St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1919-01-22
EDWARD T. FAIRBANKS
A Personal Tribute from Rev. DR..
A. P. Grint

A. P. Grint
May | be permitted to say word
concerning the Rev. Edward 7. Fair
banks? Others will speak from
longer and I, larger knowledge of his
unique personality, but those of us
who have valued his friendship cam
NOT altogether keep silence.
When l came to St. Johnsbury in
1910, upon my first visit to the Pub
lie Library, Dr. Fairbanks greeted
me with both hands, bidding me Il
hearty welcome. This acquaintance
/ rpened soon into friendship, and
it was not long before l began to be
drawn by aracteristics that to me
were overpcwering. And now that
his course has been run, l think St.
Johnsbuiy is agreed that we have
lost our First Citizen. And if this
be true, what Il tribute this means!
In other land; the First Citizen is
measured by rank and wealth. But
in our democratic country it is other
wise. Roosevelt was not wealthy.
Yet he gril.ped the hearts of men.
Dr. Fairbanks likewise, and we arc all
mourning today. St. Johnsbuly's
First Citizen has passed from our
midst!
The Christian gentleman is difficult
to define. 1t means culture, an in
dwelling us clfshness, an outfowing
love, courtesy, the graces that are
sometimes cOntemptuously regarded
as etiquette. Dickens never succeed
cd in drawing the Christian gentle
man. But Thackeray's Colonel New
come is tiction's masterpiece. When
we are all mourning the Christian
gentleman today, cannot help re-
calling as so appropriate Newcomc's
last hours: cat the usual evening
hour the chapel bell began to toll and
Thomas Newcomc's hands outside tho
bed fcebly beat time. And just as
the last bell struck, peculiar sweet
smile stole over his face, and he lift
ed up his head a little and quietly
said 'Adsum, and fell back. 1t was
'hc word he used at school when
names were called; and 10, he whose
heart was as that of a little child had
answered to his name. and stood in
the presence of The Master" May
we again venture into fiction's illum-
mating and suggestive world when
our loss is in our mind and on our
heart? In Victor Hugo's "Lcs .Miscr-
ablcs where is drawn a character
that is unique in literature, The Bish-
OPP, ovcrflowingly good, whose all-at-
tractlve humanity extends a loving
forgiving hand to an unfortunate SO
that Il life is rcvolutionized for
heavenly things.
The undersigned has little knowl-
edge, OF course, OF DR.. Fairbanks
college days. But when a student at
Yale is slapped for Scroll and Key,
outsiders know that his coiltempofE:.-.- =
hes made no mistake in the measure
OF TINS man. For practically the rest
OF his life he lived in our midst. And
st. Johnsbrry soon began to know
nm, measure him, then to love him.
Not only as the Christian gentleman.
but also as the pastor, the theologian.
the traveller, the scholar, the writer,
the lover of children, the good cit
lzen, over interested in the uplift of
the community in which he lived.
May | add also that as a scientist he
was known to many of US. And al
though | would not venture to class
him as Darwinist, yet his paper on
evolution was a marvel, to all priv
lieged to hear it, for its knowledge
md humoi.
Our town only recently lost Elisha
May, who occupied unique position
because of his broad loving humanity.
And now another "great man" has
passed away in an honored old age.
St. Johnsblry has suffered another
oss, and our town is mourning to-
lay.
ALFRED POOLE GRINT.