The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-12
rant new south, a new nortf1, a new east or


a new west. They have SONS old war
speeches that they prepared in 1861, that in
all our autumna1 elections they fed called
upon toinfict upon the country. They growl
louder and louder in proportion as they are
pushed back further and further and the
henry W. Gradys como to the front But
the mandate. think, has gone forth from
the throne Of God that new American ma
tion shall take the place of the old, and the
new has been baptized for God Snd liberty
and justice and peace and morality and re-
igion.
And now our much lamented friend has
gone to give account. Suddenly the facile
and potent pen is laid down and the eloquent
tongue is silent. What? Is there no safe
guard against fatal disease? The impersona-
tion of stout health was Mr.. Grady. What
tompactness Of muscIei What ruddy COM
ple1ionl What flashing eye Standing with
him in group Of twenty or thirty persons at
Piedmont, he looked the healthiest as his
spirits were the blithest. Shall we never feel
again the hearty grasp Of his hand or be
magnetized with his eloquences Men of tho
great roll. men Of the pen, men Of wit, men
of power if our friend had to 60 when the
call came, so must you when your call
comes. When God asks you what have you
done With your pen or your eioquence or your
wealth or your social position, will you be able
to give satisfactory answer? What have we
been writing 81 these years? Ii mirth, has
it been innocent mirth, or that which tears
and stings and lacerates? From our pen
have there come forth productions healthy
or poisonouss In the last great day when
the warrior must give account Of what he
has done with his sword, and the merchant
what he has done with his yard stick,
and the mason what he has done with
his trowel, land the artist what he has
done with his pencil, we shall have to give
account of what we have done with our pen.
There are gold pens and diamond pens and
pens Of exquisite manufacture, and every few
weeks see some new kind Of pen, each said
to be better than the other; but in the great
day Of our arraignnent before rne Judge Of
quick and dead that will be the most beauti-
full pen, whether gold or steel or quill, which
never wrote a profane or unclean or cruel
word, or which from the day it was carved,
or split at the nib, dropped from its point
kindness and encouragement and help and
gratitude to God and benediction for man.
May God comfort that torn up Southern
home and all the homes Of this country and
Of all the world which have been swept
by this plague of influenza, which has
deepened sometimes into pneumonia, and
sometimes into typhus, and the victims Of
which are counted by the ten thousand! Sa-
tan, who is the "Prince of the Power of the
Ali" has been poisoning the atmosphere in all
nations. Though it is the first time in our re-
membrance, he has done the same thing be-
fore. In 1896 the unwholesome air of Cairo,
Egypt, destroyed the life Of ten thou.
sand in one day, and in Constantinople in
TIA three hundred thousand people died oft.
I am glad that by the better sanitation OF our
cities and wider understanding Of hygienie
laws and the greater skill Of physicians these
Ifg fba hY1p
being resisted but psstilential atmosphere is
still abroad. Hardly family here but has
felt its lighter or heavier touch. Some Of
the best of my flock fell under its
power, and many homes here repro
sented have been crushed The fact IS
the biggest failure in the universe is this
world If there be no heaven beyond. But
there is, and the friends who have gone there
are many and very dear. o fearful eyes,
look up to the hills crimsoning with eternal
morn! That reunion kiss will more than
make up for the parting kiss, and the wei
come will obliterate the goodbye. 1.-THE
shall lead them to living fountains Of water
and God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes," Till then, o departed
loved ones, promise US that you win
remember us, as we promise to remember
you. And some Of you gone up from this
city by the sea and Others from under
southern skies, and others from the homes of
the more rigorous north and some from the
cabins on the great western farms, we shall
meet again when our pen has written its last
word and our arm has done its last days
work and our lips have spoken the last adieu.
And now, thou great and magnificent soul
of editor and oratori under brighter skies
we shall meet again. From God thou camest,
and to God thou hast returned. Not broken
down, but ascended. Not collapsed, but ira
dated. Enthroned onel Coroneted onel
Sceptered one! Empsradissd ORAL Hail