Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-19
A Message for the Boy
from Cardinal Gibbons
G. n. Ksuand In The American hoy.

A BALTIMORE and old man boarded the train. As
"A he walked slowly very slowly. down the aisle,
heads turned follow his progress and people
touched each other and whispered. As the old man
passed. II could be that under his tall silk hat
he wore something not usually worn by old gentlemen
riding trains for. showing below the rim OF the
hat a line of vivid scarlet
The porter more ordinarily solicitous. assisted
the old gentleman into chair Then the old gentle
man removed his hat snd-he wearing a tiny.
round scarlet cap!
Now. there only three among all the nun
dred million OF inhabitants in the United states who
are permitted TO such cap. II is mark OF
honor Of distinction Of exalted position-the badge
Of cardinal Of the Roman Catholic church. The
old gentleman His Emnence. James Cardinal
Gibbons, Archbishop OF Baltimore
Cardinal Gibbons settled his spare frame comfort
ably and opened his newspaper-jus like any ordinary
traveller Above the top OF his chair showed that
flash OF scarlet, arousng curiosity What sort OF a
this James Cardinal Gibbons? How did mis-
voice sound7 What did his smile look like? What
would he say II addressed? II a curiosity that
would be shared by every boy in America II he could
sit in that car and watch. So decided TO find out
for him
The porter carried my card to His Emnence
turned Immediately. grinning that every OF his
thirty-two white teeth Ellttered joyously
He say sure. sab. He say he be glad to talk wifi
you"
think that was characteristic OF Cardinal Glib
bons-that he would be glad talk to me, any
casual traveller who asked the privilege Cardinal
Gibbons is man who loves men, who studies men,
who likes TO talk TO and understand and sympathze
with men.
So I walked down to his side
He looked UP and smiled. That lie important Per-
haps you have seen pictures OF the Cardinalthey
grave. very dignified. trine austere They do not
show the Cardinal Of the smile Right away any boy
would have known His Eminence who
wanted TO know. the sort OF who is valuable to
boys as a friend and a companion. The Cardinal
ma hlu II.
his hand
You work with boysP" he said. That is fine
thns-one of the finest things. You must be very
glad your work is with boys. Won't you sit down?
His face became grave. thoughtful
II suppose you would like to me say some
thing to your boys, lie that it7'
THE boys would appreciate il very much IL YOU
would" told him
Then no began to speak. AS he spoke watched his
face, particularly those grey-blue eyes with the
shrewd wise. kindly lines about them 1 watched thu
expressions and in those eyes as the Cardinal
sent his message to you They are not young eyes
but they not old eyes They are eyes that have
seen many wonderful things. many sad things many
glorious things-and have remembered everything and
stored It away-to be used To be used for the benefit
Of mankind
IT'S old. old saying that the boy 10 the father
OF the man." said the Cardinal but 1 wonder IL
boys have stopped to wonder what IL means IL
means that the boy s the important thing In the
world Think OF that. Let have the boy TO work
with and train and don't who looks after the
rest of the world-for In few years boy will be
the rest OF world. The boys OF today are the men
with ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS are doing big things
Tomorrow. They should remember that"
The Cardinal laid his slender hand on my knee.
What Is In lifeH" he asked and then
answered his question Success is nothing moro
nor less than doing we'll the things we have to do
every day Success is duty performed-that Ia all
There can be no greater success than that The boy
who does every day the little things is set to do
and does them we'll has succeeded. When he becomes
a man he Is stil II he performs his every
day tasks and duties faithfully. There may be no
fame. no sounding OF trumpets for him. but he is a
success"
Now he smiled again. his eyes twInkied almost
msehievously.
Fame is an accident. anyhow" he said ut doesn
matter. Fame IL pleasant. but, after ALL is II bit
more pleasant to be famous than to be q common
man. unknown. perhaps. but with knowledge that the
duties that have lain before him have been done?'
What qualities. Cardinal Gibbons do you consider
most deSrabe In boy2 What qualities show hin,
to have real promise for the future?'
"Faithfulness Flooding perseverance persistence IN
doing whatever is set for him TO do These things
will gain him where genius would fail-unless
II Is that OF genius which nothing more than
infinite hard work That IL the best genius-hard
steady, careful work. Il is the real genius
Il wish every boy could understand that wish
every bov could know that success does not mean
fame wealth. that the should set to talking
about you. wish every boy could know and believe
that the way to success Is by plodding effort One
plodding, Woodworking faithful boy worth to the
world much than the boy with flashes OF genius
The boy who will plod plod plod. who will concentrate
his effort, is on the surest road to success"