"Man," says Emerson, "can paint, or make, or think, nothing but Man." Most of all is this interest shown in the fascination which personal history possesses for him.

"Man s sociality of nature," says Carlyle, "evinces itself, in spite of all that can be said, with abundance of evidence, by this one fact, were there no other: the unspeakable delight he takes in Biography." Great, indeed, is the human interest felt in biography! What are all the novels that find such multitudes of readers, but so many fictitious biographies?
What are the dramas that people crowd to see, but so much acted biography?
Strange that the highest genius should be employed on the fictitious biography, and so much commonplace ability on the real! Yet the authentic picture of any human being's life and experience ought to possess an interest greatly beyond that which is fictitious, inasmuch as it has the charm of reality.

Every person may learn something from the recorded life of another; and even comparatively trivial deeds and sayings may be invested with interest, as being the outcome of the lives of such beings as we ourselves are.
The records of the lives of good men are especially useful.

They influence our hearts, inspire us with hope, and set before us great examples.

And when men have done their duty through life in a great spirit, their influence will never wholly pass away.