Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-01-19

was no sense of political oppression,
but consciousness that intellectual
independence was not possible for him
in the conquered provinces. lie set to
work, therefore, to master the French
language. accepted position at Re
mircmont, IN the French Nosgcs, and
In 1SS2 won't 20 Paris, whore he on
tered upon successful career as
minister aId literary man. The
Simple Life is the best known of scv-
cral works that he has written. though
youth and Courage" and The Better
Way" are fairly well known to Amcri-
can readers.
After President Roosevelt spoke i'm
complimentary terms Of The Simple
Life" such interest in the book AMI its
author developed In America that Rev.
Mr.. Wagner came across the Atlantic
TO lecture. One of the first men lie call
ed upon was President Roosevelt. and
concerning the visit he wrote the fol-
lowing for Success magazine:
81 was particularly struck with the
simplicity Of the home life of the prcsi-
dent. 70 one accustomed 10 viewing
the pomp and ceremony which sur
round the rulers of Europe there
seems TO be something notable in the
entire lack Of OstUntatiOn in the ROOSc-
welt family. ! was surprised ut Mr..
Rooscvclt's habit of inviting to his pri-
vate dining table those who are doing
COOL work I'm the world quite regard
less OF what their power or social po-
OF 10
self rather than to his appurtcnanCes,
and this Is a brushing away Of the
superhuities which is rare in men Of
his position. In Washington | saw his
boys starting TO public school, and
one of them did not even bother to
wear Il hat. This, of course, was
small matter. but it impressed me. In
Europe the children of ruler with not
one-tenth Of the power of Mr.. Roosc-
welt do not go to school ut all, much
less to public school. They have
corps of private tutors and rarely vcn-
turc into the streets except in elabO-
rate equipagoS.
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 lie landed in New York not
long ago Rev. Mr.. Wagner said:
Il love the American propl1. want
cd 90 see them in their own country
and 90 know them personally. To oh
tain that end learned their language.
and here / am"
He referred to the kind Of English
he was about To speak, saving he had
studied the English language only Il
short willie ago To tell the American
people Of simplicity. and that if any
accidents" occurred 1t would not he
by generalization.
Il know that yOu are saying III your
hearts that 1t is not possible to live the
simple life in this great city of rush
ing thought and energy, this city of
tremendous activities and skyscrapcrs,"
he said. but tell you that it is"
ut is possible To live the simple life
on the twcnty-fourth floor of New
York Sl;yscrapcr in the midst of all The
is not thing Of the first floor or the
fOrticth. not of the shoes or the waist
coat but of the heart
"Oncc in Paris that great city Of
dust ana busy human life. | heard Il
lark singing in Il garden. lie was
prisoner. il is true. But when heard
him lifting up his voice to the blue sky
| ln 49, Lao,
hills and the fields that had been mine
as boy, the walls and houses Of tie
great city seemed to fade away, to
stretch out and expand
Il speak to you here in the center Of
one of the most tremendous cities in
the world. | sing my song Of simplici-
t. like lark in cage-but it is Il good
place to sing it. The more | study
your national character here in Amer
lea, the more | look into the founda-
lions Of your government, the more 1
see Of your stupendous energy, the
more / realize that mt the bottom of it
all is the simplicity of your national
character
Il visited the White House at Wash
inGton. found there nothing of the
grandeur of the homes of kings and
kaiscrS, but the pure simplicity Of Il
great people expressed in the home of
a chief executive. | was q guest of
your president. l pressed his hand,
and / had many long talks with him
upon the great questions of the day.
And again l felt that n splendid sim
plicity was at the root of your national
character. Stay true To your tradi-
lions; be true TO your convictions. The
human race demands it Of you"
DR.. Wagner told how he came to
write Tile Simple Life" lie was call
ed upon while Il pastor in Paris to
marry workman and his sweetheart.
One of the six witnesses was the
daughter of Il great politician.
81 talked TO them upon the beauty Of
living simply" he said. "a few days
afterward the young lady came to me
10 ask me 10 perform her marriage,
and she asked me to give just the same
talk that l had TO the workman. There
were to be 1000 people present, includ-
ing the greatest diplomats, the greatest
politicians and the leaders in the in
tellectual and social life of Paris.
II consented and talked to them sim
ply and straightfOrwardly upon the
simple life. There was publisher
present, as there always is, and the
next day he asked me to write The