Character | Page 3

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CHAPTER I.
--INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER.

"Unless above himself he can Erect himself, how poor a thing is
man"--DANIEL.
"Character is moral order seen through the medium, of an individual
nature.... Men of character are the conscience of the society to which
they belong."--EMERSON.
"The prosperity of a country depends, not on the abundance of its
revenues, nor on the strength of its fortifications, nor on the beauty of
its public buildings; but it consists in the number of its cultivated
citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment, and character; here are
to be found its true interest, its chief strength, its real
power."--MARTIN LUTHER.
Character is one of the greatest motive powers in the world. In its
noblest embodiments, it exemplifies human nature in its highest forms,
for it exhibits man at his best.
Men of genuine excellence, in every station of life--men of industry, of
integrity, of high principle, of sterling honesty of purpose--command

the spontaneous homage of mankind. It is natural to believe in such
men, to have confidence in them, and to imitate them. All that is good
in the world is upheld by them, and without their presence in it the
world would not be worth living in.
Although genius always commands admiration, character most secures
respect. The former is more the product of brain-power, the latter of
heart-power; and in the long run it is the heart that rules in life. Men of
genius stand to society in the relation of its intellect, as men of
character of its conscience; and while the former are admired, the latter
are followed.
Great men are always exceptional men; and greatness itself is but
comparative. Indeed, the range of most men in life is so limited, that
very few have the opportunity of being great. But each man can act his
part honestly and honourably, and to the best of his ability. He can use
his gifts, and not abuse them. He can strive to make the best of life. He
can be true, just, honest, and faithful, even in small things. In a word,
he can do his Duty in that sphere in which Providence has placed him.
Commonplace though it may appear, this doing of one's Duty embodies
the highest ideal of life and character. There may be nothing heroic
about it; but the common lot of men is not heroic. And though the
abiding sense of Duty upholds man in his highest attitudes, it also
equally sustains him in the transaction of the ordinary affairs of
everyday existence. Man's life is "centred in the sphere of common
duties." The most influential of all the virtues are