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Show OUR LITERARY TABLE The Touchstone of a Nation's Greatness. As the wind playing over the surface of ihe kn now nrently ripp4es its w.-iters. now la.shrs tbvin int mighty blIIow3, eo an unseen force sweeping o-r h ticle of human society now .cently elevates its tin now sways it to and fro with violent energy. Eut What is this wonderful unseen form that vitally rules the social world? Is it not charm-tpr? that which, apart from the human soul, embrace!" nil that is highest and best in man. Character is neither an acquisition of thf iri t-1 ! c nor an individual quality of the heart: rather is it the sum total of all the virtues and defects which t (institute (in-stitute personality. But though character embraces all th individual qualities, there are some which stamp it with a d?Tf r Impress than others, and these by their pre-erainem ? characterize the individual as noble or the revere. What we recognize as a truly noble character is or marked by kindness, truth, firmness and sincerity: but when marked by vacillation, dissemblinp and insincerity, in-sincerity, then do we style the possessor weak and ignoble. Some characters there are like clay in tho potter's hand pliant and impressionable, ever ready to take the stamp of the Ufa around them; others are li' marble, firm and inflexible, yet capable of being chiseled chis-eled into exquisite images or misshapen forms But who are the moulders and sculptors of human character? Woman is undoubtedly the artist who sixp the first shapings to the pliant material of infancy: often, too, her's Is the task to give the beautiful finishing fin-ishing touches to the inflexible material of manhood. As woman's faith, tenderness and largeness of heart eminently fit her to be the p:rifler, refiner and up-lifter up-lifter of society, so her strong abiding trust inspire confidence in young hearts; her love intensifies and binds that confidence: her tact and intuition foresees and overcomes the obstacles in the way of character-building, character-building, while her noble self sacrifice crowns her delicate deli-cate work with ideal results. To no stranger hand will the true mother entrust the sacred duty of shaping her children's character. Her life work is grander far than that of the artist, for she is moulding and perfecting after the imag divine; it far excels that of the musician, for she is drawing forth the underlying harmonies of a human soul. Well may woman be styled the "heart of humanity," hu-manity," since it is her grace and sympathy that . draw out the feelings which mainly determine char- Man, too. plays no small part in the carving "f ,J' character. His natural strength, courage and fineness fine-ness enable him to give those stronger stroKes and to chisel out the deeper traits which forjn beings of heroic mould. How various are the ways in which character reveals re-veals itself. The face, the voice, the walk, even ih poise of the head, bespeak the underlying spirit, but in no way does character manifest itself so clearly a3 ii action. " 'Tis action clothes us with an immi'i-tality immi'i-tality either loathesome or glorious." As society is based upon the mutual intercourse : human beings, each in his own sphere of action is destined to have a share in the upbuilding of the so- I cial fabric. With this duty in mind should we mt forge our own characters with care so that they may become solid monuments of noble traits, for in vain f would we impart that which we do not possess. I As personal worth is gauged by character, 30 fe I test of a nation's worth depends, not upon wealth r.er extent of territory, though these may awaken pru'e: not upon power, though this may call forth respect: f nor does it depend upon the genius of its children, though their brilliant gifts may challenge admiration. No, not upon any of these do the real strength and true glory of a nation depend, but upon the charaevn-of charaevn-of its people. Every nation points with laudable pride to its representatives of exalted character. England glories in a fearless More; Ireland, in a grand OVon-nell; OVon-nell; Scotland, in an indealized Wallace, and Ameriea in a noble Washington. It is men of like stamp, whose noble deeds, lofty thoughts and vital actions have made the deepest impress upon their country. It h these, rather than the great geniuses of a country, whose memories are enshrined in the hearts ot ts people. When these noble characters are refined by intellectual intel-lectual development and uplifted by religion's sa re 1 power they shape the destinies of the race and become be-come the beacons of true human progress; for charac-ter charac-ter and character alone, is "the touchstone of n nation's na-tion's greatness. CLARA O'CONNELL, '05. Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden, Utah. |