McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1919-02-14
From Halls, Tennessee.

once we are creatures or naDH, we
move along grooves, we follow beaten
paths, we repeat ourselves, and striking
examples have made their indelible i'm
pressions upon our lives. We are, there
fore, part Of all with whom we come
in touch, and the stamp Of our associate.
is on us for life. Our associations, there
fore, will determine our character If we
associate with men Of moral worth. il
will have an immense value to us in max
ing our moral selves helpful.
1t is great thing to come in contact
with men who are competent to aid you
in discovering yourself and to arouse the
possible manhood that is sleeping within
you. The aim and end Of good men is
to help young men become strong. posi-
tive characters, and the one that has the
heart, the will and the brain to take ev-
cry advantage Of his golden opportunity,
will not creep along or drag along, bul
will stand up on his feet, self-centered,
self-controlled, potent, his blood replete
with red corpuscles. nerves a-tingle with
| will, his shoulders strained for burdens
and his soul aaame with enthusiasm and
purpose. Thus it is that we do not live
for ourselves alone; and our Creator has
fixed it so that we all may be useful to
one another.
This leads me to the point Of this mes
sage. There are men that employ their
lives in making young men happy and
helping them when thay start out in life.
In this respect, think Of some men thai
were highly useful to me III helping me
discover the springs Of life that were
within me, yet, unopened, and give me
the incentive to add these new forces to
the powers that were urging me forward.
Several years ago, when | was senl
to Bethel and Selmer as the pastor or the
Methodist church, | found very select
group Of men who had a remarkable In
Auence over my life. One Of them was
the Sunday school superintendent Of my
Sunday school, one local preacher, one
farmer, one brilliant lawyer, and one
the editor Of the county paper. shall
not try to give you picture Of the exact
proportions Of the physical appearances
Of these men; for should | do that the ed
itor, who is phenomenally and unusually
| tall, would be the champion Of the group
Suffice it to say that each one Of these
men helped to promote my happiness,
and cause to arise in my heart the desire
Of doing all that my limited faculties and
strength would admit Of, to promote the
cause Of righteousness among men and
to assist those who were in need to the
best Of my ability.
So when the time came to honor the
10th President Of the United States,
Theodore Roosevelt. who had fallen on
sleep; but whose brain, while alive, was
a mighty loom which wove principles Of
loyalty and duty for Americans and for
all mankind, my mind as once thought ol
one Of those erstwhile friends as the prop
er one to deliver an address that would
inspire our souls and cause US 10 emulate
the example Of our dead president, whose
soul had scared beyond the region Of
1.-THE stars into endless felicity. | thought
Of him. moi necessarily because he knew
more about the subject than others; bui
because he had touched my life, and be-
cause knew he conld do it easily and
| do it well. He came and his addres:
was an inspiration. 1t not on'y rejoicec
our ears BY its pleasing diversity Of par,
agraphs variously constructed; but il 6lleo
our hearts to overAowing as we felt the
Is eet and refreshing influence Of ths
great man Of whom he spoke. Terry
| Abernathy's memorial address will hinge
in the souls Of the people Of Halls, Ten
nessee, forever, like the fragance Of ros
es that are faded and gone; and the in
trepid, unconquerable spirit Of the illus
hious citizen whom he culogzcd will in
spire in the young due reverence 70
virtue and an adherence Of sham am
vice, and will animate them with senti
ments Of piely and goodness. These i'm
pressions deeply engraved on their mind
connected with all their attainments, wi
attend them through life and will pro
duce solidity Of principle and characte
! that will be able to resist the danger
arising from their contact with the cor
ruption there is in the world.
If | had been fortunate enough to hav
had the editor Of the Independent her
to have written down some Of the mos
ha,u,;f,J and intayest;no naeeaoes of III;