Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-02-27
'geIMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

tolls the patriotism, the craftsmanship
and the Christianity OF "the Father OF
His Country" as worthy of the emula-
ton OF all good Americans. The text
is Genesis xvii. 4, Thou shalt be a
father Of many nations"
Among the monarchs of Europe there
is only one whose lot 1 consider enyi-
able. Justin Mccarthy once wrote that
the princes who were born 10 thrones
ought to be the most pitied of all men.
The kings and queens of Europe, as
rule. are doomed 20 lives OF oppressive
and circumscribed servitude. The
would be assassins are always skulk-
ing around, ready to dig their graves.
Kings cannot usarry those with whom
they fall in love, as other men are al
lowed to do. When they wed, consid-
erations of state policy and of inter
national alliance govern the choice or
partner, and they must not marry
simply to satisfy the cravings of their
own hearts. They must breathe, FOR
the most part, the tainted atmosphere
of sycophantal praise and insincere
adulation. Royalty has its drawbacks
as well as its dangers; but there Is one
conspicuous example of their being
overcome. Even q freeborn American
citizen can afford to admire the do
mestic relations Of the German emper-
or. The six bright, healthy. intelligent
BOYS and the lovely little girl who
compose his family circle are group
to make fathers heart glad. To be
the head of such family is more graf
flying than to be the head OF the Ger
man empire.
1t was so that the beautiful Cornelia
felt when she declared that no wealth
was comparable to being the mother. of
the Gracchi. What, then, must be the
Joy of that man who is told that he is
70 be "the father of many nationsp
For that reason the Hebrew people
honor the name of Father Abraham:
for that reason the American people
ought to honor the name of George
Washington. As the Hebrews to this
day venerate the man from whom their
race sprang. so we have in the leader
and founder of our commonwealth
man whose character is worthy of all
our honor and veneration. Thousands
upon thousands of pilgrims have jour
neycd to the shrines of Machpelah, in
which are supposed to be buried Fa-
Their Abraham and Sarah, his wife. On
this national holiday in imagination
we should be willing to journey to the
Mount Vernon tombs in which slumber
the moldering bodies Of Father Wash
ington and Martha. his wife. We should
on this washington's birthday be glad
to give up at least one service TO the
study of the life and the character OF
not only towers above all other names
in Amerieaa history, but whose life
has won the admiration of other ma
tons as well as OF our own.
A Well Rounded Man.
George Washington was n we'll round
cd man. His was not the brilliant gen.
ius OF Napoleon or a Richelieu or a
Mazarin or n Cardinal Wolsey. His
military career was not spectacular,
like that of Arnold or Greene or Nor
gan or Light Horse" Harry Lee or
Mad" Anthony Wayne. His pen was
not facile. like that OF Hamilton or
Jefferson. lie had no oratorical gifts,
like those OF Henry or Adams or VIII
liam Pinkney; but. as lie had not the
dazzling talents of such men. neither
which marred their characters.
Wherever we touch the life and char
acter OF Washington there we find that
IL he had any genius. "his." as David
Gregg wrote, was the genius OF char
acter." and OF character alone. AS n
boy he was not brilliant boy, but a
good boy, noble. high principled boy.
We do not have to refer to the tabled
Ratchet story to prove this. There are
still preserved in his own boyish hand
writing the famous rules he made TO
govern his future life, which he wrote
out at thirteen Among those rules are
these words: 'Endeavor 20 keep alive
In your bosom that little divine spark
called conscience" AS n young man
we do not find him a brilliant young
man. but conscientious and painstak-
Ing young man. He was appointed
public surveyor by Lord Fairfax Why2
Because Lord Fairfax knew that when
the plodder, George Washington. record
ed measurement there would never be
doubt OF the one fact. that that meas
urement was right. AS matured man
we cannot portray the we'll rounded
ness OF Washington's life better than
by quoting these words written by Mr..
Lear, his private secretary, who lived
with him as member OF his family in
Mount Vernon: General Washington
Us, / believe, almost the only man of
exalted character who does not lose
some part OF his responsibility by an
intimate acquaintance. have never
FOUND single thing that could lessen
my respect for him. A complete knowl.
edge Of his honesty. uprightness and
candor in all his private transs ctlons
has sometimes led me to think him
more than a man."
Washipgton's character was not the
grandeur OF snow capped mountain.
fuii or crevasses and fatal precipices
1t was that of we'll chiseled piece of
marble. over which the sculptor's hand
has gone again and again. His charac.
Ter was not developed in an instant, as
comet leaps into existence and then
disappears. But his character growth
can aptly be compared TO the sunrise
whicn grows brighter and brighter and
sheas forth more refulgent light until
ut last that light sinks away into the
twilight after the glowing sunset has
covered the clouds with garments OF
gold.
Goodness, Not Briliance, Needed.
What the world most needs today is
not brilliant men. but good men; not
men with the scintillating genius OF
Aaron Burr, but men with the good
ness OF Father Washington. The
world does not need an orator who car
make brilliant speech and then with
q dissolute private life repudiate al
the noble sentiments he enunciated In
that speech. But the world does need
good men-men who are honorable in
their homes. men, who are honorable In
their business dealings. men who are
conscientiouslyf faithful in every duty
of life ybSch confronts them. When
the -tsdlngs of Bunker Hill were carried
tCWashlngton. he anXiously asked thu