The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-09-07
GREATNESS.

When the subject of greatness is discussed, there
is always present the idea of comparison. piece
of work is great because comparably it appears to
advantage beside the best we know. In few years
the element attaching to greatness in mechanical
things fades before the progressive spirit of the
people, and comparison with the best at that later
period makes the product of past years seem me-
docre. So while we consider each new and start
ling invention great, with the passing years it
loses its greatness and becomes a mere common
place.
In measuring men there is always present the
same idea of comparison. Shakespeare was great
man, and remains great today because there has
arisen no genius in the world of letters to dim the
luster of his name. Washington and Napoleon and
Grant and Lee were great military men of their
time and remain so today because no strategist has
appeared to lead armies in distinctly SUI
perior to the methods they used Even that fellow
Orchard is great criminal because there has been
nothing equal to his own crimes by which we can
show him to be mediocre. So we must conclude
that greatness is comparative Greatness does not
necessarily comprehend goodness or badness. No
one would think of coupling the names of great
good men with great bad men, The definition of
greatness as generally accepted is more restricted
than that.
A great man as the world understands great
ness is one whose life has been given to the service
of others. Some may question so broad asser-
ton, but an analysis of greatness as they them
selves understand it will almost prove it. Lincoln
was a great man, so acknowledged by nearly all
the world. His life was long service. He be-
gan life on the farm where we can imagine him
as very small boy throwing grain to the pigeons
or the chickens, carrying water to them and gen
orally looking out for their comfort Life on the
farm is one continual service to others. There
are so many animals which require attention, and
nothing in the vegetable kingdom, except weeds
thrives unless it is taken of. In very early
life the elements of greatness were instilled in
Lincoln. He served what needed his service; it
bcame his habit to look out for the needs of 9th
ers, and the habit was so infused in him that il
followed him through life. He became a leader
because he knew how to serve.
Psychologists and philosophers have noted that
many great men have come from the farm giving
as a reason that living close to nature and coming
in contact with God makes for clean mind and
the overcoming of obstacles giving a breadth of
perception which cannot be gained in the cities and
towns But with these reasons must be added, if
indeed it is not paramount, the constant service
which life on the farm entails. A boy trained to
see that animals do not suffer from hunger or
thirst receives the elemental training which in af
ter years will prompt him to do that same service
for his fellow man. Presupposing adequate intel
lectual endowment and this first quality of great
ness service, if the opportunity comes, as it did
with Lincoln to extend that service to all the
tion his greatness is seen and acknowledged by all
the people.
But there are many great men and women
whose names never appear in the newspapers and
who are known to be great by only small circle
of relatives and friends. The mother whose life
is sacrificed to the welfare of her children, whose
day of toll and care begins before the dawn and
ends only when days work is done after the chill
dren are in bed, then few hours of ftful sleep,
disturbed by the restlessness of the baby-this IS
greatness, unselfshness No name in all the worlds
galaxy of great men and women can o'ertop the
name of Mother It is to her fathfulness and self
sacrificing service the race owes its existence
As measure of greatness, the principle of serv-
ice was laid down by Jesus Christ when his dis