whole universe
was to me great sanctuary. even
worshiped the moon. The entire glory
OF the stars aud the moon shedding
their bright light from above filed me
with great feeling Of reverence, and
one night when | was alone in the
open air, with the bright moon above
me, sank down on the ground and
worshiped the moon.
"AIy father, / am sure to this day,
saw nue. from behind the curtains, but
he did not correct me. He let me alone,
for be knew TINT the father who spoke
to the lad by the stars and the moon
would soon. or when he was able to
understand the great teachings, speak
to him ia the higher, truer language.
Ny father made me rich in my youth,
and shall always be boy, looking
at the glory aud beauty In the stars
and the moon, and would not give mp
all Of this for all the wealth Of the
world
III ron have children let them be
children. Don't make them kneeI down
in houses built BY men. but let them 90
out In the open in Gods church. where
love and religion come from In these
| days it's not the big chest and the fine
| face or figure that make the man It's
/ the character. When | was young
man lived among fighters for reli-
gion. They fought not with the open
heart, but with the closed tist-a regu-
lar boxing religion.
1T was not long before | decided to
preach. to start out and tell others
what had been taught me But was
a lone preacher for a time | was the
preacher in the wilderness, and then
my congregations grew larger and lar
ger, and finally some one told me that
others who were not within the sound
of my voice should hear the doctrine
Of the simple life, and | started to
write books When these books be-
came friends of the people Of other
| countries cried aloud, looking toward
| the heavens above, oh, my dear IA
ther, IL you can but hear the sound Of
your sons voice today as he gives you
thanksr
"Oh. If you within sound OF my voice
| have children, teach them the simple
life. What have seen Of this coun-
try | find that beneath its greatness
and goodness there Is the true sim
pllcity. The other day your president
/ OF the United States welcomed me and
took me By the hand Though he Is al
the head Of the greatest people In The
world, and though he Is one Of the
most intelligent men have ever met
with strong will and force Of char
acter. / found him SO broad and tender
| with the love Of his family and The
people Of this country that under
stood at once his powerful and grand
1 simplicity II is bis aim at all times
! "a be true to self ana character
III your children are taught sim
| plicity they will never be swindlec
with exterior vanity, but will under
stand the higher simplicity in after
years and become the greatest men anf
women in the country Teach your
boys to look toward the Man on ths
| Cross, whose sweet simplicity we al
SO well understand. Fill your hearts
with ioye-love for the flowers, thu
birds, the busy bees, the trees and tht
beauties OF nature, In every one q
which God speaks to US who SO littll
heed this teaching
& when the simple life is under
stood in America and simplicity ha'
been grasped III it's true sense, ther
win the nation continue to grow ever
greater and better