Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-01-13

In the vestry rooms OF Temple Al
bert last night Or. Mendei Sllher de-
liverod a splendid sermon on the sub
iect, The Moral Significance OF He
Iredity and Environment pr. SLIDER
dealt with tho so.called laws of hored-
Iity and environment In a scholarly
and logical way DR.. Silbur took the
view that tho individual is aud must
remain the choosing agent OF his ac-
lions and conduct and order his life
within the limits and despite the lin-
itatiOns set by heredity aud environ
meut.
In brief abstract the sermon fol-
, lows:
! Life presents many aspects. We
speak OF the riddle OF life, The secret
OF life, the mystery of lie. Accord.
ing as the one OK the Other aspect IS
to be emphasized Is the one or the
other smile applicablc. There is no
apter smile. however, than the one
which presents life as "a battle" The
battle of life' truly represents the
whole OF life I'm all its aEpects from
the cradle 20 the grave The war
rior receives certain weapons with
which TO fight He goes forth to oc-
| oupy a position which conditions and
circumstances make possible for him.
This much Is arranged for him. In
these two things he often has no
choice But they do not yet determiae
the battle for him. Whether he shall
fight bravely or limitly, whether he
shall earn praise or shame, whether
he shall display courage and be COM
lmended. or cowardice and he con
| demned, Is a matter that rests alto
gether with himself.
Is Il not thus also with every in
dividual as he goes forth into NE? His
amor Is furnished him AZ birth.
Physically mentally aud morally he
is equipped with certain weapons tie
inheri,s a certain tSpe OF physical Or
gans, he inhorlts a certain mentality
and certain moral tendencies. These
are the data with which he tx now
| 30 work Conditions and circum-
cumstances. environment then deter
mine his particular position i'm life.
Can this battle of life already be fore
seem can the outcome already be
foretold. Is be already doomed to fail
or destined TO succeed? Not at all
Even In the physical sense success
and failure rest largely with him
Still more Is success or failure ment-
\ ally and morally matter that de-
ponds on himself. Abundant cases
might be cited In which individuals By
sheer strength of mind and dint OF
will succeeded in spite of physical
| defects and rose above their envir.
onments. Heredity had perhaps never
been as unkind TO any mortal as n
was to Laura Bridgman. whom It
brought into the world deaf, mute and
blind The one normal sense that
was left her was that Of touch l}ut
she made up her mind Is develop well
that one sense and did develop Il to
such an extent that she could recog.
nize after a years interval the hand
| OF person who had once shaken
hers. Just as unhind was hgrsdity 20
Julia Brace, who could neither see the
! light OF day nor hear, nor speak. But
she improved her sense OF smell, edu-
eating that one sense SO well that
she was employed IN an asylum at
| Hartford. Conn, 90 sort the linen ut
It's multitudious inmates alter II
came from the wash.
! Instances In which individuals rose
above their environment are still
more numerous In science litera-
ture. politics and commerce history
knows Of any number Of representa-
tive men who made themselves what
they were. what often passes for
genius Is not genius az all but merely
the indomltablo win and courage 10
rise above surroundings. Genius is
Patience said Sir Isaac Newton.
The prime minister's secret Is pa
tience," said Pitt, the great prime
minister OF England. My imagina-
ton would never have served me as
IL has, bat for the habit of common.
place humble, patient daily, toiiing,
drudging attention. wrote Charles
Dickens. "rhe secret of a Wall Street
millionaire is common honesty" test-
fled Vanderbilt.
So. neither heredity alone, nor en-
vironment alone, nor even both TO
gether determine the whole OF life
These are, 20 be sure, very important
factors ia life who DO not know the
many aud serious barriers placed IN
the path OF our progress by heredity
Who also but the most unohseryna
and lnexperience can lail Ia recognize
the many snares and pitfalls set fol
us by our environment, the many