The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-05-23
the Masters teaching and his se.ond

necessary morality. was the meaning Of Hi
sermon on the Mount, the teaching Of ths
great parable Of the Good Samaritan. The
priest and Levite lacked real faith and rasl
morality because they lacked Kindness. thsu
passed by on the other side and left the wav,
farer wounded. bleeding and near to dsoth
the despised Samaritan had faith and morsi;tn
because he did the really religious thing. had
sympathy and kindness for fellow man in
suffering, because he took him to the inn snd "a
took care of him and made sacrifices for him
Nor is kindness something that is onlv mani.
tested toward our fellows, it is the att;.
tude of q man toward all created tbinas
The merciful and kind man is mercifuI and
kind to his beast. Once, when Steven
son saw great, raw boned muscular fellow
very giant of brute strength compared
with his own weak body, abusing DOG
he bravely faced the giant, and told him in
no uncertain language what he thought of
him. "Well, it's not your dog" growled tho
man. Quick as flash the valiant kind spirit
OF Stevenson replied, "well it's Gods dog and
I'm here to protect it." An incident like that
shows us the spirit of the man, YES. if We
religion of the man, better than any sermon
he could preach, or book he could write. "The
milk of human kindness" sustained and
nourished and strengthened him. Write me
as one who loved his fellow men" is fitting
epigraph of his life, fitting epitaph for his
grave This sweet and gracious wisdom of
kinoness was won by him who "faced
the worst and bore the constant burden
of the thought of DEATH" His very pains
softened him toward all suffering, and made
him love all sorts and conditions of men and
women. There is nothing more touching than
the love and devotion of the native Samoans
for him during the long exile which prolonged
his life in that island of the Pacific seas. He
was made chief among them by these bar
barous people and lovingly called by them
"Iusitala," the teller of stories. Mr.. Graham
Balfour has told US how, at his funeral, ..the
Samoans passed in procession beside his bed,
kneeling and kissing his hand, each in turn. be-
fore taking their places for the long night
watch beside him. No entreaty could induce
them to retire. 1t would show little love for
him, they said, if they did not spend their last
night beside him. Mournful and silent thew
sat in deep detection, poor, simple, loyal folk,
fulfilling. the duty they owed their chief"
They buried him on the side of their most
sacred mountain overlooking the desert sea
side could be seen the towering hills, densely
clothed with primeval forest. That was the
place of his interment. On either side of the
tomb is bronze plate one bearing the in
cription in Samoan "The Tomb of Tusitaa,"
with those sweet immortal words of Ruth to
Naomi: "Whither thou tgoest, will go, and
where thou lodgest, will lodge; thy people
shall be my people and thy God my God; where
thou diest, will l die, and there will be
buried"
On the other plate in English are the words
of his own requiem: Robert Louis Stevenson
1850-1894.
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did live and gladly die,
And laid me down with will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill"
Since his death the native chiefs have for
bidden the use. of firearms upon the hillside
where he lies, for they say that the birds must
live there .undsturbed and raise above his
grave their sweet music that he loved SO well.
These things, very simple and very human
as they are, are the message of the life and
work of man who wrought we'll with his
head and heart and hand; who taught men the
lessons of endurance, fortitude, patience, be-
meath the Affections and burdens of life! who
showed US some rays of the Eternal light upon
the hidden path. He showed US that kind of
divine JOY is the right of each of us, that the
man who turns a smiling face to care and
grief, speaks words of buoyant hope and un-
finching courage even when feeling the pangs
of pain! lives life of cheerfulness and help
fulness when frail invalid body would urge
true child of God. The life of Robert Louis
Stevenson was manly life; it was in its
spirit and purpose a religious life. He is the
type of the true nobleman of this age, the evil
dence that, as Tennyson said:
Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.
Pres. R. W. Martin appointed the following
committees: nominations, Mrs. Inez Pendleton,
Islesboro, Miss Gilkey, Searsport, c. A. Doug
lass, Frankfort; resolutions, Prin. c. W.
Proctor, Belfast; Miss Hatch, Islesboro, Miss
Goss, Monroe; time and place, Grace A. Lord,
Belfast, Mr. A,vah Treat, Stockton Springs,
Miss Cowan, Winterport.
After the noon intermission the me citing was
again called to order at 2 o'clock. The COM
mittee on nominations reported and the follow
ing officers were elected President, Principal A.
D. Hayes, Belfast Grammar school, Vice Presi-
dent, Principal c. W. Proctor Belfast High school,
Secretary, Alberta Wadsworth, Belfast; Treas
urer, Grace A. Lord, Belfast; Executive Com
mttee, Mrs. Sarah Jordan Clifford, Stockton
Springs, Mr.. M. C. Moore, Islesboro, Mr. F. M
Nckerson. Monroe.
Miss Grace A. Lord, chairman of the COM
mittee on time and place, invited the associa-
tion to meet in Belfast in 1913 and it was
voted to'leave the matter with the committee
on time and place.
Principal A. F. Richardson of the tate Nor.
NAL school, Castine, gave an address on ma
ture Study for Little Children" He would
have the children taught to observe the flow.
ers know the birds, study the stars in short
would develop their powers of observation
and love for the beauties of nature.
interesting address on "Shall we as teachers
Dominate or Domineer," and was followed by
State Superintendent Payson Smith, whose re.
marks are always practical and instructive.
MIR. Proctor of Belfast, chairman of the
committee on resolutions, reported as follows:
The teachers of Waldo county in convention
assembled subscribe to the following:
Resolved, That the thanks of the convention
be extended to the teachers and citizens o1
Winterport for their cordial reception; to the
speakers of the day for the helpful papers
presented; to the people of the Methodist
church for their kindly attention to the ma.
terial wants of the members of the associa-
tion and especially do we wish to express our
thanks to Payson Smith, State Superintendent
of public schools, for his efforts forthe up build.
ing of the schools of the State, for his work in
trying to provide for the teachers a salary
more nearly commensurate with the valuable
work they are doing; that we appreciate the
sacrifices he has made and is making in oul
behalf, and that we extend to him our most
;o1