Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-04-03

Sllences ne udu uOno WOrK WHICH many
a man who lives on to go and 20 and 81
years never accomplishes There is a
| great deal of senseless praise of Ion
gevity, as though it were a wonderful
achievement to live a good while. All,
my friends, it is not how long we live,
| but how well we live and how usefully
we live. A man who lives to eighty
years and accomplishes nothing for God
or humanity might better have never
lived at all. Methusaleh lived 900
years, and what did it amount to? III
all those more than nine centuries he
did not accomplish any thing which
seemed worth record. Paul lived only a
little more than sixty, but how many
Methusalehs would it take to make one
Paul? Who would not rather have
Paul's sixty years than Methusaleh's
969? Robert McCheyne died at SO
years of age and John Summerfield at
81 years of age, but neither earth nor
Heaven will ever hear the end of their
usefulness. longevity Why, an ele-
plant can beat you at that, for it lives
$50 and 200 years. Gray hairs are the
blossoms of the tree OF life il found in
the way of righteousness, but the frosts
of the second death if found in the way
of sin.
One of our able New York journals
last spring printed question and sent
it to many people, and among others to
myself: "Can the editor of secular
journal be Christian? Some Of the
newspapers answered no. l answered
yes, and lest You may not understand
me | say yes again. Summer before
last, riding with Mr. Grady from reli-
gious meeting in Georgia on Sunday
night, he said TO me some things which
now reveal for the first time because
it is appropriate now that reveal them.
He expressed his complete faith in the
Gospel, and expressed his establishment
and his grief that in our day so many
young men were rejecting Christianity.
From the earnestness and tenderness
and confidence with which he spoke on
these things / concluded that when
Henry w. Grady made public profession
of his faith in Christ, and took his place
at the holy communion in the
Methodist Church, he was hon
est and truly Christian. That
conversation that Sunday night, first in
tho carriage and then resumed in the
hotel, impressed me in such way that
when l simply heard of his departure
without any OF the particulars, / con-
cluded that he was ready to 60 war
rant there was no fright in the last ex-
igency, but that he found what Is COM
monty called ''the last enemy" good
friend, and from his home on earth no
went to a home in Heaven. Yes, Mr..
Grady not only demonstrated that an
editor may be Christian, but that
very great intellect may be gospelized.
His mental capacity was SO wonderful it
was almost startling. have been with
him in active conversation while at the
same time he was debating to stenog-
rapher editorials for the Atlanta Consti-
tuition. But that intellect was not
ashamed to bow to Christ. Among his
last dying utterances was a request for
the prayers of the churches in his be-
half.
There was that particular quality in
him that you do not find in moro than
ono person out OF hundreds of thousands
namely, personal magnetism. People
have tried to define that quality, and al
ways failed, yet we have all felt its
power. There are some persons who
have only to enter a room or step upon
platform or into a pulpit and you are
thrilled by their presence, and when
they speak your nature responds and
you can not help it. What is the pecu
liar influence with which such mag
netic person takes hold of social groups
and audiences? Without attempting to
define this, which is indefinable, will
say it seems to correspond to the waves
of air set in motion by the voice or the
movements Of the body. just like that
atmospheric vibration is the moral or
spiritual vibration which rolls out from
the soul OF what we call magnetic
person. As there may be cord
or rope binding bodies together,
there may be an invisible
cord binding souls. A magnetic
man throws it over others as . man
throws a lasso. Mr.. Grady was sur
charged with this influence, and it was
employed for patriotism, and Christian
lty, ana elevated purposes.
You may not know why, in
the conversation which l had
with Mr.. Gladstone a few weeks
ago, he uttered these memorable
words about Christianity, some OF which
were cabled to America. lie was speak
ing in reply to this remark: / said:
''Mr. Gladstone, we are told in America
by some people that Christianity does
very well for weak-minded men and chill
dren in the infant class, but it is not
fit for stronger-minded men; but when we
mention you, of such large intellectual
ity. as being a pronounced friend Of re-
ligion, we silence their batteries" Then
Mr.. Gladstone stopped on the hillside
where we were exercising and said:
1.-THE older grow the more confirmed /
am in my faith in religion. Sir;' said
he, with flashing eye and uplifted hand,
Talk about the questions of the
day, there is but one question. and
that is the Gospel. That can and will
correct every thing. Do you have any |