The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-08-16

self sacrifice We're revealed on every
hand. With but one or two exceptions
/ IL ala not seem % me as though there
WAS n coward or a mean and con.
| temutible soul among all the three
crr,ys and passengers OF the san Re
/ dro. the Columbia and the George W
I Elder who met in such close aud holy
association ON that fatal day. have
heard some people declare that this IL a
mean and contemplate world. but J.
such cynics had only been standing
with me on the deck OF that rescuinl
steamer on July 20 they would have
had their faith In God and in mankind
renewed or inspired with flaming en-.
thuslasm.
That noble heroism with the first cal
OF danger was revealed in the conduct
of the commander Of the III fateo
steamer Columbia. Captain Z. II. DO
ran. now Of blessed memory. II would
have been very easy matter for him
fo have saved himself But he went
90 Che captains bridge and stood there.
lie ordered an the llfeboats 10 be low
erred Then. while he bade others save
themselves. be himself with his own
hand rang the danger signals. While
be was ringing those signals he seemed
20 Dee calling. My passengers ana
crew. save yourselves. Some one must
die 10 warn YOU am willing Save
Yourselves. Save yourselves" Whata
Glorious death he died. What bless
cd heritage hc has given 10 his dear
ones For an time his name viii be
en.blazoned upon the "h0n0r list" OF
those who have given their lives in or
der that their fellow men might live.
The captains heroism found It's
counterpart I'm the Mfe Of many hum
bic passenger and sailor-ln how
many only the great honor book Of
heaven shall ever record. l heard OF
one woman who did not know how 10
swim. She had a life preserver on
and could therefore keep afiOat. While
the boat was coming 20 get her she
erasped two wOmen's skirts and clutch
ed them IN her teeth. Then with her
right hand she reached out and caught
a sinking man. When the sailors pull
cd her into the boat she. with her wo-
mans courage, had saved three human
lives. This heroism was sometimes
found Ia the most unexpected places.
After all the survivors had been
brought on board the George w. Elder
young giri camo and sat by my side.
Her whole life seemed 10 have been
that Of q frivolous social butterfly She
laughed and joked. ! said TO myself.
How can any one make light Of this
horror" Yet a short time afterward
a gentleman told me that this young
girl. who seemed 20 be out Of place ex-
cept az a creature Of fun, was so brave
that NJ the risk of her life she had
reached out Of the boat and with her
own frail hands drawn a drowning
man over the gunwale and saved him.
Oh. do not tell me that this Is a mean
and selfish world. II is a world filed
with heroes and her0ines when a hu-
man life is standing face to face with
death II you had been on that toss
ing. tumblng sea 10 the south Of Cape
Mendocino when the Columbia sank
you would have known IL
Bnt another fact which impressed me
on that fatal day was the realization
that those who truly suffer the worst
suffer in absolute quietude. II Is only
the shallow brook that gurgles and
splashes and makes a noise. The deep
waters of trouble. Ike a great river,
roll quietly and smoothly Oh. the
profound. the gloomy silence and yet
the overpowerlng sorrow Of that sad
line Of haunting faces Of the ship
wrecked passengers and crews lying
IN the berths Of the George w. Elder
after they reached the Iescuing ship
I went 10 many Of these berths and
heard nearly everywhere the same
Kind Of gratitude TO one I would
take clothes. for many Of the sur
vivOrs had nothing: 10 others ! would
carry food. with others ! would offer n
prayer Have you lost any oneT I
asked a gentle lady whose young eyes
haunted me. yes my baby" she an
swered rs your husband safeT
NO" she answered. Il have no hus-
band: / am a widow" Yes. she had |
lost her ALL Only he who raised up |
that only son Of his mother. and she n
widow. could comfort her Yet there
she lay not uttering one word Of com
plant Like wounded animal, she
was suffering in silence.
saw a man who had set sail from |
San Francisco with his wife and two |
children. Just before the Columbia |
sank each parent took a child When |
the awful plunge came. the biggest
child was snatched ont OF the fathers
lrms The mother and the baby never
came mp. Yet that man said hardly
word. While he suffered. he suffered
in silence But 20 hear some people
complain about their little troubles
you would suppose that their finite
worries were the greatest troubles in
az tlA' NNitA Al lily hi'ihtlf ~ hth
you 60 around and advertise your
grief I am sure about one thing the
trouble which you have does not
amount 10 much II you had been on
the sinking Columbia and heard the
awful explosion when the cold waters
touched the hot boilers and If you had
had your wife and children swept
away then you would have had a
grief too great 10 parade before your
fellow men Then when you suf-
fered you would suffer I'm silence. I'm
silence. in sacred silence.
And l sometimes fear that If we per.
sist IN complaining about our little
troubles God may soon send us
truly great trouble i'm order 10 stop
our continual complaint.
But there was another fact that i'm
PRESSED me about the CHASTITY catas-