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38

properties. The vexed question of the origin of the
line " The hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world" was apparently settled by a clipping from the
"Pittsburg Dispatch" which stated it was the last line
of a poem written for an actors dinner years ago
in New York by William Ross Wallace who must
have been a sort of a swan as he only sang that once
as far as known. If the children remained in the
cradles the sentiment might pass but several dissented
from a theory not based upon facts. Boys have been
known to climb out of cradles and grow up with habits
and propensities opposite to these inculcated by their
mothers and the latter could have the power to
protect a son who is still a child at 21. The secretary
gave an account and some extracts from the life of "The
Holy Man of Benares;" who was photographed by William
H. Jackson while the "Transportation Commission" were in
India. This extraordinary man discarded his last scrap
of clothing years ago and has lived since 1876 in a
garden sitting and sleeping on the ground and eating
whatever his followers offer him. Visitors come by the
thousand who propound every sort of question and evince
unbounded faith. Statues to this 19th Century saint have
been erected in a number of temples. The business of the
meeting was concluded while the sun was still high
in the Heavens upon this typical March day so aptly
described by Dickens as " March when the sun
shines hot and the wind blows cold"

Mary Bentley Thomas

38

properties. The vexed question of the origin of the
line " The hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world" was apparently settled by a clipping from the
"Pittsburg Dispatch" which stated it was the last line
of a poem written for an actors dinner years ago
in New York by William Ross Wallace who must
have been a sort of a swan as he only sang that
as far as known. If the children remained in the
cradles the sentiment might pass but several dissented
from a theory not based upon facts. Boys have been
known to climb out of cradles and grow up with habits
and propensities opposite to these inculcated by their
mothers and the latter could have the power to
protect a son who is still a child at 21. The secretary
gave an account and some extracts from the life of "The
Holy Man of Renareo" who was photographed by William
H. Jackson while the "Transportation Commission" were in
India. This extraordinary man discarded his last scrap
of clothing years ago and has lived since 1876 in a
garden sitting and sleeping on the ground and eating
whatever his followers offer him. Visitors come by the
thousand who propound every sort of question and evince
unbounded faith. Statues to this 19th Century saint have
been erected in a number of temples. The business of the
meeting was concluded while the sun was still high
in the Heavens upon this typical March day so aptly
described by Dickens as " March when the sun
shines hot and the wind blows cold"

Mary Bentley Thomas