Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-21

the ortcast. One of the younger boys
becomes merchant, starting at the
foot of the ladder but climbing on up
until his success and his philanthropies
are recognized all over the land. The
other son stays at home because he
prefers farming life, and then he thinks
he will be able to take care of father
and mother when they get old.
Of the two daughters: when the war
broke out one went through the hos
pitfalls of Pittsburg Landing and For
tress Monroe, cheering up the dying
and the homesick, and taking the last
message to kindred far away, so that
every time Christ thought of her, he
said, as of old, "The same is my sister
and mother" The other daughter has
bright home of her own, and in the
afternoon-the forenoon having been
devoted to her household-she goes
forth to hunt up the sick and to en-
courage the discouraged, leaving smiles
and benediction all along the way.
But one day there start five kilograms
from the village for these five absent
ones, saying: Come, mother is dam
gerously H." But before they can be
ready to start, they receive another
telegram, saying: Come, mother Is
dead" The old neighbors gather In
the old farmhouse to do the last offices
of respect. But as that farming son,
and the clergyman, and the senator,
and the merchant, and the two daugh-
tiers stand by the casket of the dead
mother taking the last look, or lifting
their little children to see once more
the face of dear old grandma, want
to ask that group around the casket
one question:: "Do you really think her
life was worth living?" A life for God,
life for others, life of unselfishness.
useful life, a Christian life is always
worth living.
l would not find it hard to persuade
you that the poor lad, Peter Cooper,
making glue for living, and then
amassing a great fortune until he could
build philanthropy which has had its
echo in ten thousand philanthropies all
over the country-I would not find 1t
hard to persuade you that his life was
worth living. Neither would l find it
hard to persuade you that the life of
Susannah Wesley was worth living.
She sent out one son to organize Meth
odism and the other son to ring his
anthems all through the ages. / would
not find it hard work to persuade you
that the life Of Frances Leere was
worth living, as she established in
England school for the scientific
nursing of the sick, and then when the
war broke out between France and Ger
many went to the front, and with her
own hands scraped the mud off the
bodies Of the soldiers dying in the
trenches, and with her weak arm
standing one night in the hospital
pushing back a German soldier to his
couch, as, all frenZied with his wounds,
he rushed to the door, and said: Let
major-generals standing back to let
pass this angel of mercy.
But know the thought in the minds
of hundreds Of you today. You say,
while l know all these lived lives
worth living, l don't think my life
amounts to much" All! my friends,
whether you live life conspicuous or
inconspicuous. it Is worth living, IL you
live Alright. And / want my next sem
tence to go down into the depths of all
your souls. You are to be rewarded,
not according to the greatness Of your
work, but according to the holy indus
tries with which you employed the tall
ents you really possessed. The ma
jority of the crowns of heaven will not
be given 70 people with ten talents, for
most Of them were tempted only to
serve themselves. The vast majority
of the crowns of heaven will be given
to people who had one talent. but gave
it all to God. And remember that our
life here is Introductory to another
1t is the vestibule to a palace: but who
despises the door of a Madeleine be-
cause there are grander glories within?