Milford chronicle., 1905-05-19

building the wall, character is to man
1t is his ballast. his sheet anchor, his
safety valve, his protector, his ALL
Sad Example.
Let me illustrate my thought by the
sad and yet brilliant life Of one of the
greatest statesmen England ever pro.
| duced. Charles James Fox was one Of
! the greatest geniuses who ever stood in
| the British house of commons. At
twenty-One years Of age he was ranked
among the ablest debaters and at thlr-
ty had not superior or equal in all Bu-
rope. But, though at times he was the
most applauded man in Europe, yet he
never could win the confidence of the
people. They admired his intellect, but
they could not trust his heart. His
daily custom was to rise just in time
to stroll down to the parliament house.
There nightly" as a contemporary
wrote, ''he would build up a chain Of
arguments for bill he was attacking
greater and more powerful than any of
his adYersarles could forge. Then he
would tear these arguments to pieces |
as though they We're cotton threads" |
Read his speeches on the impeachment |
Of Warren Hastings. Read his mas
terpiece on the Rejection Of Napo-
Icons Overtures." After parliament
adjourned then would come a round of
debauch. Gambling with him was a
mad passion. He was both spendthrift
and llbertine. How can he guard his
kings finances" asked the people.
when he cannot protect his own pock-
etbOOkY Charles James Fox had ev-
cry qualification to make himself the
political dictator of Europe save the
single essential Of character, the lack
Df which destroyed his whole career
,Or practical good.
But you do not have to 20 back to {
history to prove the truth of my state
nent that character is one Of the great
st builders Of the towers Of life and !
hat without true character those tow t
rs are always left in half completed
tage. Who was the most brilliant '
oung man Of your school days with t
7hom you were associated? Tall. hand c
ONE, fine looking he was. His brain t
ecame perfect repository of facts. b
While you had to sweat and plod and a
roam over your studies he seemed to g
bsorb his at a glance. On the football +
eld or thal baseball diamond he was 81
le schools star athlete. The girls all 81
altered him. The young men ran aft Ol
him. But no one could trust him. bl
e was not true man. "Oh." said the m
Orld, "Winfred will go right to the fO
ont In life. Success is sure to be his" Jt
as it? No sooner had he left school a
W years than his name got mixed I'D th
lth some shady transactions. With ar
his brains and ability, what became to
him? know and you know. He is da
ad now, suicide; or he is living, a WI
cial outcast; or he is begging and pr
eating his way through life. Oh. the dr.
lgnificent ruins of the half completed ha
Yers Of life we see everywhere m;
'und us! These towers should have ert
IN citadels for defense and safety. ac
ey are mere dungeons for the owls bo
/ the bats and the vermin of sin TO he;
abit. fri
Fatal Gift. me
Tut is there no direct lesson from far
; characterless tower for the women ov,
well as the men? How is it. o cal
man, with the most brilliant friend m,
your childhood days? You see her Oh,
', perfect dream Of beauty. As hin
e girl her teeth were collection of vor
,eless pearls. When she laughed all a q
sunshine Of the heavens seemed to
ce in her blue eyes. Her dimples
,ed like the eddies in the surface Of
fountain brook. Her hair could be
ned unto nuggets Of gold were it A.
for the fact that, like that Of Mir COR.
Of old, each curl had dancing feet e.,
never kept still. Her hands were 80 =
ect hands, her feet perfect feet srou
her mind-it was so clear and - .
ht and sparkling and witty and Has,
urceful! What became of her? 49,
re is she? You mention her name --,,th
with hushed lips and downcast lin
Theasp ofsin placed one fatalfane 100
It one side Of her heart and another sb;d,
about the other side Of her heart 70 >,
bit until she died. She destroyed tend
'wn life. Yes, but like Cleopatra. non,
lot only destroyed an Antony, but wire
moral lives Of scores of other men aero,
: "ouiu e', eo,i"y nave peeh noble nus woul
$ and fathers and hOnored citizens oeeaI,
Is commonwealth but for her evil roo,s