StoryPeople

kathryn · Messages: 391 Location: where the wind blows

Sometimes it's hard to decide if something belongs in CHAT or WILD AT HEART. This is one of those times, because first I'm gonna chat for a minute, then share something that someone, sometime, someplace wrote. Brian ~ if you want to move it, feel free. This evening, I was looking though a shoebox of old clippings that my grandmother saved. It was mostly stuff from the 1920s. My 10 year old father's spelling and math quizzes. Clippings of my uncle & Dad's sports and later, WW2 clippings about them both, poems & articles clipped for their meaning as well as some very interesting historical WW1 clippings, a few letters, etc. I've seen these things before, but not for many years. Looking at them now, I am deeply struck with what similar values I share with this long gone generation, assuming the clippings and poems are representative - warm thoughts about mothers, fathers and family. Corny jokes. Patriotic sentiment. Odd bits of information and fact. It seems there is a touch of Cliff Claven in us

I never knew my Grandfather, and Grandmother died when I was a child, but I can see how they are alive in me, generationally transplanted, apparently, by my own folks; or maybe it's in our blood. At any rate, I wanted to share one of the clippings which I found to be particularly humorous and wise and plan to print up for my office. The author is not given so I can't give credit. It appears to have been torn out of small booklet of some sort. If anyone knows the author, I'd love to know who it is.

"THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD IN THE WORST OF US
AND SO MUCH BAD IN THE BEST OF US,
THAT IT BEST BECOMES THE BEST OF US
TO PRAISE THE BEST IN THE WORST OF US,
AND ILL BECOMES THE WORST OF US
TO MOCK AT THE FAULTS IN THE BEST OF US.
THEN LET THE BEST AND THE WORST OF US
EXTOL THE GOOD IN THE BOTH OF US
AND HIDE THE FAULT IN THE LOT OF US."

(addendum -- I googled it and found something that starts out the same way by an Edward Wallis Hoch -- but is only 3 lines and ends differently)

linda · Messages: 5 Location: Utah

Kathryn,
I think the poem is by Joaquin Miller.
I found the poem quoted in "The Builder Magazine" March 1916. It's a Masonic newsletter filled with lots of poems, quotes, and info. This is also about the right time frame as your clippings.
Here's a link to The Builder Magazine. There's a LOT of material here, so scroll down about 1/5 of the way and you should find it.
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/the_builder_1916_march.htm
Linda

kathryn · Messages: 391 Location: where the wind blows

Thank you, Linda!! I believe my grandfather was involved in Masonic stuff, so that also fits! I will check that out!