St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-22

our neighbOrs come to seem quite ordl-
nary.
think it can only be superficial
observer or at least a novel reader who
believes such things. "We cannot look
however imperfectly upon great man
without gaining something by him,
''Carlyle has told us, and have proved
it true. A great soul wears halo
about it that lights up the homely de-
tails of our every day life as the sun
when it comes near the earth at setting,
shines on dull gray clouds and changes
them into splendOr.
And then, our neighbors are not COR
binary" people. [ have tried in vain
to find the "vulgar populace )" each one
] meet is a distinct, peculiar individual.
Present company is never the "they"
about whom we generalize, and we
might 90 on talking with all the world
without finding the "OtheT folks"
Even the wrecks of humanity, the
ones who fill our .jails and prisons, and
the ones who stay outside only by the
courtesy (O of good citizens, have some
thing about them which indicates noble
blood.
"There was the stuff in him to make
a man, HE is naturally good heal ted"
are remarks frequently made about
persons below the pale of respecta-
bility.
On the other hand we find the men
and women who fulfilled the hope that
was in them-herOes and herOines who
would have graced 1876, or 1920, or any
date i'll history. Rare indeed among
the multitude and SO near to us that
we can hardly discern them from the
multitude.
As the tone of atiolin of rare and
exquisite workmanship, strengthened
and mellowed by age, may not be dis
tinguished in the immediate din of the
orchestra, but away back where, as |
have heard, the noise of the other i'll
struments cannot even reach, it sounds
clear and sweet, 50 up in heaven, |
think, where the din made by coarse,
selfish souls hasting to be rich, to be
famous, to be master,-cannOt come,
the harmony of these rare sweet souls
is distinctly heard. And the angels of
God there listen and applaud.
1t is profitable and in no way harm
ful to become acquainted with the
heroes of the past. 1t is quite as profit
able to meet the great ones of our own
time. They are here though we do not
know them just as certainly us there
were seven thousand holy men in Israel
when Elijah thought there was but one.
Their presence keeps the earth sweet
and lengthens out the patience of God
toward us.
Is it thought there is no call for
herOism now-that the times are we'll
tO-dO and common place, nay that they
aIe Just such as our fathers died to have
them-that there is nothing for us but
to enjoy
This in face of the fact that Intem-
perGnce is rampant in the land-the
monster who sets our laws at defiance,
| who eXacts an annual tax from us
greater than Great Britain ever dream
ed of doing, who wages Il war against
us more merciless than the wars Of the
savage Indians, who sells our strong
men into slavery in spite of our COnsti-
tuition, who spares neither age nor sex,
who keeps himself not on any borders,
but brings desolation into every coun-
try village.
Hardly house in which there is not
one dead. And yet-sO many tories
and copperheads aud towards that the
army of temperance workers cannot
make much headway against him.
Listen to the excuses: 81 sell meat
to the rumseller, ought not to be ex
pected to fight ;"-'I furnish him vege-
tables-make my living that way.-let
the women enlist :" 81 am his family
phyScia and would remain his friend :"
II am il lawyer and retained in his in-
terest :" 81 am peaceable citizen and
want no quarrel with my neighbors :;
81 do not want my barns burned :" 81
cannot have my trade injured the
monster take my sOn-perhaps the wO-
men Will go and pray him back"
Oh, the love of money, the love of
money, the love of ease, the love of
lust Monsters who have made triple
monsters who cry "Givel givew and
will not be satisfied. They seize upon
their victims everywhere ; one comfort
after another goes to crafty their greedy
demands,-self respect, the sense of
honor, the love of truth, all the finer
qualities of the soul, the peace of home,
the love of friends, health, conscience,
every thing that makes life sweet or
worth the living and oh, the cowardice,
the inanity, the utter helplessness with
which we look upon these ravages!
What great need there is, what great
lack of men who are willing to pledge
their lives, their fortunes and their
sacred honor for the protection and the
safety of their iresides!
Not that the lack is absolute, nor
that God is left without a witness. See
the bands of noble women every where
organized and doing brave, soldier-like
duty in defence of their homes, and
here and their man towering above
his money-lOving, ease-loving, time
worshippers of Baa1. Elijah among n'~
A year and half ago in a village
across the lake there was strange ex-
citement upon its election day. Rough,
ragged men rode up to the poles in
costly carriages. Free drinks and free
rides were furnished 10y the rum inter
est of the place and the streets were
filled with drunken men.
In quiet little church the WOman's
Temperance Union held prayer meet
ing for it was a hand -to-hand contest
between this WOman's Temperance
Union and the great hotels for the souls
of the people of their town.
The women had to offer with their
temperance ticket only the blessing OF
God OH right-doing; the hotels had
''places" in their gift, and rides, and
rum. And they prevailed.
But that dark. disgraceful day was
not without its lines of light there
was the prayer meeting with it's hand
full of women in the quiet church, and
at the poles was man, Il minister, who
had left his sermon and his books in the
early morning and come there to stay.
Was he needed there? He thought so.
UnscrupulOus men were on hand with
money and tricks who cursed the nniet