Weymouth High School - Campus / Reflector Yearbook (Weymouth, MA)

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THE greatest heroes are not those who die in battle; but those who live to conquer themselves; to rise above physical and mental handicaps, and to give unending inspiration to others. We shall never forget Julius Caesar with his famous legions in their far-flung campaigns, or the great Napoleon and his loyal soldiers in their victorious battles. What admiration we feel for the fearless General Wolfe, whose brilliant capture of Quebec gave Canada to the British Empire, and forever ended the power of France in North America! And yet how few of us realize that these three masters of human destines were heroic figures of handicap. In the world of science let us remember Kepler, the great German astronomer, who gave to the world the laws of planetary motion. Un- fortunately, because of his weak and defective sight, he was unable to observe any of the celestial bodies in which he was so deeply interested. At forty-six, Louis Pasteur — in the very midst of his life ' s work — had a shock which left one side completely paralyzed. Yet it was during the following twenty-seven years, under this incalculable bodily handicap, that he worked out the theories of bacterial infections and inoculation which have revolutionized medical and surgical science. Consider Steinmetz, called the little cripple with the great mind, and Edison, the Wizard of Electricity, the two greatest electrical geniuses of the modern world. In spite of physical disabilities, both have greatly aided mankind in the invention of many modern comforts and conveniences. The literary field offers us numerous examples of courage and heroism on the part of those who, in the face of great physical and mental disad- vantages, produced enduring literary masterpieces. Surely the determination, self-confidence, perseverance, and indomitable spirit of these writers are qualities for us to admire and emulate. Alexander Pope, renowned for his masterful poems and essays, is an outstanding example of steadfast courage. Few men have overcome such serious handicaps as those with which he had to contend. So badly deformed was he that he had to be carried from place to place. Not once, however, did this subdue his dauntless spirit. In his day, Samuel Johnson had precedence in the most splendid assemblage of men that ever came together for social and literary inter- course. No man has ever attempted to reach the pinnacle of success more heavily burdened than he, with his defective vision, deafness, and grinding poverty. For all his roughness of manner, this great and good man was always gentle of heart. Few read Johnson to-day; but the lessons of courage, kindness, and charity exemplified in his life will always be an inspiration. That fiery, impetuous writer of the eighteenth century, Byron, had a life full of unhappiness. From infancy to the very end of his life he suffered from infantile paralysis. In spite of his lameness, he once swam the Hellespont, and fought valiantly with the Greeks in their struggle for liberty against the Turks. As we turn over the pages of English literature, let us read again the life of the poet, John Milton. This noble Puritan, forgetful of self, sacrificed his sight in extensive literary work for English rights and liberties. There [ 18 ]

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Qroht HEROES OF HANDICAP VALEDICTORY ADDRESS

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is nothing more magnificent in literature than the picture of the blind poet, day after day, dictating his great epic, Paradise Lost. Although handicapped in the same manner as Milton, Homer gave to the world the greatest Greek epics ever written, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Surely John Bunyan, the author of The Pilgrim ' s Progress, is worthy to be included in our list. And when we consider that much of this allegory was written in his little cell in Bedford Jail, where he was imprisoned for twelve long years, our admiration mounts higher for this humble servant of Christ. The history of English literature records no braver story than the life and works of the gifted story-teller, poet, and essayist, Robert Louis Steven- son. This brave heart never permitted constant pain and overpowering weakness to rob him of his gay spirit, nor to quench the flame of joy that is ever present in his writings. No list of heroes of handicap would be complete without mention of Helen Keller. Though blind, deaf, and dumb from infancy, she realized the goal of her ambition when, on Commencement Day in 1904, the Presi- dent of Radcliffe College placed in her sensitive hands her diploma from that institution. Her whole life has been a continuous attempt to do what- ever other people do and do it well. Her success has been complete, for in trying to be like normal people she has come most fully to be herself. In his inspiring poem, Invictus, William Henley has aptly expressed the thought of my subject. Although afflicted from childhood with a serious illness, he could bravely write: Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond the place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find me, unafraid. It matters not how strait the gait. How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. Incomplete would be any essay on masters of fate without a brief remark concerning the lives of two men who have made names for them- selves i n our own history — Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. [ 19 ]