The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-28

ever, in his mind from wounded pride than he did from the affiictions of his body. In his heart he cursed the day that sent him into the world with a club foot. When he was but a mere child. his cruel mother was wont to call him. You lame brat;" whereupon the poor boy with his pride stung to the quick, would drag him- self off Into solitude to hide the shame of his deformity. While Byron was respon- sible for the moral irregularities of his life, yet, one can but feel, that, If his early boyhood had been filled with sym pathetic love. his history would have had fewer things in 1t for the world to deplore. As 1t was, his life was embit- tered. He says, in Childe Harold,
 "Yet I must think less wildly; I have
 thought
 Too long and darlly till my brain be-
 came,
 In its own eddy boiling and oerwrought,
 A whirling gulf of phantasy and flame; And thus, untaught in youth my heart to
 tame,
 My springs of life were poisoned.'
 Darwin's life was a constant struggle with disease, as was that of Wagner; the latter, like Louis Stevenson, finally dying of pulmonary consumption
 Beethoven. in the high noon of his splendid power as a composer, became incurably deaf. From the organs key board his fingers would bring forth be- wildering harmonies. but to him there was no outward sound; the organ was as dumb as his ears were deaf. Sir Joshua nd RnRarS afflicted with deafness.
 There is a sad side to the life of Schil- Ter of which men seldom think While he was engaged in giving the world some of it's sublinest verses, its sweetest lyrics and It's loftiest dreams. he himself was enduring the most agonizing torture. He illustrated most strilxingiy the sentiment expressed by Shelley,
 Most wretched men are cradled
 Into poetry by wrong,
 They learn in suffering
 What they teach is song.r
 Poor Schiller was worn out at the age of 45 and death was welcome. But he reached the Golden Fleece before his final summons came.
 What a remarkable illustration of the principal underlying the facts that have gwen Q0 we uuo lQ f1eleu helldr. l1orS was a soul shut up in a human body, and every avenue of access seemed closed forever. The senses of smell, eight and hearing were all gone. She was voice. less and moved in silent darkness. Yet, she has acquired a university education, is at home in the classics. writes for cur rent periodicals, Is an author of books and Is conversant with q number of lan- guages. Helen Kellar and the wonderful woman. who. finding her shut in to her self as a little child. remained with her until she became a grown woman of cul- ture have both won their Golden Fleece.
 EXTERNAL CONDITIONS.
 Not only have the worlds ambitious Jasons, in many instances, had to contend with personal bodily ills. In addition thereto external conditions have tested the metal of their souls, conditions which were moro difficult to endure than the pain of the body though 1t burnt like flame in countless tracks of tissued nerves. One, speaking for the many, might say with the Jew on the Rialto. "sufferance is the badge of all our tribe"
 The poverty of the first men. the tall est, the kingliest mon in the realm of letters and art, Is often recited, but in our day not appreciated. for conditions have vastly changed. We read in these modern times upon which our destinies have fallen of the poet. Swinburne, at death, leaving over $1o0,ooo; of Brown ing's estate being worth $e0lo00; of Ten nysons gathering together the neat sum of ooo00 of Meredith's will beoueathing more than S20o.0O0; of a certain American humorist. who, having failed in his bus mess ventures, set himself to restore his losses and in a short time making a suf- flcient number of thousands of dollars to pay every creditor to the last farthing. Hundreds of men today enjoy . comfort