Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-04-12

f"itNiu- pa 10 tultAchCc pun tutll OWL careers,
may bring some tribute to the grand treasury
Of organised results. AID yet. time, chance,
occasion. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. may desig-
nate the avenue Of succsss-is wanting aud all
that rcmasss a. the reward Of wearing toll is a
fruitful harvested broken hopes. Often the chih-
ling frost falls upon the earnest purposes OF our
lives. To some it is given to view the prom
ised land from aiar. but not to gather its
grapes or retHce in the abundant flow Of its
milk aud honey Oaly an improvement of
The great opportunities Of genius. perseverance,
selfreiiauce. backed by the great sutomator,
.dustry. can DO great things He believes
with Tennyson-
al hold il true, with him sho 6ngs
To one clear harp in divers tones
That men may rise on stepping stones,
OF their dead selyes-to higher things"
lie believed tina, hopelessness and despair are
crimes in those who may breathe the free air
aud glory in The sinewy strength Of redeemed
humauity-if they would.
After referring to the changed conditions
which may be wrought ~ new Efforts, new
requirements, broader views aud stronger
grasps. he remarked that there were those who
He below SO far that no touch Of self-regencr-
alton may reach them-the listless, apatheiic
nouenttics who exist in stagnancy and grooves.
The cxcitements Of the sravest events, the in
spiratiou Of the greatest ideas stir nothing in
their leihargic souls Examples are every
where running through every scale Of tho ga
mut-every letter Of Che lphabes-from the
petted aud perfamei insouciGat Of the draw
ing room down 70 the wretch who spittles aud
whittles life away upon the sunny side Of viii
lase street-oT wakes the echoes Of his own
inauity as be marks, with idle heel, the flight
Of Frecioss hours, upon the battered drum
bead Of au empty store-box.
There are men who waste their lives in q
continual stated waiting, Micawbcr-lke, for
&c slmetLiug 70 turn up the politician, for
instance, who hangs on the ragged edge Of
distracted cauous, ia the hope that Lightning
may strike his way Frisiog in his am ition,
that bis own may be the uuearned good luck"
to be led from the stall Of bis obscurity and
be brought upon the track, in al the blaze OF
sudden glory which surrounds the dark horse
in the stable"
There are those 90 whom Providence has al
lottcd busy, bu. quiet secluded lives, afar FROM
all the great transactions Of the world, to whom
no opportunity Tor greatness or distinction has
ever come. Perchance, under different clrcum-
stances. theirs nigh; have been tho names 10
shiue 90 the pages Of history
" Some village Hampden. that. with dauntess
breast,
The li,,le tvrau. OF bis fields wlthstood,
some mute. iuglorious Milton here may rest,
some Cromwell guilsless Of bis eountrys
d. hood"
There are those who sacrifice splendid gent
Us, talents fortuue on the altar Of wasted OPP
portuuity lie ueei not go far back into the
pages Of history for Illustrations Of these
There was a day when a word FROM a great
Statesman, G,ly spoken, might have turned a.
side the dark cloud Of civil strife and avertei
carnage and bloodshed. Aad after the storm
broke over US, wasted opportunities occurred
from Cirrick's Ford 10 Gettysburg, from Vicks-
burg 20 APpoma,tox-opportuuiiy after op-
portunity was wasted, until a conquered Couu-
try lay bleeding. like Cesar dead at the base
Of pompeys statue. from needless aud super
auous wounds Who cares. said Judge Hoge,
TO be reminded how submission came in the
train Of exhaustion, aud so-called Peace fol-
lowed exhaustion and the vultures Of recon-
struc,iou were let loose to batten upon the frag-
meuts left from the Eagles bloody feast
Yet the recent history is not without, its
brilliant examples to teach with what results
70 the glory Of a name aud the honor Of a
people opportunities may be seized aud
wrought Into the reality oF grea, deeds, the
memory Of which is undyiag. lie mightre-
call the name Of oue-eulogy q whom to your
ears, at least, can never become exuberant and
exaggerated. No chance or possibility Of war
escaped bis keen purpose-no opportunity Of
successful conflict eludeI his watcLful percep-
ton and ready execution. But yesterday, as
/, were The devon, and simple professor filed
the measure Of obscure duty in Que Of your
scho9ls-to.day his 0ame is an accepted and
admitted synonym Of al that {, great and
heroic lie need not utter that name 10 this
presence; Gut be who gave to a living, breath
ios breas,work Of stou, hc,rts the resistess
integrity Of a s'0as-'c1H. needs neither stored
urn nor monumental bronze to perpetu1ts a
memory which is immortal
lie then said that after defeat had been en-
the gloom Of disaster had been
i.lumined by imperisbable glory, submission to
necessity had been crowded with
lofties, dignity ?, was bard TO abandon the
dreams % four bong aud troubled years; TO
surrender tbe hopes which hal nerved the arm
nr battle and checrel the solitary sadness Of
the silent tivouac to turn the hand which
had just graspei ,he sabre 70 Che homely plow
20 tread the long burrows Of the corn-6elI with
che step which had seet time 90 the march OF
victorious legions. They found IL no easy duty
O. hang cp their bruised arms and return 10
the Qriet pursuits EhicA were Frightened by
90 CLEAN % hopeful patriotism. TO men came
fha 1qnrars n }ss,afr-,f hon,'s-s.,,s, -