Milford chronicle., 1903-02-27
ne box In wricn trembles the mnrrct-

rne box In which tfembleS the maG1ct-
ic needle l. '-ouI Diain N
all the laws Of tie com IS; he
tell you that 10 matter riich ~ "a
ship PROV turls l. N. gretic needle
always points tOU..al tie nor,h pole.
Then the passage of that ship over the
trackless deep can be made to you very
simple and plain. When we attempt to
explain George WashingtOn's career
without the ail of divine compass,
ali is incxpiicable, but when we find
the cross as the magnetic needle, guild
ing him over the troubled sea Of life,
then mans impossibilities become
Gods easies."
WashingtOn's Divine Compass.
Henry Cabot Lodge summed up the
character of George Washington in
these beautiful words: 4 see in Wash
! ingtOn a great soldier, who fought
trying war to a successful end, impOs-
sible without him; great statesman,
who did more than all other men TO lay
the foundations Of Il republic which
has continued in prosperity for more
than a century. l find in him mar
velous judgment, which was never at
fault; Il penetrating vision which be-
held the future of America when it
was dim to other eyes; Il great intellec-
tual force. will of iron, an unyielding
grasp of facts and an unequaled
strength of patriotic purpose" But,
above and beyond that fine conception
of Washington's character, see a still
hfarInors / in him n frrnnf
mind and heart, but l see God i'll that
mind and heart, using him to win su-
pernatural triumphs. l see George
Washington able to overcome the |
greatest obstacles of the Revolutionary /
war. Why? Because l see George |
Washington on his knees in the SHOWS |
of Valley Forge. l see George Wash |
ington overcoming the besetting diff |
culties of his presidential life. Why? |
Because 1 see George Washington as
soon as he had taken the oath of Office
going to the sacred chancel There, as
a humble supplicant, he begged the
protection of him who was King of
kings and Lord of all. l hear George
Washington turn to his old friend, DR..
Craik, and say, Il die hard, but l am
not afraid to die" Why? Because the
Christ who had been his guide through
life was his comforter in death Oh.
my brothers and sisters, would that we
might one and all have the same di-
vine reinforcement in life's struggles
that George Washington had. Would
that we might be able to use the cross
as a magnetic compass to guide us over
the troubled sea of time into the
smooth, unrufiled sea of eternity.
Thus we draw near to the close of
the earthly career of this greatest of
all Americans. His life and death in
one sense shall in all probability be
Just the same as our life and death.
He longed - earnestly and intensely
lOnged-fOr the time when he could re-
tura to the beautiful fields of his dearly
beloved Mount Vernon. When that de-
lightful day at last seemed near, he
wrote those happy words: Il have re.
tired from all public employments and
shall tread the paths of private salts
faction. EnviOus of none, | am deter
mined to be pleased with all, and this,
my dear friend, being the order Of my
march. | will move gently down the
stream Of life until sleep with my IA
TIERS" But. alas, alas, less than three
years after George Washington return
ed to his beautiful Mount Vernon there
was heard a rustic in the air. The
death angel few down and knocked at
his door, and within a few hours he
was gone. So with our lives. We may
look forward to a happy and glorious
earthly twilight. but in all probability
life for all of us means continued work
to the close 1t will mean hard work
clear up to the end Then when our
work is DONE whether we'll or poorly
done, God will call us, and we must
go. We shall go in all probability as
George Washington went-quic5ly, un-
eXpectedly, with hardly warning.
May we one and all live as he lived.
Be able to die as he died. Live in the
hearts of those with whom we have {
come in contact: live rs Washington
has been-a blessed father of many
nations"
copyright, 1903 by Louis Klopsch.l