The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-18

| ~ aiht met these mental cripples, or
mental dependents, In our schoolroom
She OF Them was our seat mate. II there
was 4 hard problem IN equations or
algebra, or trigonometry he always sat
| py our side, chewing the end OF his PEN
ell and looking around the room, until we
had worked out the answer and then he
calmly copied 1t off and turned in our
work as his own. In school days I had
one OF those mental leeehes by my side
For days and weeks he always copied
my work. And what was my surprise
| in one examination, he received a higher
mark than !, although his paper was
mine, practically In toto He was men
tally capable, but he simply would not
work.
We find these mental weaklings or de-
| pendents everywhere around us In the
world. You have one in all probability
in your domestic servant. She will do
what you tell her TO do. but unless you
furnish her your brain and thinking
power she is Of no more practical use In
the world than a lifeless stick Instead
of rising a little earlier than the family
and getting her work well under way
she does not get up till you call her.
After breakfast she just sits. Then you
come to her and say, Mary, I wish you
would sweep up the parlor and dust the
mantels." Yes, ma am" Two hours
later, going into the room, you find
Mary leaning put of the window and
watching the children playing In the
street. You say: MARY this Is cleaning
day. Can't you do something besides
stare out of the window? Have you
swept the parlor foor?'' Yes, ma am"
"Then why did you not go ahead and
mike up the beds?" because, ma am,
you did not tell me to do it, ma'am.
well, then, go ahead and make the
BEDS Yes, ma'am." Two hours later
you come back from some shopping and
marketing, and there you find Mary gos-
sipng with the cook In the Kitchen and
the front porch is dirty. and the rugs
are all aslsew in the halls, and the wash
ing has not been put away. mary,
Mary" you cry losing all your patience,
"what Is the matter with your why are
you sitting Idly there? Have you liked
the halls and cleaned the bathroom ana
put away the washing?" mo, ma'am
''Why have you not done these things?"
because, ma am, you did not tell me to
do that maam.' well, go and do
them now Yes, ma am Now, Mary
is not a physical weakling. She Is
mental cripple. She will not take an
interest in things. She will do what she
is told to do but not one thing else WIN
she do And, my friend, it is your duty
and mine to mentally wake up. 1t Is our
duty to prepare ourselves for mental
toll Having eyes with which to see
it is our business to see. Having ears
with which to hear, 1t Is our business 10
hear God expects every man to bear
physical burden. He also expects every
man to bear a mental burden.
Beechers Illustration.
Manly independence in reference to the
mental burdens we ought to bear was
well illustrated by Henry Ward Beeeher
in a remarkable address he made some
years ago Here is one young man
seeking financial employment; lie
the call is sounded, Come in! Want
employment? What can you dor on,
answers the young man, i am laborer.
7 can do lust what / am told to do, no
more and no less Then as common
laborer crawl down into the lowest
bitches of life, and | will give you Just
a bare subsistence for a livelihood, for
7 have to tell YOU everything You think
nothing therefore you shall receive prae-
tically nothing for your toll. Another
vounp man comes to the door ana
knocks Come in What can you doY
We'll. can do almost anything that
am told to do, but l also have one niger
that thinks. ! am a skilled mechanic.
co TO Wonder bench says the world
AS Won think a little. l will pay you
little more than the man who does not
think at all Another young man KNOCKS.
Come I'M What can you do? 1 can DO
ANYTHING that | am told to DO, pnl
also have ten fingers that think am
a musician Then as a musician, go
stll higher. Sit We at ivory Keys ana
NAV | will pay thee more than the
mechanic, because thou hast ten thinking
fingers. Another young man knocks.
Come inl What can you dor ! can 40
ANYTHING that [ am told to do, but can
do more than that. ] can see what ought
to be DONE and / am Wiling 10 90 IL
without any command ! have brain
that thinks l have ten myers lnai
think and two feet that think. ! think
ali over my body. All that | wish 10
a chance to work, and l will work on
until | become Indispensable to thee.
'Ah, saws the world, ] need you, 90
70 work in my service and great shaii
be your reward
The Love Burden of Home.
Rut as Paul begins to strap the diff
ferent loads upon mans back, as the
Arabs of the east weight down thelr
camels for the desert journey, ana yet
the man grows stronger and stronger
az he bears these burdens, ] see Paul
lift another heavy burden and place 1t
above the top of the physical and men
tai burdens This last burden Is the love
burden of the home. When PAU says,
"Everv man shall bear his own burden"
he also seems to say: EVERY man, II
possible. shall care for his aged father
and HELPLESS old mother. He shall care
for his wife and children. He shall look
after his helpless brothers and sisters
And i'm caring for these domestic love
burdens he is also developing himself
and increasing his own strength"
Who are the strong men of this townh
Who are the giants physically. mentally.
morally and spiritually? Are they the
men who grow up with the idea that
they would not take unto themselves
wife and the care of children until great
financial success was theirs and they
could live in Easy street," Did they
refuse to marry until they could take
their brides to as fine n home as that
In which the girls fathers and mothers
were passing the evening time OF their
lives? No. Inevitably they are the men
who had nothing to start with but two
stout arms, a clear brain and willing
ness to work Hardly had they got
foothold in business when they married,
They married mostly on faith, hope
and charity" for they had not much
else In sight. Then came the children,
And in these young mems struggles TO
provide for their little ones and to lift
the burden of domestic love. they deyel-
open their strength TO hereulean propor-
tons.
There has been great deal OF run
made of President R6oseyelts denunci-
alton of those who would sfiirk the bur-
dens of the home and not marry When
they ought to marry, but believe The
odore Roosevelt is right. And 4 would
furthermore state that one OF. the great
reasons why / believe our forefathers
were men of such sterling worth was