The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-22
THEIR PATRON SAINT.
ENGLIsHMEN ATTEND SERVICE ~
HONOR OF ST. GEORGE.
SC0TCHMEN ALSO PRESENT.
REV. j. l.. SCULLY TOLD OF LIFE OF
THE SAINT, AND ITS INsPIRA-
TION.

| Besides the Societies n Large Con-
ErcgatiOn Present-Address Fol-
lowed Regular Evening Service.
st. Georges HIstory-Was a Chris
tian Hero md Martyr. and Is stiii
Honorcd by Christians and Nus
MISUNDERSTANDING Patron saint
and nm Inspiration for All of Eng
Innd's Race-Banquet Tomorrow
Night.
The Victoria Society and st. Andrews
Society attended ST. Paul's Church last
/ night to hear an address on St. George,
delivered by Rev. J. L. Sculiy, rector of
St. Pauls. Besides the members of the
two societies there was an unusually
large congregation. The address followed
the regular evening service. For his text
Rev. Scully took Ruth Ii: Now it came
to pass in the days when the judges rul-
ed. that there was a famine in the land.
And certain man of Bethlehem-judah
went to sojourn in the country of Moab,
he and his wife and his two sons"
Mr. Scuiy pictured this emigration of
Ellmelech's a man leaving home and coun-
try, and all their associations and memo
ries, but because driven by necessity, and
not through any desire to rid himself of
his obligations of citizenship or religion.
With this case he drew a parallel to
those that have gone forth from their
parent country through stress of circum-
stances, or, perhaps love of adventure,
but who in their adopted country retain
a loving remembrance of their native
land; the village church. the abbey's
ruins. and their own hills and valleys
painted and made beautiful by the hand
OF God
Addressing the societies, Rev. Sculy
| said, II am glad to have you here, meet
! ing as you have met, to keep alive those
! old memories, old faith and old love. You
! are here to celebrate St. Georges Day. a
! Gay that should be kept a red letter day
in the annals of EngIand's history. Mem
orable, as it is, not only because of the.
! Saint, but because, on it's eve was born,
and on the day itself died, Shakespeare,
| who wrote the greatest books outside of
| the inspired word ITSELF -.....
| ''Why," asked the speaker, lis this fes-
| tival not kept to-day? The Welshman Is
| loyal to st. David the Scotchman TO st.
u. x.
| st. George has been neglected, because
he was slandered. In the early days, in
| the renaissance of religion, French
| scholar said there had been no such per-
| son as St George; later another said
| that there had been such a person, but
| that he was not Saint; he had usurped
| the place Of Athanasius in the Archbsh-
| opric of Alexandria. This story was reviv-
| cd by Gibbon so that England turned
WA
and also neglected Edward, the Confess
| sor
st. George was a Christian saint and
! hero of about 303. AS such he met and
| combated the foes of the church He
| showed great heroism and deep faith, and
SO holly lived, so magnifcently toiled, and
SO faithfully preached that he has left
| an undying name. At his grave in Syria
both Christian and Mussuiman kneel to
| do him honor.
AS the patron saint of England he was
recognized by such men as William the
| Conqueror. the Edwards, and Bede, the
| historian. and so in the days of the Cru
sades. when lighting to wrest the Holy
Land from the Pagans, the English fought
| and conquered under the aegis of ST.
| George. What is there in a name? Go
among the English midshipmen and see
| the effect of the name of Nelson. of Ira
| falgar. Go among the soldiers and men,
| ton Waterloo and BalaclaVa And so ST
| George has become an inspiration to men.
I'VE hear much recently" went on the
| speaker, ''of the decline of England: Eng
| land can never die. She who gave birth
! to such philosophers, writer's, historians.
| statesmen and builders can die only when
| the race dies. England may grow too
small for the race, even the United States
| may grow too Strengthened, but the race
| will live on. If a hundred and fifty years
! ago man had told of the might to
which England would attain, of the
| growth and prowess that now belongs to
the United States, men would have laugh
ed him to scorn. but these countries are
| still growing. looking for new lands to
conquer. not for slavery, but to give free
| dom.
why have dealt with St. George? Be-
| cause we need to review these things; to
| get an inspiration from the past. You
have seen how an inspiration in recent
times kept the old flag flying; how in
South Africa after siege and beleaguer-
ment, the first thought of the defenders,
! when relieved, was of the flag, and their
first and proudest word, We kept the old
| flag flying
| In this country, too, you've got to keep
the old flag flying. There will be at
tempts to undermine the constitution of
| the country; there will be times when
| men will barter honesty for position. 1t
will behoove every man in this country
TO be loyal to 1t. and you viii be the bet
| ter off If you keep alive the Cross of St
George. The days are coming when the
people of this country will look back
with love TO that right little, tight lit
| tie. isiand'
And If it Is incumbent upon you to keep
the old flag flying, is 1t not incumbent
upon you also to keep the old faith fly
| Ing. to bring up your children to re-
| eeive from 1t the conscience and courage
of st. George; to battle for the cross and
their faith" 1t FL
Tomorrow night, st. Georges Day, the
! Victoria Society will have a banquet at
the knights of Pythias Hail. The coasts
will be: Victoria" by Rev. j. l.. Soul
! ly; The President" by Mr.. p. A. Sto-
vail; Savannah. the Home of Our Adop-
tion." by Mr.. Percy Sugden. and 'Wo-
man." by Capt. Henry McAlpin.
REV. MIR. ANTHONY's SALLY.