The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-04-04
MISS D0WNEY
SPEAKS AT
STAR SERVICE
Shows Influence Exerted by
Men Throughout History
by Personality

At the memorial services held by
the Eastern Star last evening Rev.
S. +. Halfyard spoke on "lnflucnce"
while Miss Mary L. Downey, direct
or Of the state library commission,
discussed 1.-THE Power of Person.
atty"
In memory Of the members who
had passed on Miss DOwncy gave
the following address:
'All life is wrapped in mystery.
What this indefinable something is.
which we call personality. is one of
the secrets Of Providence. 1t is
simply an intimation demonstrated
by its power. Personality is the
main spring of progress. II is the
only great force in this universe,
the one thing made i'm the image
of the Creator. Every element con-
ducive to the growth of civilization
has crystallized around a great life.
Biography is thus greater than his
tory. Behind every great event
stands something greater = the pow
er of personality. What would the
Carlovingian Empire have been
without Charlemagne; the Renais-
sance without Petrarch, Boccacio
and Dante or the Reformation with
out Luther. Calvin and the Oxford
scholars: Emancipation is so close
ly associated with the names of
Wilberforce and Lincoln that mere,
ly to mention slavery is to recall
their names. The glory Of the var
iouS religious. MOhammedanism
Buddhism and COnfucianiSm is in
the strength of their founders. while
the stronghold of the Catholic
| church in all the ages has conferred
in its choice of representative men
as leaders.
Who will ever he able to cSti-
mate the Influence which cmanates
from a great life? One might as
we'll try to gather up the Snowflalies
of last winter, count the rays of
the morning sun, or measure the
| waters of the ocean. The forces OF
pared with the power of men and
women WHO change the tide of hu-
| man affairs. Who is able to check
| the lightnng's flash, restrain the
force of hurricane, or stay the
eruption of a volcano? With what
mighty force they come! How soon
are they past! not SO with pow
erful life. There was only one
Plato, but all thinkers are his pos
terity; one Newton, but scientists
today refer to him: one Raphael,
but artists even yet look to him for
inspiration. The power of every
great life is added to all that pre-
ccdcS it. and increased by all that
! follows till the end of time.
Neither can the force of arms be
compared with the power of n pres
ence, for personality often qucllS :,
mob where weapons are useless.
WITNESS Garfield i'm New York City
on the night of I.inc0ln's asSassina-
ton, when stepping out on the bal
cony he uttered those memorable
words, God reigns and the govern
ment at Washington still lives"
His utterance produced but Il small
/ part of the effect; the restraining,
transforming influence was caused
by his calm, forceful presence.
Not only in the presence of the
great is this power felt, but in their
writings as well. it seems to per-
wade their thoughts and words. We
are willing to make Il "Pilsrim's
Progress" if Bunyan leads the way.
Natural law in the Spiritual
World" is delightful study when
Drummond is the teacher. We glad
ly linger Beside the Bonnie Briar
Bush" with Maclaren, and wander
through 1.-The Maine Woods" with
ThOrcau as our guide. Nor do we
.biert t. being .it'czed and com
..>nl, d .po" Il ..ddis"" is The
Spectator"
Very often these great hearts lead
us away from ourselves, away from
themselves to higher personality.
How truly Izaak Walton does this
in his "Complete Angler!" His love
of nature is so wholesome and un-
affected, his ethical tOnc>se simple
and natural as to attract his read
ers first, to himself, then away to
Nature and from her to childlikc
trust in God. Robert Browning in
many of his poems brings out tho
idea of reaching the higher person.
ality through intermediate chan
nels. Perhaps no work of art has
set it forth more clearly than ''Tht
T.,