Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-03-18
StOnewa11 Jackson as Deacon.
Dr. Whaling in Central P,es5yte,ian

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parent superior gifts of mind, will
no rare attachments in scholarship
without any unusual skill as teache
in instructing or disciplinarian il
controlling young men, and his lif,
promised to be the uneventful on,
of the ordinary teacher following
the tread-mill routine of his pro
fession, whose name should b,
cherished only in the narrow circles
which bounded his circumscribeC
influence. He was known to be the
soul of honor, genuine to the core,
Christian with all his heart, but nc
one could know perhaps he least
of all that this somewhat cratic
awkward professor had gifts OF
the very highest order that would
make his name as memorable in the
annals of history as that of Alex
ander or Napoleon, and that the
eye Of the world would one day be
fastened on this classic retreat in
the embrace of the mountains,
because here this incarnate genius
of war, with the modest yet heroic
soul, lived and wrought and
prayed, and that visitors from afar
would press to yOndcr cemetery,
bringing the reverence Of the world
with them, as they stand uncovered
around the monument which the
skill of the artist has made at once
the fit expression of the man of the
brave soldiery who followed him.
of the dauntless spirit of the Con-
federacy which dwelt in captain
and soldier alike, and that here
after all true mems hearts would
burn within them as they read on
the noble monument under which
his ashes rest, the sublimely simple
inscription, "Stonewall."
Standing before this monument
one wintry day, studying the
features and the attitude of Valen-
tines inspired statue, | asked an
old war-wOrn Confederate, who was
a member of the Stonewall Brigade
during all its history, and had
known all of its hardships and
marches and dangers and glorious
victories, what was the secret of
his great leaders, unbroken record
of success, he said: she made
his soldiers believe he was irwin
chile, and with broken voice, he
continued: "He was invincible:
and as God had decreed that the
South should not succeed, he had
to take 'Stonewall' away"
But in these pastoral medita-
tions to-day, the man who sits in
this study to which the great
soldier often came, thinks of him
as the Christian saint and ideal
deacon: the model church officer.
whose record of faithful service is
4 priceless possession of this church,
which enrolls his name first on it's
'oster Of deacons. ale used the
,ffice of deacon well, and so
purchased to himself a good degree
md great boldness in the faith
which is in Christ Jesus"
He was INDEPENDENTLY present
It the deacOns' meetings. To a
'rother deacon who tried to explain
lis absence from previous meet
ng by saying that he did rot have
ne time to attend, so urgent were
he demands of his business, this
God deacon said: 81 do not see
ow at this hour we can lack time
or this meeting, or can have time
or anything else, seeing that this
our is set apart for this business.
He was always ready to do the
'ork of a deacon. In the olden
avs the negroes were frequently
TENDERS of the church of their {
lasters, and the collections were
ade by the deacOns going from |
Ouse to house to receive the
ferings of the people. This f
eacon had his district, and on one @
'casiOn he reported, as was his t
ont, to his pastor, the result of
IS DIAGONAL canvassing, giving
lie usual names of the accustomed :,
beral contributors, and in addition
me unusual names with smaller "
which puzzled the :
,loved and laborious pastor. whose =
e usually knew all the details of e
S church's life. He said, "What :,
,es all this mean?" The deacon !"
sponded, "These are the rel gu ',
RS, and these are the militia, !,
nom have it well to bring into b
ton too" That was "Stone- >.
llPs way; and the church y
icers would do well everywhere
look after those who have not II
t become ecclesiastical regulars. ct
He was liberal and systematic a
mself in worshipping God with n
s substance. He practiced the II
he; and upon well remembered al
when there was con- q
egational meeting to discuss the W
st mode of increasing the reve- by
es of the church, this deacon hit re
2 nail with swift stroke on the on
ad, as he recommended to the hi
lrch members to remember the pl
command "not to rob God in III
hes and offerings and enforced 81
3 command with so earnest and an
liking an address as to lead. one BIZ
Il able to judge IAN eminent
'ine) to say. "Why, the major
s really eloquent today col
acons who give as they ought, pei
,yho nruo cyivin ~ ON cpriptiIral Elr