Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-04-12

disposition. therefore should be cloth
cd with goodness.
The only abiding thing the only
thing that you may take with you into
the future life. Is character. II Is
mark OF wisdom TO look into and pre-
rare for the future Herein lies the
difference between a child and man.
the savage and the civilized, the rich
and the poor-the ability to look into
and plan for the future. The power
OF the artist lies in his ability TO see
see finished picture. Character is the
best thing you can leave behind you
A good character is the best tomb
stone. We are remembered by what we
have done. The absence OF character
is hopeless. weakness and wickedness
What is Character?
Intellectual culture is not necessarl.
~ character. II is often argued that
intellect and moral development 90 10.
eether History. however. disproves
such a statement. II that were true
the peasant. II pious. even though he
had no education. would be Shakes.
peare or "A Milton. then goodness must
accompany scholarship and so every
scholar would be moral man. which
is not the case intellectual culture
may be and often is accompanied by
character. but IL is not identical with
H. Did intellect save Solomon from
vice Bacon from bribery. or Byron
from immortality? Coleridge saws
"AIl the mere products OF the under
standing tend to death.
Wealth is not character although II
is often substituted for H. People
without character. but with money
often are admitted into respectable
society Wealth In the hands of weak
men is fearful thing. II is not true
that moneymaking has the tendency
to Danish great thoughts and fine feel
ings7 Why is so much immortality con
nected with wealth?
Reputation is not character. Char
acter Is what a man Is. reputation Is
what men think him TO be- and often
these two things are reversed by the
revelation OF the newspapers. Char
acter is what a man is before God
reputation is what he is before men:
reputation Is for time. character Is
for eternity. Character Is what
man Is when nobody is looking. A
mans character can no more b.
strengthened by reputation than
fence by whitewash.
What. then. Is character? The
word signifies something scored or en-
graved. and carries with II an abiding
significance; so we may speak OF char
acter as that which sets forth certain
abiding results which has been scored
or engraved In the soul OF man by the
experiences OF life. Character is the
stamp on our souls OF the free choices
OF good or evil we have been making
continually through life II Is that
which engraves itself upon all we do
Character is what we are In the hid
den recesses and not merely on the
surface OF our lives: II Is not really
what men take us TO be. but what we
are before God as our Judge. Charac
ter is true man. true woman. al
their best and highest. living ont the
dictates of their highest best and
uest natures
The man OF character Is truthful
Ills armor is his honest thought and
simple truth his utmost skin" He
does not profess thing that he does
not intend TO do; he does not prom
Use thing which he knows is not In
his power TO fulfill. No considerations
can Justify the sacrifice OF truth which
ought to be sovereign In all the rela
tions OF life lie Is never justiiiable
Some one has said that other vices
are virtues compared to lying. yet
how lightly esteemed is falsehood ly
ing ofttimes assumes the form OF III
plomacy expediency. moral res erva
ton. lodging the question. twisting
words. and giving wrong Impressions
Character is characterized by mod
esty and purity The bloom on a peach
Is OF the very first consideration TO rs
life and perpetuation: and the finest
thing about a man or woman IL the
fine bloom on the mind and the con
science This feeling is more II
fectua for our protection than walls
of granite or gates OF brass TAX,
care of the delicacy OF your mind. re-
tain the power TO blush. respect tho
alarm and shrinking of the soul at III,
faintest suspicion OF evil Let cynica
people call YOU green: thank God foi
that color. and see that YOU keep IL
for IL Is infinitely better than the ser,
and yellow leaf OF a wasted life. Live
so modest.v. so purely. so resolniel'
for your God that your whole moral
nature shall continue.
.oaics - he apple ~ an eve