Democratic messenger., 1905-01-28

physical temperament To walk in his
fathers footsteps And yet. strange
To say. we lind many fathers almost
compelling. their unwilling boys to he
doctors or lawyers or sSen ministers or
merchants because they themselves
have made successes in those profes-
sions or businesses And we also find
many young men forcing themselves to
take up Il line of life work for which
they are entirely untitled merely be-
cause their fathers won fame and for
tune in those walks of life
Saul's armor was appropriate 10 his
magnificent frame His son Jonathan
may have been able TO wear it, There
Is no reason why if Il man is fitted by
nature and mental power to follow in
his fathers footsteps he should not en-
ter the profession his father adorned
and fight in his fathers armor There
are men who have made greater sue
cess than their fathers in the same
field. When we study history we find
that men who We're great ministers,
lawyers. doctors. artists, authors and
merchants have had sons who became
even greater ministers. lawyers, doc
tors. artists. authors and merchants.
Hamilcar was Il great Carthaginian
general. He was the parent of Hanni-
bal. who was Il greater general than
his noble sire. There were two great
ScipioS, father and son. Which was
the greater il is impossible to tell
St I I pa
and Lewis \. Sayre We're the great
American surgeons of their times. They
all had SONS who became just as great
as they We're Lyman Beecher's fame
is no greater than that of his son, Hen
ry Ward Beecher. Thomas Moran be-
all masters of the brush. Charles Wes-
ley. the hymnologist. had Il son who
for years was the most eminent organ
list of all Europe. Walter Damrosch
and Frank Damrosch are treading in
the footsteps of their gifted father, DR..
Leopold Damrosch. Because father
is great musical genius that does not
prove that his son or sons may not be-
come as great musical masters as their
sires. Lord Chatham was premier of
England. His son. William Pitt, was
premier also. But. though genius in
one line of work may pass from father
TO son and be inherited. that does not
prove that all sons are fitted by brain
and temperament to fight the battle in
their fathers armor or 10 achieve with
the same sword victories such as their
fathers won.
Great In Different Field.
The son of IL great genius may be as
great Il man rs his father. but in Il
different sphere. He cannot wear his
fathers armor. but he can wear armor
of another kind in which lie may win
victories in different field. Oliver
Wendell Holmes was one of the most
beloved writers in American history.
great writer. Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Jr., is member of the highest judicial
bench of the world He is an honored
associate justice of the supreme court
of the United States. Judge Joseph
Story had one of the greatest legal
minds this nation ever produced. In
his class room at Harvard many who
afterward became great lawyers sat at
his feet TO learn of this modern CANA
liel. Judge Story had IA son who be-
came one of the greatest of Americas
sculptors William Wetmore Story.
Here we find the laws of heredity
changed. \ great lawyer has poet
In
Wendell Holmes case we find poet
who has great lawyer for son.
What is true i'm reference to law and
poetry is also true i'm reference to the
ministry. Great ministers have had
sons who became great ministers. but
in a parsonage should follow the pro
fession of their fathers. John Mitchell
Mason was the greatest pulpit orator
Of New York city in his day. He died
Dec. 20. 1929. 4 contemporary gives
this powerful description of this king
for Christ: Taken altogether no
American preacher has combined more
impressive qualities. His aspect was
on scale of grandeur corresponding
to the majesty of the mind within.
TALL robust. with head modelled after
neither Grecian nor Roman standard,
yet symmetrical, combining the dig
nifty of the one and the grace of the
other, with an eye that shot fire, es-
pecially when under the excitement of
earnest preaching. yet tender and tear
full when the pathetic chord was touch
ed. with forehead broad and high and
with Il mouth and chin expressive of
firmness and decision, Dr. Mason stood
before you. the prince of American pull
pit orators But though John Mitchell
Mason was all that. his father. Rev.
John Mason. was just as great. John
Mitchell Mason without doubt inherited
the pulpit genius of his father. But
as l read history where | find one
minister's son who became great
minister also find Il dozen ministers
sons who won their fame in other
walks of life than in the ministry. But
the ministerial talent is not necessarily
transmittable talent AgassiZ, Hal