Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-12-07
MEMORIAL ON SUNDAY
lconLIaued CON FlIrst Pc

| il ever been. The meaning OF lie has
seemed different to those who sought
70 find it. Teachers and prophets have
come and gone and their disciples
| have 50 differed as to what they
taught that they prosecuted each
other for conscience sake, and mar
| tyrs were made TO suffer, wars were
lfonght and empires overthrow be-
cause Of some Interpretation of the
savings Of the Master who brought
good tidings Peace on earth, good
| viii TO men
Can it be wondered at that hope
has oft departed from those who have
| sought to solve this eternal riddle and
| and the gloom of despair overwhelmed
| them? Is there no safe haven for the
troubled soul this side of the end Of
our mortal selves? Are those of our
| brethren who have departed hence,
to whose memory this day We do
honor. 10 be envied of all men and
is the eternal rest into which they
have entered by the decree Of the
Ruler of all things, the best of life!
Ny brothers Of these things we do
not know,no can We until we too
shall have gone hence and some
where ard some how we shall be made
to know
This annual occasion brings all of
us to consider things that ordinarily
in stress of active life, are not much
thought about. We know that our
brothers, wherever the flag Of our ma
ton flies are gathered together, as We
are TO recall to memory those who
have gone before We. ourselves.
are to remain yet while, how long
none can tell. We are parts of this
complex mechanism. which. for want
Of a better name. we call life. None
Of us can forsee the Consequences
of his acts; nor can any one of us es-
cape the effects Of the acts of others.
We are. so to speak geared together,
and we perform orr several parts
Joined to our fellows by the order of
things and from the workings of this
complex mechanism come those
changes Of conditions among men
which we style progress. After a.
while we become worn out and UNI
fitted for the better parts of this mar
velous machine. and by and by we go
the way of all fesh.-mere grains of
sand upon the rim Of the wheel of
life, dropping off into space unheeded
and mnoticed. except by those to
whom we are near and dear.
Yet, insignificant as we are, the rea-
son of orr being Is that we may live
our lives. do our work, and finally BE-
gathered and garnered, even as the
fruits OF the earth. How shall we
live. and how shall We work. and.
what shall guide MS as we thus live
and work? How shall we know the
husk from the kernel the bitter fruit
from the sweet, and whence shall
come the knowledge to enable us to
know good from evil? These queries,
too, are age long and their answer
lies in life Itself There is no inflex-
ibIe rule Of conduct that Will apply
to all conditions. and none may learn
how to live except as he works out
the problem for himself. A man
knows himself as no one else knows
him. Some more gifted than others
and trained by long experience. can
see little behind the mask Of a mans
race and thus mere II arly know him
or what he is But rs to ourselves
we can have no Illusions A man may
have the love of his dc1r ones, the
magic of success may have made his
fellows forget, or even forgive the
means by which it was achieved; he
may bave proceeded so silently and
so craftily TO gain his ends that no
one knows or suspects that he has
practiced fraud and deceit: vet he
knows himself and cannot forget. And
when the triumphs of life come to one
who dares not lock himself in the
face the garlands OF victory become
the insignia of dishonor and the plaud-
its Of the people the voice of his ac-
| cusine conscience
There is one thing that is given TO
all of us alike, our own self respect.
Most of us are denied wealth. Many
of us, through no fault of our own,
| are incapable of inspiring affection
in others. Some can see nothing but
| the dark side of life. But all of US
have the opportunity to think well or
| Ill Of ourselves.
| There has been during the past few
| years marvellous awakening OF the
| sense of the peope Somehow it has