Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-02-23
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presny-
terrain Cnurch, Chicago


and the Christianity OF "the Father OF
His Country" as worthy Of tie emula-
ton of all good Americans. The text
IS Genesis xvii. 4, Thou shalt be a
father or many nations"
Among the monarchs Of Europe there
"a only one whose lot | consider envl-
able. Justin Mccarthy once wrote that
the prlnces who were born TO thrones
ought 10 be the most pitied of all men.
Tie kings and queens Of Europe. as
rule. are doomed to lives of oppressive =,
ond circumscriGed servitude. The .
would be assassins are always skulk- /,
tng around. ready TO dig their graves. /
Kings cannot marry those with whom T,
they fall In love. as other men are al
lowed to do. When they wed. consid-
eratiOus Of state policy and OF inter
national alliance govern the choice OF
a partner. aud they must not marry
simply to satisfy the cravings OF their
own Eearts. They must breathe, Tor
the most part. tie tainted atmosphere
OF sycophantal praise and insincere
adulaton. Royalty has its drawbacks
as we'll as its dangers; but there is one
conspicuous example OF their being
overcome. Even freeborn American
citizen can afford to admire the do
nestic relations Of the German emper-
or. The SIX bright. healthy. intelligent
boys and tie lovely little girl who
compose his family circle are group
TO make a fathers heart glad. To be
the head OF such family is more graf
ffyiu., than to be the head of the Ger.
man empire.
II was so that the beautiful Cornelia
felt whom she declared that no wealth
was cou,narablo to being the mother of
the Grrcchl. What then. must be the
10y Of that man who is told that he is
10 b. the father of many nations.
For thrt reason the Hebrew people
honor the name of Father Abraham;
for that reason the American people
ought TO horror the name of George
Washington. AS the Hebrews to this
day veneratc the man from whom their
race srrnng. 50 we have in the leader
ard fnr~dor OF our commonwealth
mcu whose character Is worthy OF all
our honor and veneratiOn. Thousands
upon thousands Ct pilgrims have jour
witch arr supposed To he buried Ia
ther Abraham and Sarah. his wife On
This national holiday in Imagination
we should he willing TO journey TO the
Mount Vernon tombs in which slumber
the moldering bodies of Father Wash
ington ard Martha, his wife. We should
on the Washington's birthday be glad
10 give up at least one service TO the
study OF the life and the character Of
this great and good man, whose name
not only towers above all other names
In American history, but whose life
has won the admiration of other ma
lions as well as of our own.
Wen Rounded Man.
George Washington was well round
ed man. His was not the brilliant gen
Jus of Napoleon or a Richelieu or
Mazarin or Cardinal Wolsey. iii
military career was not spectacular
Nike that of Arnold or Greene or Mo-
gan or Light Horse" Harry Lee
Mad Anthony Wayne. His pen wa
not facile. like that OF Hamilton
jefferson. He had no oratorieal gift
like those of Henry or Adams or WI
liam Pinkney: but. as he had not I'll
dazzling talents of such men. neitht
did he have the moral weakness
which married their characters.
Wherever we touch the life and cha
acter OF Washington there we find tn
II he had any genius, "his." as Dav
Gregg wrote, "was the genius of cha
ncter," and OF character alone. AS
boy he was not brilliant boy. but
good boy, noble, high principled be
We do not have to refer TO the fabl
hatchet story to prove this. There q
still preserved In his own boyish han
writing the famous rules lie made
govern his future life. which he wr'
out Mt thirteen. Among those rules ;
these words: "Endeavor to keep al
IN your bosom that little divine sp;
called conscience" As Young m
we do not End him br liant yor
man. but conscientious and painst
ing young man. He was appoin
public surveyor by Lord Fairfax. WI
Because Lord Fairfax knew that WI
the plodder. George Washington. reeo
ed measurement there would never
q doubt OF the one fact, that that me
urement was right. AS a matured u
we cannot portray the well round
ness OF washIngton's life better Z
by quoting these words written by
Lear. his private secretary. who Ii
with him as n member Of his famil.
Mount Vernon: General Washing
IN. believe. almost the only maI
exalted character who does not
some part Of bis responsibility by
Intimate acquaintance. ! have m
found single thing that could le
my respect for him. A complete KIN
edge Of his honesty. uprightness
candor In all his private transact
has sometimes led me to think
more than n man"