Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-22
John E. Nelson's Address
Mr. President. and Members Of the Ro-
tary Club

Mr. President. and Members Of the Ro-
tary Club
After our honored president announc-
I'd At the last meeting that I was to
address you this evening. | sought in
vain for subject upon which might
speak 10 YOU Many suggested them
selves. hut all were unsatisfactory. For
some reason | could interest myself in
none Of them. ! sought the cause, and
finally found that in these troublous
times. when the fate of humanity
hangs i'm the balance, when human
life is but candle nickering in the
wind. when our boys are over there"
looking out across NO Mans Land"
there is but one subject that interests
US. 10 the exclusion of all others. and
that subject is this neffahlc world
war in which we arc engaged
thought. too. as | needs must. Of
tho season which is upon us-the
Christmas season. associated in our
minds. from childhood. with thoughts
OF peace on earth. and good will toward
men, and finally came To sec that if
7 talked to you at all this evening. it
must be upon these two subjects, APP
parcntly irrcconcilable, but. perhaps
only apparently s.. Your president
would have done far better had he as
signed this day to Brother Wood, then
these subjects 81 deep significance,
might have been treated by one whose
life and training peculiarly fit him for
the task. In the popular mind II is an
homogeneous thing for a layman, more
especially for a lawyer. to speak in
public upon subject involving, as
docs this subject. the great simpliCities
Of Christianity. However. the task has
fallen To me. and while I realize my
unfitness for tho work. Yet have no
inclination 10 shirk ii. realizing rs ]
do the Kindly spirit of forhearance and
generosity which DISTINGUISHES and en-
riches our associations in this club.
We business and professional men.
busted and rushed with the thousand
duties Of the office. the counting room.
the market-place and the factory, give
httlc heed 10 the Crceds and dogmaS
snd transient elements of religion. Too
often We ignore tho essentials. We
leave to our wives and TO the church
the duty of imparting 10 our children
the great lessons cf life. of shaping
their moral natures. of teaching them
What Is right and what is wrong; and
vet my friends. | think that funda-
mentally we arc all religious. Man is
q religious being. There is no man
within the sound Of my voice who does
not believe that a Divine intelligence
rules the universe who does not have
a keen sense Of the mystery of life, OF
wonder at it's meaning and destiny, OF
some kind Of faith that life is after
all worth whilc-whose mind does not
cry out for the infinite and eternal, and
rest with nothing else. No one of US be-
ucves that this is n purposeless world
II this be true, then we approach the
consideration OF my subject on COM
mon ground and with a common I'M
Outstanding.
Let Us begin with that old, old story
of Christmas. which each Of us learned
as a child at our mothers knee. Nine
teen centuries ago. in Judea. meath the
mountains OF Moab, above the Field of
The Shepherds. there flashed across
the sky on that first Christmas morn
ing a message Of peace on earth,
goodwill towards man" and five miles
Rway. in the little town Of Bethlehem,
in the stable OF an inn, Christ
was. born-H4 who came not as