The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-12-03
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIZE.


It was my good fortune to be Wis
fling ut the house of man when he
received news of his election to the
presidency. To my young mind the
mere thought of such high honor
was bewildering; / could not picture
how I would act in such oircum.
stances. But did have vague no.
ton that n man at such q time
would act in dramatic" fashion,
call to the gods for aid, ask high
heaven to witness his gratitude,
register his vow of loyalty to duty
and Deity. Here, then, was an oppor.
tunity to test my theory, and j
awaited results with keen anxiety.
We were ut breakfast when tho tele.
gram arrived. His wife tore it open
and, her voice all in tremble, read,
You are elected beyond the shadow
of a doubt" l looked closely at the
lucky man. Not a muscle moved
not the slightest change in his ex-
preston was visible. He was silent
for few seconds, and thon. as he
broke open an egg, he quietly OBJ.
served, Mother, that egg would
suffer no injury if kept another
year. Really, l was tempted to
throw my cup of coffee Mt him, his
levity seemed SO sacrilogious. Ihatcd
him because no was so lacking in
human nature. Half an hour lator
| was passing tho stables. Looking
in, | saw tho cold bloodod" presi.
dent olcct standing by tho side of
his favorito horse. Ono arm was
thrown over its neck, his face was
buried in tho manc, and his whole
frame was convulsed That very
human sido of his nature which ho
kept out of sight, oven when sur
rounded by his own family, he had
revealed To his dear old horse. AS
passed on | realized that my boy
hood idol was again on its old ped
ostal and know that tho making of
"a president had not, in this case,
boon tho unmaking of man.
Lot mo close with this ono page
from Garfield's life. Ho had won
tho great prize. Three months ol
bitter strife with politicians over
spoils of Office followed his inaugura-
ton and exhausted tho little store
of nervous energy which remained
after long and exciting electoral
campaign. Rest was an absolute
necessity, and ho started on u brief
holiday-a visit to his alma mater,
in tho Now England hills. Smiling
rs no walked into tho railway sta
tion at witty speech of his friend
Blaine, no fell mortally wounded at
the hands of half crazed assassin.
They carried him to tho White
House-tho political Mecca of many
millions-and for weeks his suffer
ings were beyond description. had
u friend who was with him from
first to last, and no gavo mo this lit
tlo picture of tho closing days of
Garfield $ life. Suffering bred fovor,
and fover revived his old love of
the sea. Ho begged to bo carried to
the Atlantic, and his wish was law
Ono morning my friend, at Gar
folds request, lifted him so that
his dying eyes might talio in "a widor
sweep of tho old Atlantic. And
whilo my friend held in his arms
tho wasted figure Of his old friend
ho told tho president how tho whole
nation was also looking toward tho
sea, yes, and praying that God
would help and bless thoir chief
magistrate. Garfield pressed tho
hand of his friond and whispered {;
"Ho has blessed mo. Could man ask
moro than such lovo and sympathy
from such IA people, y fow hours
later tho president had put aside
forever place and powcr-raid with
his lifo tho awful price of success.
Tho prizo is great; tho prize win
ners arc tho envy of tho many. But
| have it on tho word of six presi-
dents of tho United States that oven
tho winning of this great prize in
the lottery of lifo but throws into
clearer rolief tho great truth, What
shadows we are, and what shadows
we pursuo?" ?"-Fortnightly Review.
A Coffee PHI.