The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-06-22

demns the sacrifice of human life
which his ambition has caused. In
the Paris Salon there is a painting
/ by the great French artist, Pierre
Fretel, entitled "The Conquerors."
The picture represents host Of world
! conquerors with their heralds and at
tendants, advancing, four abreast, in
| long unending line, their banners
waving in triumph. On each side of
that gorgeous train, naked, dead, and
forgotten, lie the countless bodies of
'hose who were slain that these men
might have glory. Among these con-
querors are many with whose names
we are familiar: Alexander, the Great.
of Macedon; Attilla, called the scourge
of God; Julius Caesar whom Shake
Speare has called the foremost man
OF all the world" and many more
whose deeds cover the pages of his
tory, men who have filled us since
mirration. COnquerors they may be,
deserving the worlds applause and
admiration, but true knights they are
not. 1t has been said that the career
of the great Napoleon Bonaparte is
the Keynote Of the twentieth CEN
tury. In his courage, perseverance.
and strength of will maintained in the
face of all difficulties he does en-
body the spirit of the twentieth CEN
tury, but Napoleon had no higher
motive than the knight of old, for the
ruling passion Of his life was an in
satiable desire for glory
In order to contrast the two types
of heroes, let us look at a famous
painting in an art gallery at Brus-
sells. 1t is entitled Napoleon in
He'll" Here we see Napoleon, the
great world conqueror, standing in
his favorite attitude; his body erect,
arms folded, and head bowed Mound
him, and under his feet, al cunt
less dead and wounded men, VINO met
their death because Of his an htion;
and many men, women, and children
are lifting faces SCARED with agony,
and eloquent with reproach, to this
man for the misery and bitterness he
has brought into their lives. On
every side Of that stern, solitary figure
is sorrow and grief The artist might
have let his vivid imagination paint
another picture in direct contrast to
this, and called it Father Damian in
Paradise" Here we see Father Da-
mian, the preserver, the protector of
man, standing with his arms out
stretched in love toward the crowds
Of people who pass near him in rev.
erence and awe, striving to touch his
hand, or the hem Of his garment, SO
great is their gratitude and love.
AS the keynote of the fourteenth
century was glory, so the keynote of
the twentieth century is service; SER
vice in the by-ways, among the poor,
wherever it is most needed, without
thought of reward or even thanks
The world to-day is growing better,
not worse. To become convinced of
this we have but to look around us
at the hospitals. the schools, the in
stitutions for the poor, which are
every day springing up over our land,
for the relief and Improvement of
the people. Thousands of men to-
day are living lives of heroic and self
sacrificing effort, and always with the
one thought, that of rendering SER
vice to their fellow man, controlling
and ennobling their every action.
Never before has there been so strong
manifestation Of generous senti-
ment, of noble performance, of love
that goes out beyond self, of faith
that looks beyond human estimates,
and heroism that nobly responds to
every call Of duty. High on the great
ladder that leads from earth to
heaven stands the fourteenth CEN
tury knight, sword in hand ready to
defend the weak, but far above him
stands the knight of the twentieth
century, with arms outstretched to
lift the weak out of their despair up
toward hope, toward love, toward
God.