The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-28

think Independently and to speak
without fear.
But this was not all, The same m
fluences might have accomplished that
for many young man. To him was
to be added spark of that divincr
flame by which a man transccnds the
very influences that made him, hy
which they become transfused and
glorifled into something beautiful and
vital. under which they become sim
ply parts Of the new spirit, not its cre-
ators. II do not know how you will
explain this. Science seems here %
face an ultimate mystery; for certain
! ly here Is something that goes beyond
/ all we know OF the influences Of
heredity and environment, the two
great molding forces Of organic NE.
Men have been wont to name Il the
4 calling Of the Lord" End better
name II you can. cannot.
i And thus we see that II we would
understand this man We must know
something Of the land where he was
4 bred, the stock from which he spranS.
/ the men among whom he moved; but
stll more something OF the spirit that
came 10 him from shores washed by
no earthly seas.
shall not attempt any detailed
chronicle OF his life for more Inn
portant than dates and events are
the lessons Of his life and teaching.
/ His education was scattered and hard
earned. He first studied at the dis
trlct SCHOOL close by his home. AMI
carly showed his scholarly bent. AS
his father expressed It to me, from
earliest boyhood he always wanted to
know the why OF things and was not
satisfied til he had gone 10 the bot
tom of any problem. This passl IN
for k1cwlcdge and education was 80
r,itN part Of his whole dauntless
cha eter that II ovcrcame both th'
hanflcaps Of physical frallty and
financial Mood. He attended the sem
mary nj Bucksport In the western par'
Of the same county. but here his
course was interrupted by the con-
slant necessity Of taking such jobs rs
came along by which he might earn =
bit OF money. He had already beer
TO sea MS boy and II was during h''
seminary DAYS that he made two voy'
ages tc the Grand Banks Of New
Foundland. Consider for momcn
the fre that must have burned within
that Young heart. He was so poo
that no needs must take on himsal
the toughest work Of manual labor
sometimes cutting ice on the rivers
, sometimes cutting logs In the forest
, vet so fral that when on the first 20,
age to the banks the last low line q
, land had disappeared on the horizon
: he whispered his father, who was he
side him on the deck that he ha'
, said goodbye to II forever In tn
r midst Of these struggles he yet foun
: the energy not only to become
: leader among his school fellows. espe
. cially as speaker and dehater. hi
! also to go on circuit as lay-preeche
> on the coast. sometimes Drawing dan
: gerous storms In an open sailboat
: keep his engagements. Even In hi
, teens. then. he was preaching the COS
f pei. Friends urged him to use hi
| evident talent for clear and forcefu
( debating In practice at the bar an
/ AZ one time he seriously contempate
: this profession, but nothing could hol
] him long from his true career i
t lifc
/ lis fears on his first voyage to tn
! hanks proved groundlcss, for with al
t the exhausting labors Of that life u
4 grew more rugged under It. Many .
s you will recall. hlss vivid account 0
: the life Of the forecaste. It proved
4 vital experience to him spiritually a
r well as physically. His soul alread
, aighi with tho vision of higher thing
t here was chance to test his princi
e pies and ideas by a searching stand
e ard, to make them more steadfas
where they were right, to alter ther
, where they failed TO measure up t
: the needs of real humanity. Per
4 haps It were better to say raw hu
n manity,' for in the forecastle Of
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