Brave sons and daughters of Time Pause noton their journey sublime.

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BRAVE

MEN AND WOMEN

Their Struggles, Failures, and Triumphs.

BY

O.E. FULLER, A.M.

"Find out what you are fitted for; work hard at that one thing, andkeep a brave, honest heart."

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COPYRIGHT
By O.E. FULLER
1884
All rights reserved.

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PREFACE

Struggle, failure, triumph: while triumph is the thing sought, strugglehas its joy, and failure is not without its uses.

"It is not the goal," says Jean Paul, "but the coursewhich makes us happy." The law of life is what a great orator affirmed oforatory--"Action, action, action!" As soon as one point is gained, another,and another presents itself.

"It is a mistake," says Samuel Smiles, "to suppose that men succeedthrough success; they much oftener succeed through failure." He cites,among others, the example of Cowper, who, through his diffidence andshyness, broke down when pleading his first cause, and lived to revive thepoetic art in England; and that of Goldsmith, who failed in passing as asurgeon, and yet wrote the "Deserted Village" and the "Vicar of Wakefield."Even when one turns to no new course, how many failures, as a rule, markthe way to triumph, and brand into life, as with a hot iron, the lessons ofdefeat!

The brave man or the brave woman is one who looks life in the eye, andsays: "God helping me, I am going to [pg 4]realize the best possibilities of my nature,by calling into action the beneficent laws which govern and determine thedevelopment of each individual member of the race." And the failures ofsuch a person are the jewels of triumph; that triumph which is certain inthe sight of heaven, if not in the eyes of men.

"Brave Men and Women," the title of this volume, is used in a doublesense, as referring not only to those whose words and deeds are hererecorded, or cited as examples, but also to all who read the book, and arestriving after the riches of character.

Some of the sketches and short papers are anonymous, and have beenadapted for use in these pages. Where the authorship is known, and theproductions have been given verbatim, the source, if not the pen ofthe editor, has been indicated. Thanks are due to the press, and to thosewho have permitted the use of copyrighted matter.

In conclusion, the editor lays little claim to originality--save in themetrical pieces, and in the use he has made of material. His aim has simplybeen to form a sort of mosaic or variegated picture of the BraveLife--the life which recognizes the Divine Goodness in all things, strivingthrough good report and evil report, and in manifold ways, which one isoften unqualified to judge, to attain to the life of Him who is "the lightof the world."

THE AUTHOR.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

Benjamin Franklin.--HIS FAME STILL CLIMBING TO HEAVEN--WHAT HEHAD DONE AT FIFTY-TWO--POOR RICHARD'S ADDRESS

CHAPTER II.

Defence of a Great Man.--WAS DR. FRANKLIN MEAN?--JAMES PARTON'SANSWER

CHAPTER III.

Sir Walter Scott and