The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-07-27
THE coMMoNPLAoE HERo1sM
IA Word for Great Army Of People
That Do Their Duty, Faithfully
S$$ Each Day.
Portland Oregonian.

heroism of the commonplace. The wor-
ship of success, of wealth, of high
place, of power, of fashion, of social
distinction, have all operated to blind
our eyes to tho essential nobility of tho
man who goes quickly about his bust
ness, performs the duties Of citizen
ship in an mobstructive way, takes
care of his wife and children. pays
his taxes honestly, is kind to his neigh
bors, and is not merely content but
glad to keep out of the worlds gaze
Lowell wrote "f one such woman:
Yet in herself she dwclleth not.
Although no home were half so fair.
No simplest duty it forgot,
Life had no dim and lowly spot
That doth not in her sunshine share.
She doeth little kindness
Which most leave undone, or dispire;
For naught that gets one heart at ease.
And giveth happiness or peace.
Is low-estcemed in her eyes.
She hath no Scorn common things.
And though she seem of other birth.
Round us her heart cntwineS and
clings.
And patiently she folds her wings
To tread the humble path of earth.
Blessings she is. God made her so.
And deeds Of weekday holiness.
Fall from her nniScleSs as the snow.
Nor hath she ever chanced to know
That aught were easier than to bless
We, most of us, look far off for
our heroes. Carlyle found them in
great generals, great literary men.
great poets and great prophets. Yet
the London Of his own day was full
Of them. He even failed to recognize
the hero in Charles Lamb. 1t is so
with men generally. We look for the
unusual, the abnormal-we even glor-
ity the very bad, provided their bad
hess has the proper touch Of romance
We have builded school of literature
around such ScoundrelS as "Raffes',
and rejoice when the rogue escapes
the consequences ON his own knavery,
while the worlds great servants go
unrecogniZcd and unrcwardcd
1t ought to be our business in this
country do dignity the agrvcr, the So
that keeps the world moving, and
moving in the right direction. Hc is
the burdcnbearcr, the duty-docr. 1t
Is on him that we must depend in
every crises. The idea that he should
be set aside for every millionaire vul-
garlan thai lifts his heard above the
mlrc in which he was bred is mtoler-
able. 1t is to the common snlGncr, the
common toilcr that we must appeal
when there Is desperate work afoot
We read in the papers of the 'Sports >
VIII" are becoming To extensively prom
incnt.. yet II" members of this class
ever liit their hands IN hrha,I nl their
C"nn'ry. IN" M"vr'iS'S anA poets
have thrown Il golden mist around
that Ear rnuntry' kn.wn aS Bnhc.
mia, and yet very existence is per
ilouS I" civilzaliom. and to the souls
O! men and wumN:. Tea, much o.
the 'ArtiStir temperament that trrl-
pcrancnt. il there is nothing else.
IS not capable ri great service tn n,a'r
kind.
E'!t At the sober ,l;;>tv and Icl.ircd
drnd@cS VIII" toll that the world may
live; who fulfill "thc law and the
prophctS', and who die uncumplain-
ingly in the harness after having
made the whole of humanity their
debtor-whrrc is the laureate to cclc-
brate their glorious fame? Old Walt
Whitman is the only poet. as far rs
we now recall, who has fit,ingly rec
ognlZed the great rank and file of
the army of progress. II is time for
lis to clear our vision, time to see
things rs they are. We ought to see
that the man in high place very often
owes commanding height to the plat
form on which he stands Men must
be judged not by the greatness of
their opportunities, but by the way in
which they use those that come to
them, no matter how small they may
be. if this country is pledged to
Z any worship at al it is to that of the
average man.
Truly we need to get for ursclves