Wichita eagle., 1886-10-09

| Other faces are forgotten but that one never.
A good mother made the great Wesleys; q
mothers kiss made painter of Benjamin
West, and the religious training of Eliza Bal
lou made Garfield great man. How proud
the great and introduced her with pride as
my mother Yet she never changed; she
came from the log cabin to the White house
and lost none of her simplicity of character.
He entered the seminary with 81
in money. Now the church put her
her arms around him. On the 4th of Noyerl-
Der, 1850, he was baptised and and added to
the church. From then the church has held
him. She took him from a rough boy in
poverty, loved him, protected him. gave him
his highest inspirations during his life. Oh,
| why does not the church go out among the
poor and gather them into her arms. She
may then find another Eliza, another James
Garfield
1t was simple faith the young student ac-
cepted; such a faith as the Christian church
today offers. From the seminary,
he went to Hiram college The great
secret of his success was his thoroughness
He loved boys better than men, He had a
great respect for boy, ''for, he would say
you; never know what possibilities are
wrapped up in his coat He was never too
busy to give his children some of his time
| The speaker met him once in busy session of
congress going down to the depot with his
boys to pat horse upon the cars for Men
tor. Neither of the boys took more relish in
the sport than their father.
A band of boys at one time during the
campaign met him at the depot of little
town near New York city. They were
dressed in fantastic costumes and had their
horns and drums When the train came they
gave three cheers for Garfield. The
great man came out upon the platform and
saluting them made an address. That group
of boys will never forget such kindness. He
took advantage Of opportunities. He went
to Williams and back again to Hiram, and
during it all kept his life pure and sweet.
He often would speak from the pulpit while
q teacher at Hiram. yet he never intended to
give up his life either to teaching or the min
istry. All the time he was studying law.
The nomination was offered him to the legis-
lature. His friends advise this course
and that, but he went to his
mother and she said il he could carry his
religion with him to go. He went and in a
spirit of prayer, never feeling ashamed Of
religious professions Faith and truth with
him was natural and spontaneous. He was
always sincere, large hearted and true to
principle from beginning to end
His life was typical At the inauguration
and in the presence of the great crowd he
turned from kissing the bible, to plant kiss
upon the lips of his mother and wife.
From that time the family was recognized as
of the nation.
The nation felt for him in the illness of his
wife. Then came the assassination. The
prayers of the nation arose for him, for his
wife, for his family. They all became Of
interest TO the world: his two true e-hearted
boys and the little girl that the father loved
so dearly They even stood beside that grave
at Mentor, above which was plain slab to
his Oldest child, ''Little Trot who wins the
crown without the conflict
In 1862 at Washington, was built the little
edifice of the Christian church. Judge
Black and Garfield both met in worship
there. Before then the congregation met |
they could get room. at one time
during the administration Of Andy johnson |
who was also a member of the same church, |
- L.. yIvl-
not able to raise enough money |
went to Garfield and Black to intercede with !
Johnson and secure the minister a place in |
the treasury department. and thus give him |
an opportunity to make his living. Soon it |
became noised about that there was a con-
spiracy afoat as these three men had been
stem clOseted together.
A reporter, pencil in hand, asked Garfield |
it. After some hesitancy he said:
Yes, there was a conspiracy to have the gos-
Del preached in Washington according to the
I'D principles of the Disciple church. He
vas spoken of as the praying colonel in
he army.
The speaker then followed with many more
Incidents from the life of the president illus
ration of his purity, charity and kindness.
Garfield was not sectarian. His was a
imple character and his gospel was broad
1e never hesitated to testify to it. Even the
ooseness Of political life in no way affected
i'm.
He was temperate and taught it to his
amily. When told state dinners must have
TineSs said he could abolish state dinners.
fairfield and Insersol were friends, but the .
ormer had none of the infidelity of the lat
sr He was perhaps the only friend who ,
liked seriously to Ingersol upon religious
latters. II he hal been man without
nth he could not have quieted an 5
ngry mob and turned them
ON rapine and bloodshed with j
le memorable word, God reigns. I
Id the government at Washington
i'll lives"
There was sort of cloud over his life. i
rom the time he received the. election he t
ID not see one joyous day. z
The speaker then reviewed the sad days
hen the president lay dying, and most elo-
lently spoke of his funeral pageant and the
epth of sorrow in which his death plunged ;,
he nation and world.
THE SEVENTH DAY ADvENTISTs.
The second day Of the services at the Il
IMP meeting on the West side commenced y
4. a. /