The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-05

Across from them, in the Breed
pew CatheIine Breed was sitting. He
could see her past Angela's clear pro-
file, her head haughtily erect, her regu-
lar features arrogant and unsmiling
The lines looked hard, he thought, al
most insolent He was glad now that
he had not married her. and yet, per-
haps she would have been different
had she married; she looked as if all
the impulses Of her nature had been
frozen, as though she had missed her
heritage. that dover of womanhood
which should have been her right.
Through the sermon he relaxed
somewhat; every infection was famil-
iar-it was as if each gesture, each
word. had been impressed on his mind
years ago. But toward the end the
minister's voice strengthened; Angela
shifted her position, there was q per-
ceptible movement through the build
ing.
"Men Of the Second church." the
minister's voice was full and strong.
"forty years ago today stood In this
| pulpit and looked in the faces Of my
people. Some Of them are still here,
worn and old like myself-thank God,
the army of Jesus Christ has no age
limit--you who were here will remem-
Der the day, a warm June day like
this. The city was quiet-Quiet with
the stiffness Of desolation. Regiment
after regiment had gone out and had
| not come back Another call had come
for volunteers: the danger was great.
At Fredericksburg and Chancellors-
vile the Army Of the Potomac had
been defeated with sickening loss;
General Grant was before Vicksburg;
Lee under cover of strategy, was NOV
ing his army north through the Shen-
andoah valley.
"The president called for hundred
and twenty thousand more men-thOse
who could be spared had gone before;
there were left the fathers Of families,
the sons Of widows. That morning the
! people had been awakened with the
blast of bugles and the changing Of
the church bells. Some Of the men
who sat in these pews we're stained
with clay from the earthworks where
they had labored all night And stand
ing here"-the old mans voice shook
with the eyes Of women and chill
dren on me, read the presidents call
for more men, and asked for volun.
teers to follow me to the field. Sixty
men stood up at the CALL every man
of enlisting age in the congregation.
! Not man who did not leave a moth
er. or wife and children. OF the 60.
.1S came back again. Three Of them
are still living, but the time is not
far when there will be none to an
swer present to the roll call.
"But although these men are gone.
their children and even their chill
dren's children are still with us. To-
day we are threatened, not with civic
conflict. but with civic degeneracy.
This great country, which was saved
at such a cost, is In danger. danger
from It's public men, who would sell
its soul for gain; danger from its peo-
pie, who are becoming place seekers
and money getters. Men of the Sec.
ond church. your country needs you
as much today as it did 40 years ago
volunteers for the army of pure gov
eminent and Just legislation. am an
old man, but once again would like
to see my people respond to the call
Of duty. Up, then all Of US. who vol.
unteer to preserve the purity of this
great country we love-"
Before the call was finished men
were on their feet; in the pew ahead
Of Stoddard an old man in faded army
blue stood up with the erectness of
youth. Boys got to their feet sheepish-
ly. urged by their mothers eyes. The
heads Of families. solid men all, rose
with quiet determination that was al.
most grim-many Of them remem-
bered wildly the historic scene Of 40
years ago.
Stoddard had felt his pulses leap at
the minister's words; his father had
been one of those to go, and had not
come back. Then he looked at An
gela; probably she would be scornful
II he posed as an advocate of pure gov
eminent. She gave no indication Of
emotion. sitting erect and tense, but
she was very pale. Louie Stoddard,
from his mother" Perhaps he would
better get up. He drew deep breath,
then he rose slowly, gripping the back
Of the next pew with straining fingers.
THE spirit Of your fathers lives in
you" said the minister softly. Thank
YOU"
Through the benediction Stoddard
did not look at his wife. They slipped
away quietly when service was over.
and once in the carriage, he relaxed
again.