The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-03-16
Devoted to Duty.

In recent address suggested by the
birthday of Washington Congressman
W. G. P. Breckinridge spoke of Wash
ington as the type of Taen who do their
duty daily. He was the elder brother
of the engineer who sacrifices his life
that the lives of the passengers on his
train may. be saved, OF the hospital nurse
who faces death cheerfully that she may
minister to the sick. Noble men and
women are to be found in all ranks and
stations; some have opportunities to dis
tinguish themselves in !he eyes of men,
others pass obscurely to the grave, but
their distinguishing characteristics are
always love of truth and devotion to
duty. Very often one hears a lad, fired
by tales of heroism on the battle>field,
bemoaning the fate that has signed to
him prosaic life, with no Opportuni-
ties for distinguishment. He thinks
that he, too could and would prove his
courage if put to the test; he, too, would
make name ia history il opportunity
offered. But What is ne now doing to
show that he possesses these higher
qualities? Is he devoted to study in
small things, earnest and resolute? LII
not, he is not being trained for great
deeds of sacrifice. The high qualities
that distinguish the few great men who
occupy the pages of history are devel-
oped haphazard from any seed or ire
spective of the enyironing conditions
The noble man loves truth and follows
it unfiinchingly. He is devoted to duty
in small things as well as great, and it is
because he has been noble all his life
that when the great opportunity comes
that permits him to display his qualities
before all men he becomes distinguished
above his fellows. Some men, his equal
in all respects, may never have the OPP
portunity, but the opportunity would
be of no use or value to the man without
the qualities and training. The ambi-
tious boy should not emulate the deeds
of great and good men, but try to &C
quire the character that makes such
deeds possible, and he cannot do better
than begin by being earnest in his de-
votion to duty at all times and under all
conditions. He may not then have his
name blazoned as that of Washington,
but he will belong to the came class and
the greatness of his deeds will be meas
ured only by his opportunities. There
is every incentive to the young man and
young woman whose ambition has been
stirred by reading tales of good and dis
tinguished men and women to make de-
yotion to duty the guiding principle of
their lives. Duty done is source of
happiness; it leads to promotion and
material rewards and it builds up char
acter SO that if occasion should arise
fame may be won through lofty achieve
ments. 1t j. a mistake, however. to make
fame the chief aim of effort, for it can
not be commanded by individual effort
The accidents of time and position may
bring it to the undeserving or withhold
it from those who are entitled to it. But
it is a laudable ambition to desire TO
deserve fame, and any man deserve
it by the daily performance of the du
ties of life. Who is there to measure the
difference between the devotion to duty
of the mother who cares for her children
and brings them up to be great and use-
full men and the devotion to duty of her
sons called to some high public station?
In the address by Mr.. Breckenridge from
which quotation has been made he said:
1.-The best educated woman L ever knew
did not know how to spell according
TO Webster and wrote with her knitting
needle, but she knew how to manage a
I,iantation of 5000 acres and trained her
boys to do great service for God and
man and to make everybody around her
better and nobler when they came in
contract with her." And this type Of
the true mother, to be found in many
thousands of households, was made so
by devotion to truth and duty. What
does it matter that her name IS IN
known to history? She has blessed the
world by her presence in it and has won
the crown of immortality.