Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-01-25

affection of all who had known him
and had breathed the inf lence of his
unselfish spirit. For he was one of
those who make the Christ-life real
by the unfailing discipleship of good
deeds.
JOHN CLARENCE LEE, D. D.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Letter from Booker t. Washington.
Much to my regret I find that L
shall not be able to arrange to be
present at the service you plan to
hold in memory of our mutual and
lamented friend, Mr.. Max Bennett
Thrasher. / would consider it a
great privilege to be present at any
such service. At Tuskegee we valued
Mr.. Thrasher most highly. He was
deeply Interest ed in our work and
served it in every way that his
superior intelligence could suggest.
On the occasion of his death and
when his remains were ready to leave
here, | spoke as follows in our chapel
regarding him:
"[ first came in contact with Mr..
Thrasher some years ago when in
Boston. He was then a reporter on
the Boston Journal. With two or
three other persons who came from
Boston, he came to make a report of
one of our Tuskegee Negro Confer
ences, and though he had never been
in the south before, and knew COM
paratively little of the institution, he
seemed to become very much
attached to this work and suffered no
opportunity to pass when he could
write Or say something about il. His
interest continued to grow and the
following year he made a special
request to come again. Finally he
gave up his position with the Boston
Journal and gave himself wholly to
work in connection with the school.
He did not care what kind of work it
was, whether agreeable or disagree
able, or how late it kept him up at
night, nor how miles it caused him to
travel. He cared nothing for the
!, disagreeable features of it, and
seemed happy in finding an opportu-
nifty to be of service. He had many
fattering offers from journals, maya
zines and from other institutions, but
. he turned his back upon them all and
said he felt that here he could find a
Io oinh no Of
service, and seemed supremacy happy
in the opportunity. He was with me
night and day, upon long and tire
some journeys (and travelling will try
haps nothing else wilD, but I never
=, saw him get out of temper; L never
' saw him impatient-always the same
meek, mild, earnest spirit under
= whatever conditions he was fou nd,
and that is the part of his character
which will always dwell with me most
. closely,-his supreme unselfishness.
He was one Of the most unselfsh in
dividuals ever saw. I went to see
him Thursday morning at ten O'Clock,
and entirely unconscious of his own
sickness, he said to me he thought it
, was pityI had to leave the impor-
tant duties of the school to come to
see him on Commencement Day, and
the only regret he felt was that he
could not be of some real service
It during the Commencement season.
His constant conversation was about
others and about this work, entirely
forgetful of himself and his suffering.
think it has rarely been my privi-
lege, or the privilege of any of US, to
v come in contact with any man who
=, showed such bravery, such courage,
in facing death. He made all of his
}. plans for death, dictated his will and
then read it over, told where he
: wanted to be buried, going through
every detail in connection with his
d death as if he were preparing for the
z next days work. 1t is a great privi-
g lege for us, his friends, because all of
US are his friends, to assemble here on
= this beautiful summer morning and
z. pay this last tribute, for [ think no
g man ever loved this institution more,
. and no friend of the institution was
II ever loved more by both teachers and
1t students than Mr.. Tnrasher.
Il eve often ask ours lives the ques-
~ ton, why is it that an Individual who
8 is so useful, s } earnest, so exemplary
t. in bis character as Mr.. Thrasher, is
u cut off in the prime of his usefulness?
Il We are taught in the Bible and else
Il n no
= for another world. Surely it is true,
Is [ believe, that few people ever reach
such state of preparation, or are SC
"a thoroughly prepared n higher and
larger life as was Mr.. Thrasher, and
think we may all say with Whittier:
y "tI know not where His islands lift
Id Their frnnded naImS In air: