rtile delta made by the
drifting souls of men.
3. FAME.--The word "fame" never signifies simply notoriety. The
meaning of the direct term may be seen from its negation or opposite,
for only the meanest of men are called infamous. They are utterly
without fame, utterly nameless; but if fame implied only notoriety,
then infamous would possess no marked significance. Fame is an
undertaker that pays but little attention to the living, but who
bedizens the dead, furnishes out their funerals and follows them to
the grave.
4. LIFE-MOTIVE.--So in studying that life-motive which is called a
"good name," we must ask the large human race to tell us the high
merit of this spiritual longing. We must read the words of the sage,
who said long centuries ago that "a good name was rather chosen than
great riches." Other sages have said as much. Solon said that "He that
will sell his good name will sell the State." Socrates said, "Fame is
the perfume of heroic deeds." Our Shakespeare said, "He lives in fame
who died in virtue's cause."
5. INFLUENCES OF OUR AGE.--Our age is deeply influenced by the motives
called property and home and pleasure, but it is a question whether
the generation in action today and the generation on the threshold
of this intense life are conscious fully of the worth of an honorable
name.
6. BEAUTY OF CHARACTER.--We do not know whether with us all a good
name is less sweet than it was with our fathers, but this is painfully
evident that our times do not sufficiently behold the beauty of
character--their sense does not detect quickly enough or love deeply
enough this aroma of heroic deeds.
7. SELLING OUT THEIR REPUTATION.--It is amazing what multitudes there
are who are willing to sell out their reputation, and amazing at what
a low price they will make the painful exchange. Some king remarked
that he would not tell a lie for any reward less than an empire. It
is not uncommon in our world for a man to sell out all his honor and
hopes for a score or a half score of dollars.
8. PRISONS OVERFLOWING.--Our prisons are all full to overflowing of
those who took no thought of honor. They have not waited for an empire
to be offered them before they would violate the sacred rights of man,
but many of them have even murdered for a cause that would not have
justified even an exchange of words.
9. INTEGRITY THE PRIDE OF THE GOVERNMENT.--If integrity were made the
pride of the government, the love of it would soo
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