The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-08-11

Now comes the centennial Of the birth
OF Charles Kingsley! He was the
friend of Stanley and Manning. Bright
and Golden. Thomas Arnold and Glad
stone. He began his public career with
the defense of the Chartist agitation for
better conditions for working mon. md
ended his life with the legal rcCoEn-
ton. Of trades unions. He was one OF
the best hated mon of his time. He
denounced the slum dwellings. the rot
ting tenements. the unsafe shafts into
mines and all low wages. lie carried
the bitter cry OF the children Of tho
factory people into every corner Of Eng
land. He insisted that tho factory
classes were being stuntcd and dwarfcd
by under fccdinN and over-working and
overwhelming. and predicted that the
time would come whom England coming
to n crisis and needing soldiers. would
find that her factory classes were not
equal to the task Of long marches and
bearing heavy weapons. In his life
time he was called crank. a reckless
and dangerous writer. man with Il
morbid craving for notoricty, hut his
centennial has brought tho Cclcbrat ion
Of his name. while labor honorS the man
who brought home to the heart and con-
science OF England the fact that the
working people wcr" human beings.
He began his work with night classes
for the working people. Born as il wcr".
in n library, educated IN ON" OF Eng
lands most historic schools. once he
entered upon his ministry he could not
endure the thought that books. leisure.
pictures. music. travel. tho friendship
Of great men had all been his. Will"
the poor man in his parish had not even
n chance to sip at IN" hcak"r that for
his lips had been filed To III" hrIm.
Unable to secure an appropriation for Il
national school, he opened in his own
house night school for adults n girls
school in tho carriage house. and hired
n cottaC" To be used as a Kindergarten
Kingsley was n natural teacher. Within
II year there was not a man, woman nor
child IN his parish whom h" did mt
personally know. For years II" did not
take holiday. b"Caus" h" could lot
boar IL leave his people. Slccrl"sS At
night after the excessive cXcit"mcnlS Of
m" day. h" sought relaxation for his
tired nerves by writing.
He's wrote his first plea for tn" labor
ing classes in lS49, through his story "t
Il gifted hoy who was a tailor. and IN
vain sought to riS" ahOv" his fate.
Alton Locke" seemed like a bird beat
ing bloody wings against III" bars Of
circumstance.
Then he wrote his "HypalhIa." tho
story Of tho fourth Ccntury--a book
hat is in Some respects the finest his
torical novel eyer written.
Later came "WcStward Ho." with the
SAVIOR of salt in IN" air. III" sparkle OF
adventure in all IN" pages. tn" Glam"r
Of tropical ScaScap"s falling upon every
sccnc--a greater book that St"vcnson's
"TrraSurr Island"
Nor did he overlook the children. His
water Babies is moro popular than
Hawthornc's "Wondcr Tales" and his
"Hcrocs." is still the model of authors
who believe in the knights Of the new
Chvalry.
lie pupuarizcd tho now sci"nc" for
busy workers. Tn" talks that he gave
to tn" boys and girls who Joined his
walking club. and tho papers h" wrote.
are the most fascinating pages Of their
KIND over written. Finally IN" great
queen asked Kingsley /" CIV" course
Of special instruction I" tn" Prime" ~
Wales. crowds assembled 10 hear him
preach IN 81. Paul'S and Westminster
Abbey. His personality was compelling,
his sentences both vivid and Vehement.
and crowds began To follow Kingsley
wherever he l"riur"d. From TIA" very
beginning Of his lIfv he WAS III tn" fore
front of IN" battle against poverty and
social injustice. II" organized "A move
m"nt called "polItics for tho People"
and was the founder OF the Christian
socialist movement. N"t an original
thinker. Kingsley WAS IN" ideal aEita-
tor. ny instinct and by education
Kingsley WAS an arist"Cral. but by sym
pathv. habit AMI deeds. Kingsley was
uur of tn" worlds nuhl"St democrats
and humnnitarIanS