Milford chronicle., 1908-02-14
Calmaqe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, FEB. 9.-Ihal nu-
man life is brief and incomplete and
that individuals as well as nations
have a duty to fulfill in perfecting the
Iabors of those who have gone before
is the lesson Of this ser1lOn. The text
is Joshua xi. 10, HE left nothing I'M
done of all that the Lord commanded
Noses"
One of the saddest places to visit is
the study or Office of a great man who /
has suddenly been called away by |
death and has left his things in just f,
the way he was accustomed to use |
them. Some years ago visited Wash
ington and Lee college in Lexington,
va. and went into the presidents
room. where the great Confederate
general Robert E. Lee did his last
work. There was the chair in which
he used to sit. There was the table at
which he used to write. There was his
old ink we'll and the very penhoder
which he had Joined together with his
own hands. There were his slippers
waiting to rest his tired feet when he
drew off the heavy army boots he al
WAYS wore when out tramping. And
there was the paper all ready for his
next letter. But suddenly the death
angel came and touched him, and.
though Robert E. Lee in his time COM
handed one of the greatest armies he
had to obey the sudden summons of
death. He could not delay his going
one week or one day or one hour or
one minute or one second. He could
not say: 20 death, let me complete
some unfinished business have at my
office. There are certain papers want
TO sign and certain documents l Wish
to correct" No; Robert e. Lee could
not 90 back to complete one page. In
an instant he had to be gone. The Ia
bors of his busy life were left to be
finished by other hands and his incom-
plete problems to be solved by other
brains.
Bertel Thorvaldsen, the great Danish
sculptor, was one Of the most rapid
workers that ever lived. What Rubens
was 70 Antwerp this modern Phidias
was to Copenhagen, the capital OF the
north But his works are not all
to be found in Denmark, AS WIN
the ''Iion of Lucerne," his master
Dieces are to be found scattered
over Europe. But even Bertel Thor
valdsen did not complete all that
ne wanted to do. On March "a. 1914
he was at work In his studio upon
colossal statue of Martin Luther. SUD
denly there walked in an intimate
friend. Baroness Won Stampe. she
wanted him to come and dine with her
family. He refused. He said NO;
must finish the statue" BuG nnally,
overpersuaded. he dropped his chisei
and went to her home to dine. That
NIGHT A short time after eating, pam
o,rinned his heart and in a few min
utes he was dead. There today III the
great National museum of COPENHAGEN
f. tbe unfinised statue of Martin Luther
which Tborvaldsen tried to complete
hut did not have time. He ie1t MS
work to be finished by other hands ana
his problems to be worked out by other
minds.
Lord Macaulay's Task
One of the most pathetic incidents ID
literature is related of Lord Maeaulay
tbe charming historian. who at me De
ginning of his great work wrole,
1urnose to write the history OF Eng
land down to a period within the mem
orv of men still living" But he dlc
not live to fulfill his purpose. Deatl
called him. and he laid aside bis pen
When his nephew went into the MS
torian's study after his death there ia1
the unfinished manuscript. The las
words he had penned were those ue
scribfng the death of one OF EnGiahu
worthless. who, Alacaulay said. in word
that might have stood for his own epl
taph. died grieving, as only noDi
minds can grieve. that he must ieaN
his work only half finished Mnel
Charles Dickens dropped his magl
men his novel THE Mystery OF EdwI
Drood' was already three-fOurth
written. but it was published as a tras
ment and. though many have attempt
ed to finish il. no man could do 1t
Dickens would have done it. Dickens
like other great men, left his task III
finished. Had these men lived llttl
while longer they wonld nave pee
able TO complete the work they ha
mapped out in their minds And VIVA
is true of great men is also true Of PEE
pie in ordinary walks Of life. Whe
they pass away they generally lea7
some unfinished labor which they ha
hoped to complete. This will be tru
also Of our life work.
This is true Of nations as of indlVl'
uals. The new generation inherits
responsibility for the completion
great enterprises begun by its pred
cessors. It would be a degenerate ge
Grafton that deplored the death OF Il
great men dead, yet made no effort
continue their work and carry 1t 10
ward to success. The torch that droi
from the dead hand must not fan
the ground, Some hand. perhaps n
so illustrious nor so able, must take