The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-02-05
The W0mans Club
Edited By The womans Club

! JIG WUJJIdUIS OluU I
( Edited By The womans Club, &
~ eseeeeoeoss~e ,Alseeeeeeee 49,
The little month of February stands
unique in the calendar of the American
year because it contains the birthdays
Of our two greatest men. Thou gh
lead, these men yet speak, and their
words are for the healing of the nation.
The life of great and good man is one
Of the most effective of all instruments
for the molding of the character of
generations.
We live at our best only when We
live in constant touch with the great. |
The Roman Emperor Alexander Severus
had in his oratory no images of gods, |
but only statues of great men, such as
Orpheus. Appollonius, Abra-
ham, and Jesus, An illustrious
of the nineteenth century,
into whose soul something of the spirit |
of the old Roman emperor seems to
have passed, constructed calendar of
five hundred and fifty-eight men, rep
resenting all ages of nations. who, in the
opinion of the maker of the calendar,
had made the most substantial con-
tributions to human progress. 1t was
by cultivating reverence for great men
and by frequently calling before the
mind their exploits and virtues that he
hoped to lead humanity out of it's
weaknesses and distresses into the
strength and light of wider dav.
The custom of the old Roman to take
down from its niche the waxen image
of an eminent ancestor on the anniver-
sary of his natal day sprang from an
instinct deep and wholesome. All
nations feel that they cannot wisely
ignore the past. They cannot let go of
the men who lifted the world to higher
level, simply because they are in their
graves. They must hear their voice in
the clamor and uproar of to-day. In
these days. when physical science has
cast the glamour of its achievements
over the world of things, it is well to
remember that great men are among
the very chiefest of Gods ways and
works. He created Shakespeare and
Newton and julius Caesar and Plato.
He made them and his hands formed
them as well as the dry land.
X 4 +
Life everywhere has a tendency to
become monotonous and sordid. We
all fall into foolish ways of thinking
and unhealthy ways of feeling, and we
need the healing touch of lofty souls.
Fortunately for US, such souls are al
ways within our reach. We may live
in city, or in hamlet, or in an iso-
lated farmhouse among the mountains
or on the plain. but no matter where
we are we can when evening comes sit
down and commune with the immortals.
The homes of the upper four hundred
may be closed to US, but we are always
at liberty to dine with the kings anC
queens of history. 1t is amazing that
so many men and women throw away
their opportunities to walk and talk
with the great. If it be true that d
man is known by the company he keeps,
then there is many person who has
reason to be ashamed of himself. A
book is nothing but man or woman,
and if one invites into his home fashy
and trivial and vulgar writers-the
scrapegraces and dabblers of literature
he indicates by his choices the man.
ner of person he is. Evil company
doth corrupt good Manners" as Pau
reminded the Corinthians long ago. anG
J it is impossible to associate with men,
either in the flesh or in books, without
being brought somewhat nearer theil
level. Many man is TODAY pessimistit
because he has read so many diseased
and gloomy hearted authors, and many
a woman carries an unhappy heart be
cause of the poison injected by the
books which she has read. Life is too
short to read any but the best books
and that is why the Womans Club ha:
selected their books so carefully anC
guards them so jealousy. Librarie:
after libraries have been started il
Lancaster. Where are the books tina
were gotten together and the founda.
ton of good library started in Gar
rard Female College? What became Of
them? Who was responsible for them
Where are the foundations of othel
libraries that have been started from
time to time? Echo answers, where
Now we ask, why? Because we never
had librarian, because books wer,
always left open. Because we coulC
take them out and forget we ever haC
them. We have started a splendid
library, we need these books. In the
hours of conflict we look around fol
helpers, and, alas, they are few. 1t i:
then we need to pick up good book
to read of lives of those who met the
battle of life without flinching, WHIT
took up arms against all vexation anC
opposition and fought the battle through
We might not now be preparing tC
celebrate the birthday of Lincoln il
Lincoln had not when boy read anC
reread the life of Washington. Let u: