The Holly chieftain., 1919-04-03

1 ahO picou ~ Iis loNC. A. SSShlCA ~
puncture my balloon. so to speak. and
l was falling toward the earth and SO
swiftly my head swan. He laid the
letter on his desk and, without looking
up and as coolly as if he were asking
for the change of dollar. queried:
well. Bart. what do you think We
had better do about it?"
IL was hoping-you-you would
take it," stammered.
THAT'S because the excitement of
| the convention is on you," he an
swered. LET us look at the compass.
They have refused to nominate Mr..
Van Buren because he is opposed to
the annexation of Texas. On that sub
| ject the will of the convention is now
clear. 1t is possible that they would
nominate me. We don't know about
that, we never shall know. II they
did, and 1 accepted, what would be eX-
pected of me is also clear. They
would expect me to abandon my prin-
ciples and that course of conduct
which conceive to be best for the
! country. Therefore should have to
accept it under false pretenses and
take their yoke upon me. Would you
| think the needle pointed that wayY
NO" answered.
Immediately he turned to his desk
and wrote the telegram which fixed
his place in history. 1t said no.
Into the lives Of few men has such
feeling of awe. What sublime calm
ness and serenity was in his face! AS
if it We're mere detail in the work of
the day, and without moments fall
tering, he had declined crown, for he
would surely have been nominated and
elected. He rose and stood looking
out of the open window. Always I
think of him standing there with the
morning sunlight falling upon his face
and shoulders. He had observed my
emotion and think it had touched
him little. There was moment Of
silence. A curious Illusion came to me
then, for 1t seemed as if heard the
sound of distant music. Looking
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
mantty? l think 1t 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 moment to rest and
to think. How sweet the air Is here
The night is falling see the stars in
the sky.
Just below me is the valley of Eter-
nal silence. You will understand my
haste now. I have sought only to do
Justice to my friend and to 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 1t 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-
complished by machinery. We try to
make men by the thousand, In vast
educational machines, and no longer
by the one as of old. 1t was the low
ing, forgiving, forbearing, patient,
ceaseless toll Of mother and father on
the tender soul of childhood which
quickened that inextinguishnble sense
of responsibility to God and man in
these people whom / now leave to the
Judgment of my countrymen.
If one is to follow the compass he
can have but one king~his God.
+ i am near the end. + rode back to
Baltimore that forenoon. They had
nominated Mr.. Polk of Tennessee for
president and Silas Wright for vice
president, the latter by acclamation. 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 I was day
behind my schedule. should have
only an hours leeway if the boats on
the upper lakes and the stage from
Diuf tcybr T