The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-20
Heart To Heart Talks
BY EDWIN \. NYE
upright 1900, ny American Press Association

If young man becomes a drunkard
it is not because his enemies have be-
guiled him. They do not get close
enough to him. It is his friend who
begs him to have Just one more" 1t is
his friend who pokes fun at him II he
says he is ION the water wagon" 1t is
his friend who coaxes him to be "a good
fellow"
Beware of your friendsl
/ What l mean is this: Be sure that you
are stronger to do the right thing than
| Is your friend. II he Is the stronger he
is likely to make mix of your life
| One must have friends of some sort.
And, rightly understood, friends may be
helpers. But If one will let them they
may spoil all ones prospects, and with
the very best intentions.
Your enemy may tell people you are
of no account, which will not harm your
| If you are of account.
But your friend is likely to praise you
| to your face and persuade you that our
lapses are only trivial things.
| The fact is most successful men have
won their way unsided and alone. They
have made themselves strong by over
coming obstacles single handed. And
| their greatest temptations have come to
them not when they were desperately
struggling and penniless, but afterward,
Witch SUCCESS naO ATTRACTED lileHuS.
Get friends? Yes, by all means.
Only be careful they do not overinfiu-
ence you or overpraise you or over
persuade you. Many a man has been
spoiled by his fool friends
And
If you are obliged to travel the sue
cessful way alone the hard road may
be the better one for you.
Under a Coffin Lid
Have you read Hall Gaines story OF
THE Prodisal Son?
Briefly it is this: The hero places his
musical composition in the coffin of his
dead wife. The act was one of contrl-
lion, for he had badly treated his wire.
A few years passed and he forgot his re-
n otse. In order to support a wantoi.
woman he dig up the coffin, got the
manuscript and sold it for money.
The story is founded on the real life
story of Rossetti. the poet painter.
Rossetti married beautiful young girl
whom he sadly neglected. She died
some say by her own hand-and Rossetu
was stricken by remorse. just before
the coffin lid was closed he took the man
uscript of his posms and placed 1t be-
tween the cheek and hair of his emit
wife.
Time passed.
RossettiS FRIENDS, MOTIFS anu SWIM
burne, attained distinction. and the for
mer himself began to banker Tor faine.
But his best work was buried in the girl
wife's grave At the Urgent request OF
his friends. Rossetti disinterred the body
of his wife, recovered the manuscript amt
published the poems. And ne won IL
slant fame as poet
Truth is indeed stranger than ne
ton.
But
The story OF penitence swallowed up by
ambition or lust-does 1t not Illustrate the
weakness of the human spirit?
MANY a man has buried his most pre-
cious treasures in the coffin of his wife
or mother or child or friend-oniy TO dig
them up again
I; is but natural.
Things that were pleasant TO us Wheh
she or he had lived are hateful TO us III
the presence of death. In the aWful
shadow of the miracle we make renuncia-
.ion and register our vows.
Time passes.
THE keen remorse is dulled by the pass
inr of the years. Sometimes in our better
moments the reproachful faces of the
dead are before us. But other voices
speak to us But other voices speak
ambition, fierce desire, new race o.
form of beauty.
1t Is better so.
we are not traitors to the dead. The
poiepancy of sorrow cannot al ways last
And the dead would not have 1t so, per-
haps, not even If they could.
Anyway
II is the way of the sons of men to
bury many precious things under a cor
fin lid and then dig up the coffln.