The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-05-24

! clples ana that course of conduct
which | conceive to be best for the
! country. Therefore I should have 10
( accept 1t under false prrtenSeS and
take their yoke upon me. Would you
think the needle pointed that way?"
No | answered.
I immediately he turned tn his desk
and wrote the telegram which fixed
/ his place in history. II said no.
Into the lives Of few men has such
I moment fallen. | looked at him with
/ affecting Of awe. What sublime calm
J rr~S and serenity was in his face. As
/ II II We're mere detail in the work of
I the day, and without a moments fal-
! terln", ne had declined crown, for he
would surely have been nominated and
elected. He rose and stood looking
3 out OF the open window. Always l
/ think Of him standing there with the
morning sunlight falling upon his face
and shoulders. He had observed my
emotion and I think it had touched
him a little. There was Il moment Of
silence. \ curious illusion came To me
/ Then. for il seemed as if | heard the
sound of distant music. Looking
I thoughtfully out of the window he
asked:
Bart, do you know when our first
fathers turned out Of the trail Of the
beast and found the long road of hui
Eanity? l think il was when they dis
covered the compass in their hearts"
So now at last we have come to that
high and lonely place, where We may
look back upon the tOilsOme, adven-
turOuS way We have travelled with the
aid of the candle and the compass.
Now let us stop a moment To rest and
TO think. How sweet the air is here
The night is falling. l see the stars in
the sky.
Just below me is the valley of Eter-
nal silence. You will understand my
haste now. l have sought only to DO
justice TO my friend and 10 give my
country name, long neglected, but
equal in glory to those of Washington
and Lincoln.
Come, let us take one last look to-
gether down the road we have trav-
eled, now dim in the evening shad-
Ows. Scattered along it are the little
houses of the poor of which | have
written. See the lights in the win
dOws-the lights that are shining into
the souls of the yOung-the eager.
open, expectant, welcoming souls of
the young-and the light carries many
things. but best of all respect for the
old. unchanging way of the compass.
After all that is the end and aim of
the whole matter-believe me.
My life has heightened into these
days when most of our tasks are ac-
comp liShed by machinery. We try to
make men by the thousand. in vast
educational machines, and no longer
by the one as of old. Ii was the low
Ing, fOrgiving. forbearing. patient.
ceaseless toll of mother and father on
the tender soul of childhood which
quickened that inextinguishable sense
of responsibility To God and man in
these people whom | now leave TO the
y
| have lived to see the ancient plan
of kingcraft, for self-protectiOn, COM
ing back into the world. 1t demands
that the will and conscience of every
individual shall be regulated and con-
trolled by some conceited prince,
lacked by an army. 1t cannot fail. /
foresee. to accomplish such devasta- !
ton in the human spirit as shall i'm
peril the dearest possession of man.
If one is to follow the compass he !
can have but one knights God.
| am near the end. | rode back to |
Baltimore that forenoon. They had |
nominated Mr.. Polk of Tennessee for I
president and Silas Wright for vice |
president. the latter by reclamation. l /
knew that Wright would decline the |
honor, as he did.
| hurried northward to keep my ap- |
pointment with Sally. The boats were
slowed by fog. At Albany | was a day 4
behind my schedule. | should have
only an hours leeway if the boats on
the upper lakes and the stage from
were on time. feared to
trust them So l caught the west
bound train and reached Utica three
hours late. There l bought good
lcrse and his saddle and bride and
hurried up the north road. When he
vas near spent | traded him for a we'll
lnit Morgan mare up in the little vii
age Of Sandy Creek. Oh. | knew a
GOOD horse as well rs the next man
md a better one than she | never
| was back in my sad
lie at six in the afternoon and stopped
or feed and an hour. rest at nine and
ode on through the night. | reached
he hamlet Of Richville soon after day
freak and put out for a rest of two
,ours. | could take il easy then. AT
even O'Clock the mare and | started
gain, well fed and eager 10 20 on.
Ii was a summer morning that short
n the rOad-even that of the young T.
ever. Its air was sweet with the /,
reath OF the meadows. Tie daisies
nd the clover and the cornfiowers
nj the wild roses seemed to be way
~ welcome TO me. and the thorn
ornament of my native
illS-were in blossom. A cloud of
igeOnS swept across the blue deem
hOve my head. The great choir of
ne fields sang To me-bobolinkS. song
1arrowS. meadowlarkS, bluebirds.