Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-04-28
its Gardens of Gethsemane. Mind wears
the crown Of thorns in the very hour of
lofty achievement


It is said that Ole Bull ascended the
rough mountains of Norway. the.e he saw
the majestic storm, heard the weird wall
OF the pines, listened to the roar Of the
cascades, and from these he caught those
rapturous tones with which he charmed
the heart of the world. Thus it is be-
cause men have climbed some craggy Mat
to some vale of shadows. liz sered by some
wave battered cliff; because they have
braved opposition and hardship; because
they have had passages in their lives where
they have experienced the extremities Of
anguish and dsoiation that they have be-
come heralds of truth, have marked the
advance of civilization, have been high
priests of science, refiners of society. re-
formers of faith.
/ What is it that places this premium on
grief? Why are the great doers also the
great suffers? What is it that v;talizes
pain. glorlfies sorrow, and makes dead
mems bones walk the earth clothed with
tremendous influence? Let Moses answer
from the mount Of immeasurable glory:
ures Of Egypt, choosing rather to suffer
affiction with the people of God that [
might be statesman for the oppressed,
hberate a nation Of slaves endure to be
vexed, tried and discouraged through forty
weary years that at last [ might stand il
lumined in the TRANSPORTATION Of the Son
of Cod" Let David answer with his wall
son. my son Absalom! would God [ had
died for thee, o Absalom, my son. my
son!" It was in the depth of his ynourn-
ing that he sung those poems (which have
comforted the aching heart for ages. Let
Joseph and Daniel answer as from a pris-
on and den they ascend the steps to
royalty and fame. Let Savorarolo answer
loving the red hot iron of martyrdom
more than the red hat of cardinal. Let
Bruno answer, let Gallileo. let Newton.
let Luther answer, and Wickliff and John
Huss, and Wesley, and Francis Asbury.
It is a noble company. But there are some
whom reverses have ruined, whom aaf-
subiimated by suffering Or ennob!ed by
calamity. I see yonder Napoleon. of
surprising genius, the worlds autoerat.
He builds a throne of steel only to see it
rust and crumble e'er he dies From his
pinnacle of power he falls and lies pros
trate in defeat. His failure is ignominious
because his spirit is ignoble. Upon the
lion at bay, soul cowed. nhoenix life
in hopeless DESPAIR By his side and tow
ering above him rises Washington He
comes to the government vtlen there IS
nothing to govern. He bece mes command
er of the American Army when it Is small
and defeated. Without navy. without
money without munitions, with traitors
and Tories abundant, with generals con-
niving for position and grossly SANDER
ing his character. he meets and defeats
the most thoroughly equipped and ap--
pointed government of the world; and
then, notwithstanding the opportunities
of people he has freed. he refuses a
royal crown and passes into history--an
embodiment of unselfsh service.
Far in the past see corrupt Nero loll-
ing in his chariot of regal magnlicence;
diving by inches loathsome death. vic
tim Of the very luxury and extravagance Va, @
pian way on toward the city. he passes the
Roman guard leading prisoner to exc
cution. Unto the prisoner the Emperor
gives but a contemDtuons glance. That
is all-and yet not all. That captive COM
mands the gaze of mankind. The name of
Nero is synonym for vice and si,an:oless-
ness, while the name of Paul wie.ds a
century Paul still lives! Die he cannot!
It is true that for this purpose Nero 'ed
him forth from prison. But sc! Does he
tremb,e? Does he 4hrnl. from his last
enemy? Does this spiritual hero who
fought with beasts. struggled with waves,
was Scared by the lash, inearcerated,
snitten. stoned and left for dead. does he
who, when each stroke Of the s'trihulum"
fell upon him. shonted, 'None Of these
things move,' does he now finch7
The block is there. The blade is ready.
The headsman speaks. ''Prepare!' Where
is the tremor in the aged form? With ra-
diant hrov- and stately mien immortal he
stands. With eve flashing in hope. with
voice strong and confident hear him de-
time Of my departure is at hand ] have
fought good fight. [ have finished my
course. I rave kent the faith" Ncro's
axe cleaves his head nd Paul, the hero, is
crowned with the abundant life.
How has the ministry Of the Christ been
wrought out? In all the centuries Of sor-
row whose grief compares with that OF
Him who is at once the Author and Sa-
viour of mortal man? With uncovered
Behold! Out Of the anguish of the garden,
out Of the gloom of the tomb He Of the
riven side, He Of the thorn crowned head,
He of the broken heart walks down the
ages elevating sorrow until it grows Will,
a heavenly hallow, lifting the burden Of
woe from bruised and staggering human
ity This is He who exalts the lowly and
raises toll to nobility. declaring that pain
shall no longer be accursed, but that life
shall be triumphant in adversely. Is this
our life? Not vacillating. meagre. indp-
lent, but sturdy, unhinching, enduring.
overcoming. decisive-a triumphant life!
This only is life with deathless possible
ties, and he only who lives for the future
catches the secret of the present and it's
trials Look we beyond diurnal revolu-
tions gauging the sweep of the planet in
it's course around the sun. Trials and
tests. SANDERS and betrayals, desertion
and opposition are for to-day; character
for eternity If man in the future ey-
pects to rest upon his knowledge of truth:
he must find some trial to test it now. Il
character is to count forever. some sharp
and merciless criticism must prove It's
integrity now
There is no more pathetic figure in the
world of to-day than the shilly-shally
youth cuddling in the lap Of wealth and
shrinking from iife's combat. We are not
wooden dummies, but must be men OF
granite, against whom the leaping waves
and mountainous surges shall beat only to
recoil in impotent fury. The need Of this
hour is strong manhood. Perseverance, IS
the characteristic that wins. Expect not
to glide through easy seas. with silken
sails tense in the breeze of favor. You
must steer through narrow straits; here
a whirlpool of doubt. there hidden rock
of skepticism, where adverse currents
would strand the bark high on the barren
beach of despair You must sail by the,
Siren Isle of insinuating desire; must re-
sist entertainments which lull to the sleep
of vol,1ntuo1ls death: must feel the grin Of