Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-04-02
INNOCENCE EsNDGHARAcTER
Neighbors That Differed in Point of
View The Results The Reason
For Failure--Innocence by Inactivi-
ty is not Manhood Character Is
Attained In the Stream of Life
Our Lives Are to be More Than n
Set Of Opinions.
BY W. t. Williams.

the Other SIX, ana nar6~WOrklng ana |
careful folk as they were, they man
aged to accumulate a great deal of
this worlds goods. Their farms null |
tiplied over and over until at length |
their neighbors were not surprised at
what they were able to do. It seemed
so easy for them to grow wealthy.
Making money was natural for them.
But there was a marked difference
between the two families. Their |
points of view were widely apart. The
angles from which they looked upon
the world were so far apart as the
poles, and in order to be helped to see
them in their right color, let US look
at them separately.
The larger of the two was firmly |
established upon the idea of its own
worldly welfare. II had no coneep-
ton of its responsibilities to the COM
munity at large because 1t was taught
night and day to attend strictly to its
own business. Everything was set
aside for its own sake, and never was
any family that did this more COM
Aistely. This was the basis Of its life, |
and whenever the father would give
an advice, it was without an excep-
ton:
children. attend to your own busi-
ness"
The other family, the smaller of the
two, was every whit as industrious,
and II had fully as much of what we
cali property to its name. Along
this line it was not an iota behind, and
II anything II was ahead. The inspira-
ton Il received by having the interest
of the community so close to its heart
was not for nought. II made it alive
to every opportunity. Nothing pass
ed its keen insight. II had an eye for
all signs, and since 1t was taught to
be useful in Church and State, fully
as diligently as the former was taught
to attend to it's own business, very sell
dom were they read erroneously.'
We have noticed that one Of these
families was educated along selfish
lines, while the other one was educat-
ed along the lines Of usefulness. The
chief motive of the one was to enfold,
while the chief motive Of the other
was TO unfold. In short, the one was
selfish and the other was noble.
Now, we are justified in asking what
were the results7 We are entitled to
know what effect they had upon their
surroundings. Il was in accordance
with their points Of view. It could
not be otherwise. The one family be-
came a power In the whole neighbor-
hood. and the other one grew weaker
and weaker. The one has developed
a character that cannot be set aside,
growing into the fibre Of the communi-
ty, while the other one has remained
on its surface, out of touch with its
life, known as a dead branch"
Several years elapsed and one day
the two fathers met. This was not
unusual, but the fact that the one who
had the larger family was so leisurely
cordial was very much so. He was
for once not too busy to discuss mat
ters concerning the public, very un-
wonted experience. And among other
questions, he ventured to ask the fol-
lowing, and his dark and uplifted brow
spoke of the heaviness of his heart:
"Can you tell me, my friend, the rea-
son why we are not considered in the
plans Of this neighborhood?
"I know the reason" was the answ-
er, "but II you are not ready to ac-
cept it, fall to see that it's right to
put your feelings to such test. For
Of answering your question at all, !
must be candid"
"Be candid" came the prompt re-
ply. "I want to know"
"Well, inasmuch as this is your de-
sire, must be true to you, and can
sum up the whole trouble in one SEN
tencesC The reason why you are not
considered in the plans Of this COM
munity Is this: You have insisted on
holding yourself aloof from 1t. You
have refused to help It in any way
You have lived for yourself, and with
In the limits of your own family, and
the community has decided to allow
sou TO do It."
"This is hard, but explain yourself. y
81 don't know that / have anything
else 70 say, but you know that this
community hasn't cost you a single
dollar since you have been in it, out
side Of your taxes, no organization oi
any kind receives any support from
you, no. not even the school; and Il
finish II all, you went so far as to stoI
your children to Join church whel
they craved for the privilege.
have said enough, but remember tina
the duties of life are more than at
tending to ones business
Both turned their faces toward
their homes.
The history of these families ex
plains very clearly what we have Il
mind, and since It is of such import
ance, It might be that our leisure hour
will not be wasted If we should decid
TO give them to it; because 1t goes un
derneath all purposes. There is
vast difference between being innoc
ent and useful. Children are innocent
but this is not the quality of manhoo
when II Is maintained by idleness an
apathy. Character belongs to man
hood, and character is not develope
bv keeping ourselves aloof from tn
affairs Of life. There is no other wa
by which this can be attained than b
throwing ourselves into the channel
where the hot. battles are fought.
we want to be men of character W
must be willing to bear the gallin
loads of the day. The hardships whic
we endure in the spirit of the Nazal
enc are not endured in vain. Then, Il
us look at this little closer.
Our lives have been ordained to
more than a set Of opinions lying do
rant In our minds. It is essenti
that we have more than set of opil
ions, even though we do take pride
them. We must have well-wrougl
convictions, and such things are n,
shaped over night. They are q
fruits of years of suffering for Il
sake of all concerned. For one anotl
err we are to endure the hardships
our generation. There is no 9TH
idea worthy of the narrowest roo
among our thoughts, and any persc
who has grown large enough to a.
preciate the preciousness of it, is {
invaluable asset in the world. H
conception of life cannot become ou
of-date, and he Of necessity will lei
the multitudes into safe and usef
paths.
We have seen men here and the
who refuse to become indignant und
the severest provocations. They reali
that this Is not considered by certa