The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-12-22
DR.. COllyer on Misunderstanding.

Rev. DIR. Robert Collyer, in New York, on
recent Sunday, selected for his text pas
sage from that portion of the Book of Kings
where Jehu, in bidding Jehonadab good
give me thy hand" In Introducing his
sermon DR.. Collyer said that the forefathers
called hand-shake handfast, as the shake
of the hand was the outward expression Of
an honest heart. He continued: "The
thought came TO me quite naturally, as it
may have come to you when you read the
story some days ago touching the men of
great eminence in the nation who have been
good friends as friendship stands among
those who want to stand highest among us
by climbing on the shoulders Of their fell
lows; how they met in company and one
held out his hand comrade fashion, and for
this sign of handfast, but the other, saying
no word, simply refused the grip, because
he had good reason to know that there was
no truth of the heart in il or LOYALTY. And
the question has been limited at our firesdes
and in the marts of business, as well as by
the journals that help to do our thinking for
us, while we have drawn our own conclu-
sionS very much as we found ourselves on
this or that mans side of the question that
has far wider reach, and, as we think, a
deeper one. 1t may be no secret, also, that
my own heart has not been drawn latterly
to the man who stood there quietly and held
back his hand for the reason we have heard
of. 1t was drawn to him on the instant, and
day 1t was brave thing to do and true,
and holds the lesson we may all lay to our
hearts, that If loyalty of man to man, be-
fore the incident is quite forgotten. | said
that we imagine other questions touching
such men so far wider and deeper-wider
they may go, deeper they cannot go, if your
American citizen of emnence or lowliness
is to be also a gentleman of real honesty,
without fear and without reproach | move
no previous question, but take up the ques-
ton just as it stands. He might be right in
the thing he had done who held out his
hand for handfast and he may have been in
the wrong before this one who stood still
and would give neither grip or word or sign.
But on that instant and in what was done
what he had written could be proven, and
his longtime friend was true there and
then-who was his friend no more. 1t was
no more a question of good manners, but of
truth in the inward parts and sincerity and
loyalty to word and deed. And so | said
the truth stands as good for one time as for
any and all time. Here is the truth to be
made good again, as it seems, by such re-
iteration, that l must also bestow good heed
how give my hand when | cannot give
something from my heart with it. When
my fellow-man has good reason to know
when this is the truth about handfast, he
must not accept it, but must refuse the sign
and pledge. The true lesson of the day is
simply this. We are often known to give
our hands, and usually do so fifty, for l hate
to believe in the total depravity of the hand,
and, apart from all questions that go before
or come after, the gentleman who drew back
the other day did the true thing then and
there, while it would be better for them
both, as it would be for all men of their call
ing and standing, if they did not do quite so
much of it, especially at certain times and
SaagouS'