Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-24

college. Living side by side with them and
towering high above them in effectiveness
and value to the world are men who have
scarcely read serious book, who could
/ hardly pass a sixth grade examination and
| yet they are prominent IN business IN So
] ciety and in civic leadership. And strange
| as 1t may seem. IL is not goo ness that makes
the distinction-not conventional goodness
at any rate. There are men of undoubted
piety. immaculate I'm their private lives and
generous in their sympathies who are utterly
nconspicuous because forceless. Even their
indubitable personal goodness falls to add
anything to the common stock OF human vir-
tues. Others with no pretensions to saintli-
ness, but with certain amount of rough and
ready current honesty. are nevertheless do
ing things that make the world a more
hvabie place and are putting tens hun
dreds of thousands under obligation TO them.
That which makes the final classification
In this world is the amount Of will power
that is developed and utilized, The will is
the one decisive, effective and executive ele-
ment in human character The measure Of
the will is the extent us personality Whether
for good or i'll, for building up or tearing
down, for day or for century, in a back
yard or over a continent, 1t is the strength
OF the will that counts. In the last analysis
II Is the will that decides whether a man |
born on a farm shall be farmer or a nnan- |
cier; whether a child born in a city slum |
shall be tramp or captain Of industry; |
whether life that began in disability or In
afluence shall end In a palace or a poor
house. When Bernard Paissy reached the
age of 80 he had accomplished nothing of
note. but was earning competent living for
himself and family by making church win
dows and acting as land surveyor. one
he ttzI,-
vase, and the vision stirred his ambition.
The art of enameling had been forgotten
his own country, France, was producing
nothing in that line. Palissy determined
that he would learn how to enamel and make
vases as beautiful the he had seen.
He believed he could; he said he would, or
die in the attempt. Here is his story as he
wrote 1t himself:
"If find out the secrets Of pottery, my
wife and children will live in plenty. ."
| had means of learning the art in any
shop 1 began to search for enamels with
,ut knowing of what they were composed, as
man gropes his way in the dark pounded
I'll the materials I could think of. bought
quantity of earthern pots and, breaking
hem to pieces, I covered them with the sub
tances 1 had ground, making note of the
rugs I used in each; then having built
urnace, I put these pieces to bake, to see
my drugs would give any color. When l
lad spent several years in these attempts
here was found one of the samples which
ecame melted in four hours which gave me
uch joy that I thought had then discov- I
red the perfection of white enamel I
fy wood having run short was obliged to
urn the stakes from my garden fence which,
eing consumed, I had to burn the tables
nd boards Of my house in order to melt my
imposition. I was in such anguish as can i
ot describe for I was exhausted with the I
-ork and the heat of the furnace. It was :
len a month since I had a dry shirt on t
hen my neighbors laughed at me and re- 4
orted about town that I had burned my
Lbles and flooring boards, and by such
leans caused me to lose my credit and pass
'r fool Others said that I sought to :
'in false money an evil report that made a
e shake in my shoes. I was in debt in v
'veral places. I" No person helped me; n
l the contrary they laughed at me, saying, /,
erve him right to die Of hunger 4"
Just when he was the point Of success,
5 furnace exploded and hawed his work y
he neighbors and creditors wanted to buy tc
10 blemished pottery, but though his wife
as in rags and he himself nearly died with
,haustion, he refused to sell the bIemished % %
Lses because they would reflect on his m
'ility and fame. He rebuilt his furnace g
hle people called him madman At o,
ngth, after many frightful years, success OF
ally came. Palissy pottery was bought up m
any price, none too high for his exquisite N
ndwork. Mobiles and kings came to watch
m at work; wealth, honor and fame were of
W his In the Louvre Museum Paris. one pc
'ge room is entirely filled with Palissy M
ire. His life is the story of how a strong su
IL can triumph over all obstacles and win of
ainst any odds. tn