The Mankato free press., 1910-06-03
Friday; June 3, 1910

pathetic. the stone dug up in North
ern Syria few years ago, telling The
life story of Bar Rekub of Sam'al. .
great King in his day, but whose very
name had been forgotten for nearly
1000 years. The inscription closes with a
wish that the gods may curse any one
who disturbs the monument / won
der how Bar Rekub would like that
sort of immortality, to be completely
forgotten for 1900 years, and ther
have some man of another race find
mis- grave-stone, smile at the curses
on it. and put it in museum. A
Pharaoh had his body embalmed and
wrapped with the greatest care, that
it might last until the judgment day.
Ii he had known that men would
break into the pyramid after thousands
OF years. tear the wrappings from his
mummy photograph it. discuss it. put
it in museum in IL foreign land as
sight to attract the curious, if the
Pharaoh could have forseen that, I
think he would have preferred to have
his body burned and his ashes scatter
ed to the winds.
Immortality Which a Monument Gives.
Again, the Immortality which a
monument gives is not only flceting,
il is undiscriminating. where be all
the bad people buried:' asked phil
osphcr. as he walked through one OF
our cemeteries. Many time the fin
est monuments. the monuments which
are likely to confer the longest immor'
tality, commemorate the worst lives. On
the battlefield the soldier who died
from wound in the back is given
the same monument, the same immor-
tally as the soldier who died from
Il wound in the breast. No. I'd rather
have no monument. I'd rather have my
name forgotten. than have mOnu-
mcnt that would lie about me for |
don't know how many generations
Wouldn't you!
isfying Immortality to another that
may prove more satisfying | refer
to the Immortality of personal aficc
tion. Your soldier comrade. your tent
mate it may be. the man who shared
with you the camp and the bivouac,
who fell in the COS fighting by your
side, his body lies beneath the south
ern sod. but he still lives in your mem
orv and your affection. You think Of
him still and talk of him rs of
familiar friend. Your life is richer
k. hn
comrades live on, who have passed in re-
cent years from your post meetings
and your reunions. So you hope to
live on in the affection of your COM
rades, of your neighbors, of your loved
ones. of your children, and your chill
dre1l's children. Yes. my friends, such
a survival of our life is beautiful
thing. if ours has been worthy life,
fitted to live OH in affection and mem
DRY. But can we call this immortal
ityg Isn't earthly affection and mem
DRY very mortal, sadly painfully NOR
tai? When the last veteran of the COS
has dropped from the ranks. when
old neighbors have passed ON. our chill
drcn and our children's children, who
will there be here to feel affection for |
US! Two generations at most and
then we are loved no longer. for there
are none to love us. One of my an
ccstors fought in the Revolutionary
War. But | never knew him. / never
saw any one who knew him. I'm glad
he fought in the Revolution. I'm
proud of it. But | don't love him,
how can |? /
Immortality of Achievement.
III. Again. there is the immortal |
ity of achievement. An author writes
Il book. Il painter paints picture, that
will be known and priced for hundreds, |
perhaps thousands. of years, after he
himself has left the earth. Eli Whit !
ney is immortalizcd by the cotton gin. !,
Probably, | don't say certainly, he will I
he remembered as long as men con
tinue to grow cotton with seeds in it..
Edison is immortaized by the electric
light. Statesme mare immortalzed by
the nations they have moulded, the
institutions to which they have given
birth The Monroe doctrine causes us
to remember Monroe, makes his name
IA household word. Modern Italy is
Cavours monument. Bismarck is inn
mortaized in modern Germany. There
is perhaps no earthly reward more
stimulating to the true man than the
promise of being remembered in later
generations for something he has done.
My friends of the Grand Amy, whether
YOU thought of it at the time or not,
whether or not you strove for this re-
ward. you are immOrtalized by what
YOU have done. This nation is your
This union one aud indis
soluable.. The ten million people of the
black race, free from slavery, given
at least half chance to rise, making
|