Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-21


makes a man of more value to society
Education has no character and a per
son is not to be respected for his cul
ture but for what he does with it. Ed
ucsted people have their proportion o
ambitionless and worthless ciphers il
the world.
The old people desired their sons t.
be educated men but if with thei
education, they turned out TO be no.
bodies, they were the more ashamed
of them. An educated man without
| ambition is respected less than an I'M
educated man who is somebody.
| Education which does not wake VI
| mans ambition is time and money
| thrown away, for culture is only q
| tool to help man do more and better
work in the world and when it does
| not then il is failure, and no more
| to be respected than miser who
hides his money in the ground. Mel
Their did the old people use the word
somebody" in the sense of riches.
They thought man should have
spunk enough to get a living and a
well young man who could not take
care of himself WAS social Laughing
stock" as he ought TO be. They We're
proud when their boys accumulated
property because ii revealed industry,
prudence and energy. BY somebody
they meant man respected and of
influence in society. Some rich men
are nobodies; the community is no
better for their being in it, till all
think of such men who when they die,
the community will suffer no loss.
They use their money only to get
more money or only to enjoy life so
far as any high, or philanthrophic or
public spirited or religious ideas are
concerned they are nobodies. They
take no stand on moral questions. but
live to enjoy life-to eat and drink
and indulge their appetites simply
human pigs. or they are society peo-
pie with a display of dress and equip
age. as Carlyle" would say, they rep
resent "dandyisn" with no higher
idea than to make a show" so far as
blessing the world they are ciphers.
Money gives no man character and
no man is to be respected for ms
wealth but for the way he uses it. If
by it he developes his own manhood
and to make the world better, he is to
be honored. but if 1t is simply for his
own enjoyment. it is the lowest KIND
of selfishness. Such a man is no.
body in character, while the COM
monest day laborer who is interested
in all good things and willing to dc. his
part in helping others, is somebody.
We were once sent for to officiate at
the funeral of a man we never Knew
or saw; it was in the country ana
nearing his residence we met one OF
his neighbors and made some inquir-
les.
Was Mr. B Christian?
HE never made any profession.
We hope he was a man of good
habits?
Nothing very bad"
We presume he was interested IN
all good things in the community?
"Never took much interest. He was
a clever sort of a man, never dld any
harm" And that was all the minis
ter could say, if he said any thing, at
the casket of man who had lived
50 years in a community and was In
comfortable financial circumstances,
that 'he was clever man, never did
any harm"-a nobody, cipher A man
ought to be ashamed of such life,
sandbank, a blank piece of paper,
failure. The most that, could be SAID
''he never did any HARM" How many
men OF that kind, there are, that the
most and the best that can be said OF
them is, never did any harm" Shame.
The next week we were called to
officiate at the funeral of another man,
a common mechanic, of about the
same age, and many people were there
as we entered the door, we heard a
man say, HE was always willing to do
his part" and passing down the aisle of
the church, we heard woman say
1.-THE poor will miss him, and, as we
entered the pulpit, one man remarked,
mo more useful man in the village.
He was somebody not educated, not
wealthy, but somebody. more than
mere clever. do no harm cipher.
Any man no matter how ignorant
or cultured, poor or rich, whose lie
does not make the world better is a
failure. Such is the standard of all
character, is the world the better for
ones living in it, if not, then he is as
the barren fig tree which our Savior
cursed. Let every young man be
somebody, that society may be the
| better for his living in it. The most