s LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN lloVI HORN! K iind III \Rll I I \ ( \l JHOl N HORNER 4 I ti Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/notebookofelbertOOilhubb 0MERSON loved the good more than he abhorred evil *» Carlyle abhorred evil more than he loved the good. If you should by chance find anything in this book you do not especially like, it is not at all wise to focus your memory on that, to the exclusion— of all else—bless my soul ! E. H. ELBERT HUBBARD or Qlfert J3«Wta* IHottofs, Epigrams, Short HL%%Wt #*mw ^^ <DrpWr Swings tmk flrrcr&mnite*^ Ill Coined from a Life of Love, Laughter and Work, by a Man Who Achieved Greatly in Literature, Art, Philosophy and Business ** ••» Gathered Together by Elbert Hubbard II. Done into a Book by The Roycrofters, at their Shops which are located in East Aurora, Erie County, New York, and Published by a* jfc^lv^ Copyright 1927 By The Roycrofters PBINTID IN U. »• A. b Introduction BY c/7 L I C E HUBBARD LBERT HUBBARD, the most positive human force of his time, is a man of genius in business, in art, in literature, in philosophy. He is an idealist, dreamer, orator, scientist. In his knowledge of the fundamental, practical affairs of living, in business, in human interests, in education, pol- itics and law he seems without a competitor. {{, He is like Jefferson in his democracy, in teaching a nation to love to govern itself and to simplify all living. He is like Paine in his love for liberty and in his desire that all shall be free to act in freedom and to think in freedom. CL He is like Lincoln in that he would free all mankind. He, too, knows that there can be no free man on the earth so long as there is one slave. Elbert Hubbard sees, too, that just so long as there is one woman who is denied any right that man claims for himself, there is no free man ; that no man can be a superior, true American, so long as one woman is denied her birthright of life, liberty and happiness. He knows that freedom to think and act, without withholding that right from any other, evolves humanity. Therefore he gives his best energy to inspiring men and women to think and to act, each for himself. He pleads for the rights of children, for so-called criminals, for the insane, the weak, and all those who having failed to be a friend to themselves, need friendship most. The Golden Rule is his rule of life. His work is to emancipate American men and women from being slaves to useless customs, outgrown mental habits, outgrown religion, outgrown laws, outgrown superstitions. He would make each human being rely upon himself for health, wealth and happiness. Elbert Hubbard is like Emerson in seizing upon truth, embalmed and laid in pyramids of disuse. Into these truths he has breathed the breath of life and they have become for many of us living souls. From the thoughts of Moses, Socrates, Solomon, Pythagoras, Loyola, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, he has brought to us wisdom that applies to the art of living today. Elbert Hubbard is a unique figure in history. The strength of his indi- viduality comes from his having lived much and intensely. He lives his philosophy before he writes it, proves his theory before he announces it. Like Shakespeare he has access to universal knowledge, and from his storehouse he draws the vital fact whenever he needs it. Without effort, his mind seizes upon the important part of any subject, scene or situa- tion, and he presents the few parts which will suggest the whole. He knows psychology, the needs of humanity at large, the needs of races, the needs of classes in races, and individuals in a class. He knows men and women, American men and women, their hopes, their fears, their strength, their weakness, their possibilities, and he deals with them, having ever before him the ideal. He, too, is looking for a Hapi, a Messiah, a Superman. He is never discouraged, never tired, never de- pressed. Eternal hope is in his heart, so every morning brings to him a New Day, and ushers in a New Year of the Better Day. Work, laugh, play, think, be kind, is the day's program he lives and recommends. Economic freedom is the first necessity in human happiness. So Elbert Hubbard's first lesson is industry, producing wealth, using it wisely, distributing it. He knows, too, that food, shelter, clothing, fuel, are not enough to fill man's needs. Man has a soul to be fed and evolved as well. Love, beauty, music, art, are necessities, too. Had he but two loaves of bread he would sell one and buy White Hyacinths with which to feed his soul. He loves all animal life, and believes that men should spend a part of every day in the garden, on the farm, with horses and animals, which are the civi- lizers of man. Elbert Hubbard is a businessman and a philosopher. He is a wise man in the use of his time, his energy. The law of his life is action. He knows that to focus his mind on the development of man is to degenerate into something less than a man. Man is developed, quite incidentally, through his work. Work is the exercise which develops brain, nerve, muscle. Work is the means which man uses to accomplish the end, the super- man who shall understand Nature. He knows that creed is the sub- jugation of the individual, so his desire is to give every person about him equal opportunity with himself. He loves humanity. He believes in man, of the ultimate triumph of the noblest qualities in man. He is brother to all mankind and kindred to every living thing. He lives as a noble- man, every day without fear. All days are holy days. All natural phases of human life are sacred, and he respects them all. Through the power of his imagination he has lived all lives, and he con- demns no man. Content to live in one world at a time, he has the genuine faith which does not creep into the Unknown, but lives to the full today, assured that "the power which cares for us here will not desert us there." —From An American Bible, May, 1911 The Note Book of Elbert Hubbard ; THE NOTE BOOK OF ELBERT HUBBARD AN! I wonder what a man and look into his sad and weary eyes. really is! Starting from a A man ! C^. Weighed with the sins of his single cell, this seized upon parents, grandparents, great-grandpar- by another, and out of the ents, who fade off into dim spectral Eternal comes a particle of shapes in the dark and dreamlike past. the Divine Energy that makes these €1 No word of choice has he in the selec- cells its home s* a^ tion of his father €[ Growth follows, HE Supreme prayer of my and mother; no cell is added to cell, voice in the choos- heart is not to be learned, andtheredevelops a ing ofenvironment. rich, famous, powerful or man—a man whose Brought into life body, two-thirds even good, but simply to be radiant. without his con- water, can be emp- I desire to radiate health, cheerful- sent, and pushed tied by a single ness, calm courage and good-will. out of it against his dagger -thrust and will — battling s+ I wish to live without hate, the spirit given d striving, hoping, fear. I back to its Maker whim, jealousy, envy, wish cursing &+ waiting, in a moment. to be simple, honest, frank, natural, loving, praying s+ • •C>llll<>» clean in mind and clean in body, burned by fever, ilXTY gen- unaffected — to say " I do not not torn by passion, erations have checked by fear, know," if it be so, and to meet all come and gone reaching for friend- since Caesar trod men on an absolute equality, to ship, longing for the Roman Forum. face any obstacle and meet every sympathy, and H The pillars a- difficulty unabashed and unafraid. hungering for love, gainst which he of- C[ I wish others to live their lives, clutching—nothing. ten leaned still ..f>im<». too, up to their highest, fullest and stand. The thresh- olds over which he best. To that end I pray that I may %1| out to you> q passed are there. never meddle, interfere, dictate, give man, because I can The pavements advice that is not wanted, or assist not conceive of any ring beneath your when my services are not needed. being greater, no- tread as they once bler, more heroic, If lean help people, I '11 do it by giv- rang beneath his. more tenderly lov- ingthem a chance to help themselves C Three genera- ing, loyal, unself- tions and more and if I can uplift or inspire, let it ish and enduring have come and be by example, inference and sug- than you are s+ $+ gone since Napol- gestion, rather than by injunction All the love I know eon trod the streets is man's love «•» $+ and dictation. That is to say, I de- of Toulon contem- All the forgiveness plating suicide s— sire to be Radiant—to Radiate Life! I know is man's Babes in arms were forgiveness.