St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-07-22

To the presence OF Famei she would eind with tnt
prize
CFor which men have striven in prose and in rhyme
With canon, evangel, by virtue by crime,)
The brow Of the toiler whose mission had brought
To summer and fruitage the spring buds Of thought
stand erected meath wide-spreading trees
From which the contestants should utter their
pleas
The voice of the crowd to be taken by all
As verdict impartial whoever might fall.
How hearts beat that day, for the prize within
What wonders were wrought by the magic OF
speech
And nobody knew, till they spoke from the stand
How many great people there were in the land.
No mind had conceived on the face of the earth
How much common people supposed they were
worth,
Or reckoned at what astonishing rate
Some people will grow, when they take their own
weight
Then man much abused, much honored, appeared
Some gave him groan, and some Justify cheersd
His mission-to fight single-handed, alone,
The sins Of the people well rs his own.
In the drama of Time, with the hgh-born and low
Some part he had acted for veal or for woe,-
Now grscing the scene with sweet budding rod.
Then serving calf, made of gold, as a god
Rebuking, one moment, a uyrants DESIRES
Then forging his shaekles and lighting his fires
The powers of sin laying low in the dust
Then staining his robes with the blood of the just
But his glory greatly exceeded his shame
That few were more worthy the honors of Fame.
He wore Calvin's shoes they were narrow but
stout.
Elected, predestined, tO-never wear out
His title to heaven mortal could lose
Who once. set his feet in those marvellous shoes.
His coat was Arminisn, a Free-Will, loose sack
Which might any moment slip of from his back -
Not meant for an ecclesiastical show,
But to do lowly work in-shout glory and grow
For water he had Unsuitable thirst,
And felt all the better the he immersed
His hat was broad -brimmed and it shaded a face
Which gowed with the lustre of heavenly grace.
As he spoke of the cross upon which Jesus hung,
Ineffable sweetness flowed forth from his tongue
And out Of mems souls suoh melody made
As flows from the harp that is skillfully played,
He told OF the Book of all Books God had given
How 1t purified earth and guided TO heaven:
| OF millions below and Of millions above
Who had learned its sweet truths of God and hi
love,
Till many lips said; Thine the chaplet of Fame
|
He was born late in time but just where and jus
| when,
None knoweth,-a child of the slow moving pen,
Yet agile thought, with tongue tor all speech
And a strange omnipresence destined to reach
| The children of men in earth's loneest nook
And teach them the wisdom of God in a book;
Each day for the million in letters to trace
A miniature copy of yesterdays face,
And give every morning, at dawning of light
| The echo of voices that died with the night.
a wonderful child with mission sublime
A second APOSTLE, born out of due time
Possessing for knowledge the same ardent thirst
| May God give him, also, the grace of the first
His vision of glory his sanctifod brains
And all that he knew, but the prisons and chains
Then Fame stood in wonder nor knew which t
bless
For some cried, THE Pulpit and some cried
The Press ~
The Pulpit as victor one moment was hailed,
Then shout for the Press up, and prevailed
As armies contend for tho standards they bear,
The cries of the multitude strove in mid-air;
The tumult increased the crowds swayed t
and fro!
The sea of white faces grew whittier than snow
| tame sounded tne trumpet Sne wore al nef Slue
The tumult sank into whisper and died;
Both Pulpit and Press to her will sweetly bowed
And stood, face to face, with hands clasped an
the crowd
Beheld, with approval, the triumph of Fame,
Pressed forward to listen and heard her proclaim
"One chaplet wOve; only one may be crowned
Two claim the high honor; both worthy found
One stands by the altar one stands by the wheel
Yet both stand for God; tongue of flesh tongue
steel!
One heard through the silence of sabbaths; OF
speaks
In silence amidst the uprOar of the weeks
Their mission il one; one, the heart they address
One spirit should animate Pulpit and Press;
God is one truth is one the universe DER;
Truth, printed or spoken, is truth evermOre
Proclaimed at the altar sold on the street
At much per annum, much per sheet,
Wrought out at the desk, in the type-room COZ
posed
. Found in leader, sermon however disclosed
, Still, Truth is the same, and her ministers one,
. ! Be they mitred aproned with orders, O non
Ordained at the desk unordsined at the case,
Both are priests unto God each serveth his rae
Roth stand in the true ApOstOcal line
And the calling of each is a calling divine.
The preacher needs grace to know what should
= said
1t needs just much to know what should
read
But few will receive the Lords truth in the pew
While thousands will take it mixed up with L
news.
II pure must the priest at the altar be-less
Men cannot allow in the priest of the Press.
, His parish is bOundless; he forces his way
Where preacher hath never yet ventured to pra
B., For an audience greater than Pulpit can show,
He gathers each day, all the gospel they know.
Should he publish the story Of Christ and the jew
= How many would know it from yesterdays new
For, whore Bibles are closed till some one is dea
The paper is taken, and read, and re-read
y And frutless the efforts Of Pulpit to bless
= II fought through the week by a scurIilous Pres
All hail the glad time when though tOiling apa
q The teachers of truth united in heart
The priest in the apron, the priest in the gown,
. Shall preach the same gospel through temple a
:. town,
And The Truth, whom the world grante'
: tomb
Shall find at the Inn of the Press there Is room
II Behold, as the promise and pledge of that hour
e The Pulpit and Press stand, to-day, Is one pow,
Their conflict is ended their union complete
d The chaplet is theirs, il is laid at their feet
F.. Henceforth, when the Press speaks the will of
II Pen,
n The Pulpit shall rise up and answer-amenl
Her messages, spoken for virtue and God,
- The Press shall repeat them and bear them abro
Hold the truth To the heart amidst the week s str
And bring Sundays thought into action and life
The Pulpit shall learn the world s style of addre
u A little more gospel will sweeten the Press
IL The Pulpit grow strong by the Editors chair
al The Press will improve with a little more pray,
e The nail. driven Sunday, with tender appeal
'e Shall be clnehed. through the week. with hamr
= of steel