Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1897-02-02
:
Gordon DIfee.

Broddtoay Rouss, By Nary
Gordon Du6ee.
Having reviewed the struggle and tri-
umphs of our subject in times of peace
and military warfare, and that period
of even more terrific war of business, 1
turn to the study of his personal character
istics wherein are revealed the strong and
poetic elements of a heart deeply attuned
to sympathetic touch for all humanity.
Not in his philanthrophy. nor his tireless
zeal for the uplifting of the race, is there
snch singular and touching evidence
to be found as in one single instance so apt
ly and gracefully described by gifted
writer who has the honor and privilege
of knowing him long and we'll
"The most beautiful trait of Charles
Broadway Rouss' entire character is his
love for his dead. In nothing is it more
touchingly shown than in the fact that
when with an intimate friend he never
drives in the upper portion of the city of
New York without passing by the house
wherein his brilliant and gifted son who
bore his nams and who was to perpetuate
his dynasty, died in his manhood's ear
lest prime, and as he passes the slight
bowed form raises ITSELF to the old famil-
lar, soldierly attitude of " attention. and
the gray head is reverentially uncovered
with the dignity and pathos peculiar to
those who having often faced him know
best of all the power and the dignity of
Death. 1t was in this calamity more even
than in the directly personal one of his
present practical blindness, that Mr..
Rouss showed the ineness of the fibre
of which he is composed. Crushed al
most to earth as he was by this rending
of his hearts strings, he found time to
write to friend in affection words which
show alike the greatness and the grasp
of the man:
~ say U are downcast. This must
not be. U still have hope.
~ say U are i'll. You will find hope
it may not conquer. If it does not cure
the disease. it will destroy the fear which
makes the disease terrible. No man can
be utterly lost who has not abandoned
hope. Hope is the father of all the great
and omnipresent ideas whichhas sustained
the world since time began. While there
is much we cannot know, while there is
more we cannet see, let US not lose
heart OF hope. Hope is the medicine of
the miserable and profit of the poor. -
And there can be no better apostrophe of
the man than this. Such natures may
+,, of
environment. But as fact, such natures
daily grow rarer and more rare. 1t will
pay the workaday ones to pause and study
the lessons of this mans life, for genius
such IS his comes but seldom to a CEN
fury. f"
With the building of costly monuments
and funerel offerings. the first intense
grief soon subsidies with the large number
of persons; intervening days, months and
Indifference and forgetfulness usurp the
throne where once the idol reigned. In
ageneral sense one would naturally i'm
agine the continual whirl of excitement
and toll in which Mr.. Rouss spends his
life, would estrange him from his finer,
intenser thoughts and regrets. Not so,
however. On the contrary, like faith
full devotee, he pays lofty and solemn no.
mage to the shrine of his affections, the
Mecca of his loved and lost In all that
is lofty and loyal to Truth, to Consistency
and fadeless affection, he is as true and
stalwart as yesterday, and will be for
ever. This single act, think, is the
real keynote of the mans nature, and
the rest of the song rises, thrills, and
trembles on the air. until ten thousand
hearts he has comforted and aided echo
the strain SO loud, so long and clear, his
name is borne over all the Earthland.