Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-06-09
THE TEST Of A MAN.

ers. These fill the visitor with admira :
ton. and he feels hat he has enjoyed
a rare privilege indeed.
A GREAT PAINTING.
But enter the smaller room and at
once the impression is gone. Forgotten
are the somber works of The ancient
wizards of art: forgotten are the bril-
liant works of the masters of the brush
for a hundred years past. Before one
Is the huge canva made familiar to
everybody by reproduction. OF the Man
of Galilee before the Roman governor
White with suffering. sad eyed yet
gentle. with a poise n strength that
man Pilates features, the Man Stands
In the midst, bound, attended by soldier
| guards. but great.
He is In the midst. The eye sweeps
the scene which Munkacsky's brush has
portrayed with such startling and life
like reality. but 1t is promptly centered
upon the central figure in white. I'D
like to unite, his hands, cried a little
girl whose heart was touched by the
painting. With varied emotions and
sentiments people look upon that Won
derful face. and the majestic bearing
of the prisoner, but all see in 1T the
center and secret of the painting. The
pictured sermon has reached with its
many messages a multitude of hearts.
WHO WAS ON TRIAL? .
Christ Before Plate is the pictures
title; but 1t might as truly be "Pilate
Before Jesus" The real judge is not
the arrogant Roman on the seat which
bears on both sides the awe inspiring
letters. IS. r. q. r." 1t is the Mar
whose tender wrists are chafed by the
captor's cord. the royal soul. whom no
adversely could rOb of his k%ingliness.
Jesus was being tested that day, but
SO also. and more truly. was PLATE.
1 MI tt-- T--..- -
Judged him In the eyes of the world,
and written him a failure. He did not
meet the test. All unexpectedly, as
men are every day meeting the great
decisive hours of their lives. he had
come to a crisis. The proving of plate
was the appearance before him of the
Galilean. n he was found wanting.
He had SO long been h crafty. self
seeking. time-serving politician that
when called upon to stand up and play
the man he found himself chained
down by an evil past.
ONE MAN WHO CAME SHORT.
PLATE had his eye OH votes. He had
interests to conserve. He needed the
| influence. Of certain influential forces.
He was In the sad state OF a man who is
In slavery to his position, his ambitions
and his alliances. Pity him and the
{ MHe'" Mo hhdbka ARE re'ii oo i1 :s'r os Ht"i FOR votes"
political preferment. Of business advan-
taee. of reputation and IF ease The
man whose vision is not single to
principle. to duty, to truth. is bound
some day to sit in Pilates seat and
probably to repeat Pilates sin.
in ali history to he n man. brave trme.
| strong. but he showed himself only a
| groyeling. small-souled. cowardlv weak
ling. He was afraid or losing his ION.
| SO he lost his SOU instead. He shrnnk
| from losing the favor Of the nowerfuI-
so he lost the respect or himself and
| all men. He wanted to he nonular he
was more CONCERNED for this than 70 no
honorable. and down this siinnerv nath
Of vanity he vent to the mire Of eter-
nal shame and dishonor.
PLAYING THE MAN.
There ia a tonic for red blood in the
| spectacle OF .Iesus in plates nraetor-
ium, He was as a lamb amid wolves
| and alone. He had been lied about. in
suited. m%altreated. Hands Thai he had
made had smitten him: the rabble of
his W people had scored at him: he
had been snort for heather soldiers: the
most sacred offices of his nation had
been shamelessly prostituted to erect
his ruin; and. perhaps worst of all. his
| own particular friends had deserted
him.
Injustice was heaped upon him who
had never harmed a worm: ignominy
was poured out upon a brow made for
heavens best crown: physical SUFFERING
such as even tho most delicate orranism
had never before known racked his
sensitive body. Yet there he stood. a
man. ..Ecce Homo,, He IL he hest
instance Of the heights Of manhood
possible to mortal. In testing. such a.
no other son Of woman ever was or
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