The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-14

life's work is to leave this world better than he found it, and the world is even now, saying, 1t is good for us that Ian MacLaren has lived. And, here, I must touch on a delicate subject, but one which I feel so keenly on that cannot but speak of 1t. During his vls- it to this country, and since, 1t has been constantly and openly asserted by some ill-conditioned persons that his sole object In coming here to lecture was for the purpose of raising money. He had no other motive, so these wise-acres say, than of returning home with his wallet well stocked with American eagles. Just how, when or where these silly and splenetic vapor- | ings originated I neither know nor care. What I want to say is that he is not the first noble-minded and gen. erous philanthropist whose motives 1 have been villifed. And, so long as jealousy and spleen exist he will not l be the last. Here is the truth. He , came to this country under great pres sure, and after much persuasion, to en- tighten and strengthen those willing to | AOHeA II AAOih blC I4Nll otolN OA AlAo SoA NeeS mind. He lectured and preached to our students free of charge, and where money was charged for admission he got no Hons share. Surely a laborer is worthy of his hire! How much more then should we rather admire this man who gives us the fruits of his labors and divides the proceeds with several well-known charities and phil anthropic sciences He carried away with him little more than his bare ex- penses and this fact can be fully sub stantiated and verified. I really do not know that it was necessary to men, tion this at all, but l have done so partly to vindicate what does not re- quire vindcatlon, and partly to show what such a man has to stand at the hands of those he is devoting his life to serve. How truly does history re- peat itself
 From the beginning of time all great men who have sought to benefit man. kind have had to suffer the basest in- gratitude We could instance hum dreds, and unfortunately Ian MacLaren lis no exception to the rule. The baser mind cannot understand the nobility of purpose which actuates the lives of our leaders of men, and would fain
 measure it by their own narrow grasp ing, selfish rule of life. Let us for the sake of humanity not be of those. If we cannot do more, let us aocede, at least the best motive, and grant our sympathy, such as it Is, to good work well and nobly done.
 In considering briefly the cause of Ian MacLaren's world fame as novel; ist, 1t Is well to observe that he con- siders his ministerial duties as of the first importance; his literary work as quite secondary. Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush" appeared first, followed shortly after by "The Days of Aud Lang Syne" Taken together they form a complete series of sketches of Scot tish life and character as depicted in a country district of Perthshire. All the characters are very real, natural and unaffected, and the pathos under
 lying all the incidents are very affect ing and tug nightly at. the heart strings. We may not, here, mention any of the characters but we must not overlook the one great character in the two books, the rough and rugged. kind and generous, well-beloved physician of the community, Dr. William Mac Laren. The books have peculiar charm, especially to Scotch readers, and are elevating and healthful in tone. MacLarens other works fully i justify his early promise and add new lustre to his already great fame. Kate Carnegie will amply repay even the most fastidious reader. In "The Mind of the Master" the author has raised quite tempest of discussion and a heretical trial is threatened. From lat est reports, however, this is likely to end in a fizzle, and justly so, for the book, though not above criticism, is far removed from heresy. It draws re- ligion into practical life, broadening and strengthening our ideas of natural and religious life. It is undoubtedly a religious book of the future.
 In conclusion, any reader who can lay down any of Ian MacLaren's books, especially "The Bonnie Brer Bush," and not have the deep places of his nature stirred must be past feeling. Undoubtedly in the person of our author Scotland has again made good her claim to the first literary place among the countries of the world and padded another name to her long list of Industrious authors