St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-12
LOVE IS The GREATEST
"Fhe Persistence Of a Conyie-
ton" Sermonized On by
Rev. DR.. Vail,
Z
From the Admirable Text,
'.The Greatest of These
Is Love-"
4
Work Of Christian Men and
Women Among the Boys
Of the Street.
An Inspiring Theme Treated
in a Sympathetic Way by
the Preacher.

On November day, when the sky is
dark and the great flakes of the early
winter snow are falling and blowing
around in ali aimleSS sort of way, the
call of the street boy has an impressive
ness peculiar to the time. for one seems
to see at home vision Of cheer in the
open fire. the parlor lamp, and the paper
he carries in his hands promises a
double charm. Several years ago
young woman of this city, viewing such
sights, asked herself if something could
not be done to help the street boy to
better prospect by instilling in his mind
DObler ideals, a higher view of life. And
in attempting an answer the thought
came to her as an inspiration that if the
teaching of Jesus meant anything it
meant that love was strong, practical
power.
This inspiration deepened into call
to her to take up this Work-a call not
peculiar to herself, but call like that
of some man who hears the wall of dis
tresS and teels thrilling every nerve and
fiber OF his being desire to help; who,
retreating to the forests, hears the voice
in the leaves that rustic, and the waters
that sing calling him on Like that
which little Tom Brown heard in the
dormltory of Rugby school when he had
been afraid to perform duty on ac-
count of the scorn of his playmates. and
tossed through the night with the voice
of reprimand declaring that he had
Denied EliS Lord.
and felt as if friend and foe was pointing
the finger of scorn towards him; and
while this woman did not hear the
voice of reproach, it was con-
stantfy in her mind that she should
take up a work in this spirit of love for
the relief and betterment OF these boys.
Of course, the public doubted this plan.
The public is always Influenced by its
established precOnceptiOnS,a and its ideas
we're firmly ingrained in its mental tex
ture. The public said God had estab-
llshed method of dealing with men
that was perfectly clear he offered
them repentance, and if they did not |
accept that burnt them in hell. The |
average man SAID he knew this street |
boy. and that the only way to get obedi-
ence was to force it. He said if you |
pitchfOfk in case you would insure sue |
cess. TO persuade tiger you approach |
him with red-hot poker. And street |
boy, it was argued, must have a similar |
kind of treatment. Such were some of |
the difficulties that lo0med up before !
the mind, as the proposition was still |
maintained that love is the greatest |
power
:, Now turn to the work. A man-oue at |
least-had felt the necessity of such |
work as this. His faith was sustained
by his action, for he gave of his money
to support the home he saw established
TO carry Oh the intention be believed to
he worthy. In time the home was
abandoned for a club room, and the
work proceeded on different lines from
those undertaken at the start. 1t has
helped boys who were in need. 1t has
picked up waits from the waters of the
SWirling flood that was bearing them on
to destruction. 1t has made both fail
ureS and successes. Its constituency is
sometimes large, sometimes small: il
has met with varied fortunes; but in all
it has record that shows many bows
who there got their first idea of some
thing better than they had before they
entered those walls.
The Work Stands Justified
by the visible results. Daniel Webster
once had a case in which the shape,
size and general character of certain |
wheels were made important, and the
opposing argument of the eloquent
Choate was a strong theoretical and log
zeal argument against him. But the
sagaciouS Webster had concealed the
wheels under some cloth, loosely thrown
over them, and, when he arose to adj
dress the jury. simple said: "Gentle-
men, there are the wheels; look at |
them" And this Institution simply |
says: There are the tangible results; |
look at them"
Turning from the outer aspect, | have |
tried to go over the feelings of these /
people as they progressed with the work |
and met its difficulties. With the diff |!
cuities in view, and the belief of this !
woman that love is the greatest power, |
l coupled the fact that we often come to |
feel that powerful pressure we never !
realize until it is brought fully home to
our eXperience-the pressure of an IN I
different public opinion. This pressure
has always had an analogy in my mind !
to the snow fall of the early year. when
the day is not cold, when the wind is
Stilled, when the damp white fleece falls
in great handfuls of feathery white |
ness, when it seems as light as down,
but suddenly asks us to remember that
gathered as an avalanche it is able to
crush cities in its grasp as it thunders
down the mountain in awful majesty.
And like this avalanche, formed of an
element that is so light. indifference to
things that are very dear to us gather
weight until they weigh upon US with
crushing power.
1t is so hard when our hearts are
filled with an enthusiasm to have peO-
pie smile patrOniZlng smile as ii to
say, he is very kind, but not practical.
There was a world OF bitterness, but
also a little pathos in the voice of Wen
idell Phillips when be turned from
jeerng crowd of educated men to say,
81 am not speaking to you; l am speak
ing to your grandchildren" And there
is a joy i'll being sustained by public
sentiment in floating on the top wave
lof popular cause after it has won its
battle, that always appeared to me akin
'sto physical feeling one has in riding
summer sea on perfect day with the
sea winds in his garments and the salt
spray in his face. And the lack of pub
Iglie sympathy Overshadows men with
The Gloom of Loneliness.
!. That makes the popularity of the
man of genius. This man is upon the
!. bleak height of the mountain. where
/ other men have not climbed, and stands
|, alone. So are those who work on an
|, idea that is remote from the common
and accepted notions of people. They