Pages

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Charlotte Observer Recalls Young Newspaper Man Melvin Gardner, 1905

From the Charlotte Observer, September, 1905

Readers of the Observer will recall the story of Melvin Gardner, a young newspaper man who dropped into the office one night and asked for work. He was given a temporary position on the Chronicle. Later he tried to kill himself, but friends saved him. Finally, however, he succeeded, one night at Winston-Salem. Before coming to Charlotte, Gardner worked for the Herald of Greenville, S.C. In a recent issue of that paper, the following story appeared:

There came to this city not many months ago a tramp newspaper man. He had tales to tell of the far South, of the cold North, of Texas towns and Mexican bull fights. He was what the world calls a human wreck. In his physique, that was so. But the man had a soul, stilled through it might have been through a series of debauches and a life of dissipation.

This same fellow went away after awhile and drifted into work elsewhere—the free masonry of the craft guaranteeing him a shelter and sustenance wherever he happened to cast his lot. Soon, though, in a fit of melancholy, he quit the game of life and passed out into the Eternal.

In one of the drawers of his desk the other day this creed was found folded away in an old soiled envelope:

“I believe in little children as the most precious gift of heaven to earth. I believe that they have immortal souls created in the image of God, coming forth from Him and to return to Him. I believe that in every child are infinite possibilities for good or evil and that the kind of influences with which he is surrounded in early childhood largely determines whether or not the budding life shall bloom in fragrance and beauty, with the fruit thereof a noble, godlike character.

“I believe it is to be the mission of all of us

‘Step by step lift bad to good; Without halting, without rest, Living better up to best.’

“I believe in play as the child’s normal effort to understand himself through free self-expression; and I believe, too, in work, but work that is joyous, and that the joy in the doing comes largely from the well doing.

“I believe in freedom, but not in license; in prompt, cheerful obedience; in punctuality, regularity, accuracy, industry and application; that wisely directed self-activity should result in self-control, in self-forgetfulness, in an increasing desire to choose the good, true and beautiful, and to contribute happiness of others.

“I believe in cultivating the intellect and the will, but I believe, too, in soul-culture, and that out of this cultivation comes the more abundant life bringing forth the fruits of spirit-kindness, gentleness, joy, peace, truth, faith, hope, love, reverence for God, for each other, and for his lowly creatures.

“I believe that the white city of God, with its river of life and its tree of life is the divine type of the home with its life-giving love, sunshine and companionship, and its symmetrical unfolding of all the beauties of child-life—physical, mental, moral, spiritual.”

And Gardner, poor fellow, knew not a home since childhood nor had a child to cheer him. Pity ‘tis his beliefs could not have made him as he wished to be.

No comments:

Post a Comment