Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-05-23

hearts of those who before had no hope
/ Of being saved from a watery grave!
What Makes Men Heroes.
In the storms and trials of life how
| often have courage and fortitude been
| inspired by the example of some man
strong in faith and undaunted in his
/ confidence in God. Men will believe
| I'm Christ's power to save when they
| see a man whose reliance on him keeps
/ them calm in the presence of death.
/ When Hugh Latimer. the dying mar
/ tyr. turned to the trembling Ridley.
/ who was being tied TO the stake at the
/ same time that he was being tied. and
/ said. BE of good comfort. Master Rid
ley. and play the man; we shall this
! day light such a candle by Gods grace
/ in England as | trust shall never be
put out" at once Nicholas Ridley be-
came a man. His nerves ceased their
quivering. and he was able to die as a
Christian hero When the frightened
patriot Herault de Sechelles assembled
the scaffold. over which hung the gilt
=
French mob below him, he was as pale
as death. His knees trembled and his
teeth chartered. But when be turned
and looked at the intrepid Danton by
his side. who scornfully said to the exc
cutioner, Man, wait a moment; let
the people have. a good look and see
how a brave man can die" Herault de
Sechelles became as brave as DantOn
was brave Il we'll remember my
self" wrote an old soldier, las fright
ened boy trembling in the ranks at
Gettysburg. With fear l saw the Con
federate troops being massed for Pick
ett'S famous charge. All that l could
do was to restrain myself from drop
ping my gun and running to the rear.
But suddenly every cowardly feeling
in my heart was stilled when l heard
a great shout and saw the most mag
nifcent man | ever looked at calmly
riding down the lines. Calmly and
clearly he spoke as he said: Steady,
men, steady! We must hold these
lines. Steady, steady! When 1 saw
Winfield S. Hancock thus ride along.
utterly oblivious to all personal dan
GER my heart became that of a hero.
l became like unto him who at that
moment was my great exemplar."
Yes, yes. We all know what the
power of personal example means in
life. We know that when men are
brave about US they make US brave.
We know that when men are true they
make US true. We know that when
men are noble examples of Christian
faith they inspire us with like Chris
tan faith. So when Paul, amid the
shriekings and groanings and heav-
ings and commandments Of the Medi-
terranean whirlwind, calmly and de-
liberately stepped forth and said,
MEN, l exhort you to be of good
cheer, for there shall be no loss of
any mans life, but of the ship" then
the sailors and passengers stopped and
said to themselves: why, that is
strange talk. We cannot understand
! it, but Paul must have had super
| natural vision. or else he could not
| have spoken thus. You speak so posi-
lively, 0 preacher, that we believe you.
| What a God yours must be to inspire
such confidence. Would that we had
your faith and your religion" Men
and women of the Christian life, are
your actions and words living witness
es of your faith in the saving grace of
| Jesus Christi
Nothing Mean About Him.
Why are the crew and the passen-
gers of this AIeXandrian corn ship hap
py of heart? Because Paul kept hold
ing up before them the mistakes of
their past life in order that they might
the more easily be led to follow in his
way. Paul was not a mere taunter, a
sneerer, q ridiculer, tantaliZer. He
was not one of those mean, contempt
BILE fellows who always stand around
when anything goes wrong and say,
II told you So" He was not one Of
those miserable comforters of Job who
| are about as healing to the bleeding
heart as a poultice Of cayenne pepper
or singing nettles would be to a man
gled arm caught in press. But Paul
was like a good physician who comes
to an overworked man and says: MY
friend, l told you If you did not hold
up you would have a nervous break
down. Now this breakdown has come
Therefore / want you now to trust me
and do what l tell you to do. and then
we will make you WELL" Paul in the
same gentle way as the good physi-
clan stands before those helpless voy-
ayers and says: Friends. told you
not to loose from Crete. l told you
that If we tried to make Rome during
this winter eQuinoctial you would re-
gret it. But now that this harm has
come to you l want you to obey my
commands, and l promise. by the God
whom represent, that there shall be
no loss Of any mans life, but Of the
ship"
Cat and Mouse.
1t is q contemplate characteristic to
tell a man his faults and keep telling
them, merely to glory in his misery.
even as a fiendish cat might tease and