The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-04
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crief9 Why are the great doers also the
great suffers? What is it that vitalizes
pain, plorifes sorrow, and makes dead
mems bones walk the earth clothed with
tremendous influence? Let Moses answer
from the mount of immeasurable glory:
IT rejected a regal palace and the treas
ures of Egypt, choosing rather to suffer
afliction with the people Of God that l
might be a statesman for the oppressed,
lberate nation of slaves. endure. to be
vexed. tried and discouraged through forty
weary years that at last l might stand IL
lumined in the TRANSPORTATION OF the Son
of Cod" Let David answer with his wall
of anguish: 20, my son Absaloml my
son. nv son Absalom! would God l had
died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my
SOM" It was in the depth of his mourn
ing that he sung those poems which have
comforted the aching heart for ages. Let
Joseph and Daniel answer as from prls'
on and a den tney ascend the, steps TO
| ROYALTY and fame. Let Savonarolo 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.
1t is a noble company. But there are some
whom reverses have ruined, whom at
fictbns have spoiled. who refuse to be
subiimated by suffering or -ennobled by
CALAMITY. I see yonder a Napoleon, OF
surprising genius, the worlds autocrat::
| He builds throne of steel only to see u
rust and crumble e'er he dies. From his
pinnacle of power he falls and lies pros
trate in defeat. His failure IS lgnomlnlous
because his spirit is ignoble. Upon the
barren rock Of St. Helena he wanders. a
lion at bay. a soul cowed. a phoenix life
! in homeless despair. By his side and tow
erinc above him rises Washington. lie
comes to the government when there IS
| nothing to govern. He beef mes command,
or 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 sjander-
ing his character, he meets and defeats
the most thoroughly equipped ana ap;,
then, notwithstanding the opportunities
Of a people he has freed, he refuses
| roval crown and passes into history-an
| embodiment of unselfsh service :,
Far in the past ! see corrupt Nero loll'
ING in his chariot of regal nlagnificence;
diving bv inches a loathsome death, a VIC.
| tim of the very luxury and extravaganza
| in which he delights. Rolling over the Ap-
man way on toward the city: he passes the
Roman guard leading. prisoner to exc.
clifton. Unto the prisoner the EmIGrof
gives but contemDtuoMs glance. Ihat
| Is all-and vet not all. That captive com.
| mands the gaze of mankind. The name OF
Nero is a synonym for vice and shameless
| ness, while the name of Paul wieldS
| miphtier influence with each succeeding
century. Paul still lives! Die he cannot;
| It is true that for this purpose Nero lea
him forth from prison. But sse! Does ne
| tremble? Does he thrink from his last
enemy? Does this spiritual hero who
fought with beasts. struggled with waves
| was Scared by the lash, lncarcerated,
smitten. stoned and left for dead, does ne
who, when each stroke of the "tribulpm
| fell upon him. shouted, "None. Of these
things move" does he now finch?
The block is there. The blade is ready.
The headsman speaks, "Prepare!" Where
IS the tremor in the aged form? With Ta.
diant brow and stately. mier Immortal ne
stands. With eve flashing in hope, with
voice strong and confident. hear him de-
clare. I am now ready to be offered: the
time of nv departure is at hand: have
fought a GOOD fght. I have finished nv
course. T lave kept the faith" Nero..s
axe cleaves his head and Paul, the hero, IS
crowned with the abundant ME.
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 oa,
yiour of mortal man? With uncovered
head bow we before the sublime sufferer.
| Behold! Out of the anguish of the garden.
ont of the Gloom of the tomb He OF the
riven side, He of the thorn crowned head
| TIe of the broken heart walks down the
ages elevatipe sorrow until it grows with
a heavenly hallow, lifting the burden OF
woe from bruised and staggering human,
itv This is He who exalts the lowly and
raises toll to nobility, declaring that PAN
shall no longer be accursed. but that me
shall he triumphant in adversely. Is. tins
our life? Not vacillating: meagre, lndo'
lent but sturdy. unhinching. enduring:
overcoming. decisive-a triumphant li1'
This only is life with deathless poSslDlll,
ties. and he only who lives for the future
catches the secret of the present and its
Ir;als. Look we beyond diurnal revoln-
lions raucing the sweep of the planet IN
its course around the sun. Trials and
tests, SANDERS and betrayals, desertlon
and opposition are for to-day; character
| for eternity. If man in the future eN-
| pects to rest upon his knowledge OF trutn::
| he must find some trial to test 1T now; IL
| character is to count forever, some sharp
and merciless criticism must prove us
integrity now. -,
world of to-day than the. shily,tshally'
youth cuddling in the lap of wealth and
shrinking from lifes combat. We are not
| wooden dummies, but must be men ..
granite, against whom the ,!eaplng waves
and mountainous s,,rges shall beat only t0
recoil in impotent fury. The need OF this
hour is strong manhood. Perseverance IS
the Characteristic that wins. Exneet not
to glide through easy seas: with sl;ken
sails tense in the breeze of favor You
| must steer through narrow straits; here
| a whirlpool of doubt, there hidden rock
Of sllepticism. 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 enchartments which lull to the sleep
Of voluptuons death; must feel the, grip OF
eternal realities; must move on and out to
| the unfoldment of tic soul with an iron
determination to wrest victory out OF de.
feat. and weave garland of praise out OF
| the failure of friends, the malice, OF enc
mics the contempt Of rivals and the hard
ship Of life.
To-day's Burden.
To every one of us there must come
some time when the whole tenor Of our
l;pas 10 cbanred We stand upon some