Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-07-20

have never heard. Sparta knew the name,
of her men that perished in the gap a
Ihermopyla, but America will never know
how many of her gallant sons perished il
the densof Richmond.
But there is another band that claims &
place III our memories and our hearts to-day
and they are the immortalized heroes of the
revolution. That glorious band of patriots
which thronged Independence Hall in the
city Of Philadelphia, SO years ago to-day
Where are. they now? Alas They toe
have passed away; but their deeds have not
No, nor never will. To-day their names
not their names alone, but their deeds and
declarations--com up before us with as much
glory as ere before Their deeds of great
ness made us nation, and now that natior
is being cemented by the blood of their sons
Their names have been chronicled in history
among the great of the world, and can never be
obliterated They lived lives devoted tC
the service of God, and their country, and
while the ivy is silently creeping over their
peaceful graves, and they are receiving the
reward of their labors, their deeds of patri-
otlsm and greatness are being rehearsed by
their posterity with heartfelt gratitude
for the good which they have done The
poet loves to dwell upon their memories in
his poetical stanZas while the heart of
\ 1oung Auferica is fired by the adventures
of Washington.
But we must pass on. The next who
commands our attention is the juvenile
band; or the children We are not called
upon to pay Il tribute to their memories fol
deeds of greatness which they have done,
but with the hope of hearing from them in
after hfe3 to speak words of cheer to them as
they proceed In their onward course. We
have quite number of them present to-day
who, We believe, are ncarly all soldiers in
the Sabbath school army.
You are rapidly approximating to a stage
OF existence, which many in this audience
have passed. And have you ever thought
of the numberless blessings you enjoy of
which others are deprived, or how much
better you are situated than others Did
you ever reflect that while Sabbath after
the Sabbath school, there are thousands of
children possessing faculties not less sus-
ceptible of improvement than yours, who are
to live throughout eternity, that are doom
ed to live i'll ignorance, poverty, and shame,
and whose alterations are paid to dumb Idols?
And since your position III society is as much
superior to theirs, are you content with that?
While you are permitted to live in this civ
ilized and enlightened land, in the 7th de-
cade of the 10Th century, have you ever
thought of the duties and responsibilities
devolVing upon you-or have you concluded
to remain dormant upon the stage Of mortal
action, and pass away without leaving one
marked impression of your worth upon the
mind and hearts of society? This certain
ly is not, or at least should not be your aim
But then how are you to become useful
There are many ways By the improve
ment Of your time you may lay the founda
tion of a useful life, not only to yourselves,
but to all around you. All the great and
good men that have ever lived, were once
Where do we first find the illus
trious Washington In the cradle. Then
as years roll on, and his fathers cherry tree
became prey to the hatchet of young
thing about it, he gave evidence of his bra
very by frank confession Of the deed
Newton, Shakespeare, Locke, Napoleon,
and jackson, with hundreds Of others who
have lived, and whose fame viii ever live,
passed their days Of infancy and boy-hood
in obscurlty Queen Victoria was once a
little girl The celebrated poetess, Mrs. He
mans, roved over hills and dales in the day Of
sunny girl-hood aud you, by the wise i'm
provement Of the time allotted you, may all
become as useful men and women as they.
'Tis true saying, 'that we cannot all soar
to the summit Of fame, but we can, at
least, drink of the crystal fountain which
gurgleS from its base You know nothing of
what awaits you in future. In few years
those who now occupy important positions
N church and state, will be called from the
stage of action. It will then devolve upon
you to fill the positions which they occupied.
It is for you to say whether you will FIJI
5hem with credit and honor to yourselves, or
not.
The reason why most of our great men
Ire SO much superior to others is, that they
nave taken more pains than others. Glib
BON who wrote the decline of the Roman
empire, with other valuable works, was in
MS study every morning, summer and win
er, at o'clock. Sidney Smith says, 'All
ruly great men have commonly passed the
irst half of their lives in the gross darkness
If INDECENT humility. Thinking while others
;lept. Reading while Others rioted Feel
ng something within them that told them
hey should not always be kept down a
nong the dregs Of the world and then when
heir time was come, and some little acci-
lent has given them their first occasion,
hey have burst out into the light and glory
# public life ; rich with the spoils of time,
nd mighty in all the labors and struggles
# the mind :"
Life isrepresenteda as voyage-we embark
n the cradle, pass over the sea of life, run
he blockade of death, and anchor in eter-
lity. How proper then that we labor to
tore our minds with useful knowledge |
Consider and act with reference to the true
nds of existence This world is but the
of an immortal life Every action |
f your lives, touches upon some cord, that
7ill vibrate in eternity These thoughts |
nd motives within you stir the pulses of a |
spirit. Act not then as mere
of this life, who, for a while, are
0 walk the hills and forests and then pass
way and be forgotten. But labor to accom-