Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-06-25
THE "RECORDING ANGEL"
The Use OF symbols.

MONUMENT WOULD REALLY s1dNIFY.
In the summer Of 1928 the late Gen. j. W.
Phelps, then youth Of II or 10 years, at
tended select school in this village under the
instruction Of Eastman Sanboin. Young
Phelps, for his studiousness and good con-
duct, was a favorite Of Mr.. Sanborn, highly
esteemed by the whole school and all who
knew him. His selection Of subject for
defamation one Wednesday afternoon 80
pleased Mr.. Sanborn that he caused Phelps
to repeat II on other occasions. SO long
time has elapsed, remember it imperfectly,
but can repeat some portion of it which oc-
ours to me at this time;
"what does not fade The tower that long bath stood
The crash Of thunder and the warning winds,
Shook by the slow but destroyer, Time,
Now hangs in doubtful ruins DER It's base,
And hinty pyramids and walls Of brass descend
Achaia, Rome aud Egypt moulder down.
Time shakes the stable tyranny of thrones,
And tottering empires crush by their own weight
At the town meeting on Saturday, June u,
there was a lively discussion as 10 the most
appropriate figure to crown the contemplated
monument to the Brattleboro soldiers Of the
late war. 1t was said by several able partici-
pants in tho discussion that 'the only proper
thing is the figure Of a soldier" and not
''nondescript mythical thing called a Record
ing Angel" With all due respect for the
opinions of those who differ from me in this
matter, beg leave to call their attention to
the foregoing quotation, which 80 forciby re-
minds us Of the peTishable nature Of all ma
terial things. Nations, empires, have passed
away, but they live in history. The grandest
works Of human genius have yielded to that
''slow but sure destroyer, Time, and but for
the recording angel of history we would be
as ignorant az the anoit mt native BTitons or
North American savages. In short education
is but a study of the recorded opinions, ex-
periencCs and observations of those who have
gone before up. To many OF our citizens
this figure would be an appeal to the higher
nature a spiritual significance link between
the natural and spiritual, heaven we some
time hope to see-thus shedding a halo of
more than earthly glory around the last rest
ing places Of our noble dead. Whether there
is or ever was Recording Angel, has no
more to do with the matter than the same
query in regard to Vulcan, Neptune, Ceres,
or any other of the so-called immortal divin-
tiles of antiquity embalmed by Homer three
|
these names are used by modern writer's for
what they imply or symbolic. Over lottery
office door in this village more than 60 years
ago was placed large figure Of Ceres with
her horn OF plenty from which issued bar
vest of the dollars one was sure to obtain by
buying ticket. never heard that any one
here believed in the existence OF this goddess
of the harvest but after few months ex-
perience the farmers in this vicinity did be-
iieve it required an extra good harvest TO be
able to patronze this ofiice TO any great ex
tent II any person here believes in the eG-
isteuce of a supernatural being called a re-
cordng angel, it probably wont damage him
very much, aud may be a check upon wrong
action.
1t has always been customary to make use
OF symbols. The American Flag" written
by Joseph Rodman Drake in 1895, though
abounding 10 metaphor and largely deficient
in literal fact, is.yet one OF the most thrilling
inspiring and beautiful compositions iu
American classics
"when Freedom from her mountain height
Unfured her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe Of night
And set the stars OF glory there.
Then from his mansion In the sun
She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand
The symbol Of her chosen land.
majestic monarch OF the cloud,
| Who rear'st aloft thy regal FORM
To hear the tempest trumpngs loud
| And see the lightning lanees driven,
Where strive the warriors of the storm
And rolls the thunder drum Of heaven.
Child Of the sun, to thee tits given
To guard the banner OF the free,
To hover In the sulphur smoke,
To ward away the battle stroke,
Aud bid Its blendings shine Afar,
The harbngers Of Victory.
Flag Of the seas on ocean wave
Thy stars shall glitter DER the brave.
when DEATH eareeriug on the gale,
Sweeps darkly round the belied sail,
Aud frighted waves rush wildly back
Before the broAdside's reeling rack,
Each dying wauderer Of the sea
Shall look at once to heaven and thee,
And smile 70 see thy splendorH hy
In triumph DER his closing eye.
Flag Of the free hearts hope and home!
BY angel hands to yAor given,
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome
Aud all thy hues we're born In heayenl"
"Above all things, don't have woman o
the monument, said gentleman. Freedom
Liberty, have always been personifed in tn
feminine gender; and in all the importar
episodes of history, in all great exigences an
mortal trials, is the feminine element eve
prominent.
"Who longest fingers at the bed Of death,
With kisses winning back the neeting breath
Pale sentinel DER cool and paer clay
Last at the cross and earliest at the grave,
> o woman ts thy chosen hour to save
When manhoods naughty crest has fallen low,
Shattered and broken by the stunning blow."
No more appropriate reply could be mad
to the gentleman to whom l allude in Ii
foregoing than the reply of Englands virgi
ii -lo,.
The distinguishing traits of humAnity-in
aginaton, ideality and spirituality-we mu
have or sink below the brutes. Do we realil
4 how much We owe to the ideal? We certain
ly can do no worthy thing without 1t, and Il
higher our attainment in its cultivation Il
greater and more perfect will become OIL
practical attainment. Many men who see
to be almost destitute of it are largely, thoug
unconsciously, benefited by its existence
the minds of Others To express conteml
for and try to trample down this, the highe
. gift of the Creator, il not done ignorantl
must be the objectionable sin. DIR. Frankl
n said, THE Almighty is the greatest artist
K the universe" In nothing do We make
. near an approach to divine attributes as
D the art of construction. Compare the ruC
y mud huts of those people possessing little,
NJ any, ideal, with the structures Of peop
70 largely ideal The Brooklyn bridge was
ideal before an actual. We feel our weakne
sensibly when we try to comprehend th
massive miracle of stone and iron generate
q by that mysterious, invisible agent or NOV
of the hand. No man has yet seen th
wonder-working spirit, for he is in the temp
behind veil no mortal hand can move,
u The young man who originated this symh
: of history which we name Recording A
gel" long since left us for a foreign shoT
A description of the product of this mag
light of genius, suddenly flashing forth und
our wintry skies generation past, is as va
for me to attempt as to paint the rainbow
the songs of birds. Truly, "a thing OF bea
ty is a Joy forever" The story of his yout
full and highly successful effort in our villa
has gone over the civilized world and boz
translated into several languages, therel
causing Brattleboro to be widely known
the early home of the gifted artist, Larkin
Mead His fame is secure never fading Ia