File:Connecticut Valley Historical Society, Springfield, Massachusetts; a maintenance fund of one hundred thousand dollars to be established by members and friends of the Society (1912) (14777637095).jpg

Identifier: connecticutvalle00conn (find matches)
Title: Connecticut Valley Historical Society, Springfield, Massachusetts; a maintenance fund of one hundred thousand dollars to be established by members and friends of the Society
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Connecticut Valley Historical Society
Subjects: Wesson, Daniel, 1825-1906
Publisher: (Springfield
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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in itspossibilities. This disposition of the Wesson house is also a rather im-pressive example of the unexpected manner in which thingsoften work out even in the brief history of a generation ortwo. The shrewdest and wisest men never know as they areplanning and studying what is to be the ultimate developmentof that to which they are giving so much of their time andstudy. We may imagine that to the construction of thissplendid dwelling the late Mr. Wesson gave much of the strongmental powers and of the keen business ability for which hewas noted. We can fancy how the project grew in his mind,how carefully the details were worked out, and how at everystep the plans were made with the consciousness that it wasa home making. It was the working out of one of the mostelevating of ambitions and a man puts much of his personalityand of his feelings into a house which he is building for hishome. In many ways it is often the most intelligible indexto his character and to his nature. ■I^^Ma^
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In the building few men stop to think of what is to ulti-mately become of the work in which they are engaged, but,even if there is a dream or a vision or an ambition, its uncer-tainties can not fail to be impressive. The purpose of even thegreatest minds do not reach clearly beyond the grave. Thereis no telling how the ideas of one generation may adapt them-selves to the conditions of another. It is thus that sometimes men build better than theyknow at the time. Whether there is a Providence that worksin the affairs of men or not it is a fact often noted that theresults of individual endeavor are vastly greater than couldbe imagined and very much different. It is hardly possiblethat the late Mr. Wesson could have dreamed as he plannedand carried to completion his beautiful residence that he wasreally providing a future home for the historical society. Heknew that he was at least building well, and there is the lessonfor the men of any generation. Good work is never lost. Onthe other h

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