The independent., 1907-04-18
Edward Everett Hale - =

can criticise it, unless indeed they are
| fools
| II would be sorry not to be remem-
bered first as minister Of the gospel.
| was ordained to my profession in the
| city of Worcester before it was a city,
| in the year 1886, and remained there as
minister of the church of the unity for
! ten years. / then removed to Boston,
where | have been ever since the min
lister of the south Congregational
church. Both of these are Unitarian
| bodies.
Il have always been glad that /
chose my profession as ! did, and have
always been glad to welcome into it
young gentlemen of spirit who want to
! be Of service in the world. Indeed, /
should never have tried my hand il
national or social reform as much as /
have done in later years but for the
necessities brought upon every man of
spirit by the civil var. / was inti-
mately engaged in provision for the
great immigration which began with
the Irish famine In 1845 and 1916. was
afterward closely connected with the
work of the New England emigration
aid society in colonizing Kansas after
1854, and after the war came every
earnest mans life every day was filled
with duties forced upon him by the ex-
| igencies of the time
Il advise all young men to do what
| was forced to do in those days Of
trial and to acquaiit themselves as
largely as they can with the condition
of every part of the country. / ha g
always attempted to keep up my corre-
spondence and friendship with the Pa
cifc coast and with the great interior
states, as with the region of nte Allan
tic in which I was born. This is more
and more easy to do. every day
!, w, when San Francisco is close to
New York and Alaska is no longer an
unknown region,
II am fond Of citing DR.. And w
Peabody, who said in public address
some sixty years ago that every man,
| besides his vocation, should have an
avocation. TO which instructions it
would be we'll to add that every man
should have a third.
'In my case my y cation, first, Sec
ond, and last, is that of a minister
the gospel My avoca ion has been lit
erature. have always tried to write
on subjects of which I knew some-
thing, and ! have the greatest scorn
| for what i called literature where the
!
| fencing master might do, or any SOL
der of fortune; where the writer
knows how to write and has nothing to
wrta about; where. in short, he has
nothing to say But to say wilt a
man has to say, to tell what he has
rseen, that is the real province of litera-
/ ture
Therefore 1 have always main
/ tained as close a connection as a pro-
fessional man in other lines can main
tain with the periodical press. At this
moment I furnish a weekly article for
the Christian Register and ev =
month furnish leading article for the
Woman's Home Companion. ] thin,
that the correspondence with the whole
country which these engagements give
| me becomes an element of good train
ing.
mo one can read the work or what
is called literature whether in newspa-
pers or magazines, without being an
noyed by a certain provincialism.
am qnite conscious of such provincial
ism in my own work, but there is dam
ger in it which is to be avoided if a
man wants to do the duty of a man,
and / am very glad to be on intimate
relations with people in all parts OF
this country, and indeed in all parts of
the world.
There is a special satisfaction In the
duty of chaplain of the United States
senate, because 1t brings me into COM
munication. not simply with the con-
gress OF the United States, but with
intelligent men and women from every
part OF the world who find 1t agreeai
TO spend a shorter or longer time In
! tko cfty If Washington"
That last remark is characteristic OF
DIR. Hale. There have been many SEN
ate chaplains: II is doubtful IL there
, have beon many who valued their Of
flee because of the opportunity IL gave
, them for learning things. for broaden
Ing their Views by contact with stran
/ gers. and for overcoming tnat tendency
To provinclallsm which Dr. Hale ~
, heartily hates. Elghty-flve years old
he Is still learning: his thirst for new
| knowledge and new viewpoints IN un
r satlated and Unsuitable.
. II Is not every man Of cighty-iiv'