The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-08-11
FARMvILLE, VA, FRIDAY, AUGUST Il, 1905.

II has no Indicator 70 It's boiler that
engine IS momentarily In danger OF
Allowing up. No matter how nigh the
walls Of a tower lift themselves, II
those walls are not erected on q solid
base aud Ii O straight line they are IN
/ danger Of topping over. What the rud-
der is 10 the ship. the indicator TO the
engine. the plumb line 10 the mason
building the wall. character IS 20 man
II IS his ballast. his sheet anchor his
safety valve his protector his al.
Let me illustrate my thought by the
sad and yet brilliant life OF one Of the
greatest statesmen England ever pro
duced. Charles James Fox was one o.
/ the greatest geniuscs who ever stood IN
the British house Of commons. Al
/ twenty-one years Of age be was ranked
/ among the sblest dobaters and al thir-
/ tv had not superior OF equal in all Eu
rome But. though AZ times be- was the
most applauded man IN Europe, yet be
never could win the confidence OF the
peonlc They admired his intellect but
they could not trust his heart. HIS
daily custom was 70 rise Just ln time
10 stroll down 70 the parliament house.
There nightly" az a contemporary
wrote. he would build ~ a chain OF
arguments for q bill he was attacking
/ greater and more powerful than any Of
/ his advcrsaries could forge. Then BE-
would tear these arguments 70 pieces
as though they were cotton threads
Z Read his speeches on the Impeachment
Of Warren Hastings Read his mas
terpiecc on the Rejection Of Napo
I Icons Ovcrtures After parliament
adjourned then would come round Of
dcbauch Gambling with him WAS o
I mad pass.on He was both spendthriit
and libertine. How can be- guard his
kings finances" asked the people
when Dee cannot protect bis own pock
etbookf" Charles James Fox bad ev-
cry qualification 10 make himself the
political dictator Of Europe save the
single essential OF character. the lack
Of which destroyed bis whole career
for practical good.
But you 90 not have 70 70 back 70
history 10 prove the truth Of my state
ment that character Is one Of the great
est builders OF the towers Of life and
that without true character those tow
/ ers are always left in a half completed
stage Who was the most brilliant
Young man Of your school days with
whom ron were associated Tall hand
some fine looking he was His brain
T became a perfect repository Of facts
I While YOU had 70 sweat and plod and
groan over your studies be seemed to
absorb hls NJ glance On the football
field or the baseball diamond be- was
the schools star athlete. The girls OF
fattered him The young men ran AFT
or him But no one could trust him
I To was not n true man "Oh. said the
world "Wlnfred Will 60 right 70 the
front IN life. Success is sure 20 be- his.
Was III No sooner had be LETT school q
few years than bis name got mixed up
with some shady transactions With
an bis brains and ability what became
of himf I know and you know He is
dead now. suicide: OF be is living a
social outcast. or he is begging and
/ cheating his way through life oh. the
magnificent ruins 0f the half completed
towers OF life we 500 everywhere
around US, These towers should have
been citadels for defense and safety
/ They are mere dungeons for the owls
and The bats and the vermn Of sin 10
lnhahit
But Is there no direct lesson from
mis- characterless tower FOR tho women
as well as the men? How is II. o
woman. with the most brilliant friend
Of your childhood days. You see her
now. perfect dream Of beauty. As o
/ little girl her teeth were 4 collection Of
priceless pearls When she laughed all
the sunshine Of the heavens seemed 10
dance IN her blue eyes. Her dimples
/ looked Ike the eddies IN the surface of
a mountain brook What became OF heri
/ Where Is she7 You mention her name
} now VIII AANilfA AAR" uA4A a'tf At'-'.t
eyes Theasp ofsin placed one fatalfane
about one side Of her heart and another
fang about the other side of her heart
and BIZ until she died She destroyed
her own life Yes. but like Cleopatra.
she not only destroyed an Antony. but
/ the moral lives Of scores Of other men
who would today have been noble hus-
bands aud fathers but FOR her evil
! influence.
We opened this sermon behind the
schoolroon desk Of the teacher. Are
you and ready 70 90 and sit al
/ Christs feet and learn Of hlml Are We
ready 70 accept his teachings and re-
celve him as our Saviour Are we
ready % make the necessary prepara-
tions for the building Of our spiritual
watchtowers by becoming one with him
through the atonement Of the cross!