The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-12-13
EpwOrth League Hears
Call to Highest Ideals
Continued from page sne)

DDS of self torture, but in it al
ran the desire of the penitent TO
spiritual growth and moral better
! ment.
| The ideal which more nearl
approached our modern concep
ton of manhood was that of chiv
airy. In the Knights of old w
| observe reckless courage, persona
I pride. honor and disregard o
all personal advantage, except 70
| military glory. II was an idea
of service and obedience. |
taught the rough, warlike tribe
of the north, through their obi
cations Of Knight to God TO hi!
lord and to his lady, that life de
voted, not to lawless self-gratifi
fication, but to the interests o.
others, was the true measure o.
mauhood.
A call has come ringing dowr
the centuries that have gone anC
echoes far into the approaching
years. 1t is a call for young mer
and young women who will. witr
strength of purpose and sublime
faith in God, falter at nothing, but
who will be willing to sacrifice sell
in the great work Of leading the
work onward and upward. Young
people, the burdens and RESPONSE
bilities that are coming are yours
VIII you respond to the call OF
service?
Service is the watchword Of the
present century. The most drama
tic scene in the life of Jesus was
the story Of his service to man
kind. Even in the physical and
material universe service IS the
highest symbol of unselfishness.
We must not lose sight of the
higher obligations of the soul. We
must possess a sound body, be
mentally strong and be well-bal-
anced morally. The present age
is characterized by its spirit of
commcrcialism. Men are busily en-
gagged making money to the eX-
luson OF all else. 1t is far too
narrow a view. A nation begins
to decay when its manhood sells
its soul for gold. The lives of such
men as Livingstone, Patterson,
John Howard and many others
emphasize the Importance of true
devoted service There is no spot
in the world which has not been
consccrated by some sacrifiial
prayer and dedicated bv some he
roic deed. This devotion should
rot be in vain.
In closing, DR.. Hylton. in adj
dessing the Epworth Leaguers in
particular, said in part: America
calls upon you for ealnestness in
life. Every hour is big with des-
tiny. In every true life the deep
controlling motive is to give, not
to get; to serve someone, not to
save oneself. The only safe good
ness is of serviceable goodness.
For this | make my appeal to you.
Whatever your calling it should
be one of service. The field of
service is open to all and is bound
less. Our service must include
love Of country.
Dr.. Brown of Yale calls atten-
ton to the fact that in the year
1855, six years before GU civil war,
a hard-headed, practical man,
whose name was David Christy,
wrote q book entitled Cotton IS
King. He had no use for any
foolishness, he said. He took the
hard facts of life as he found them
and he showed that the interests
Of the southern cotton growers d..
manded slavery if they were to
prosper; and further, that the in
terests of the northern manufact-
urers of cotton in the mills of New
England and New York also de-
manded cheap cotton, which could
best be produced, they thought, by
slave-labor in the south; and fur
ther, that the whole American
people, wearing cotton clothing,
most of them, every day in the
year, demanded this same system
of production; they therefore
claimed that the whole agitation
about the abolition of slavery was
nothing but the troubled dream of
a few silly enthusiasts. "Cotton is
King, he said, "and it will finally
determine the issue" But hard
headed, practical man though he
was, he was utterly and eternally
Cotton was not king,
love was king,-love of country
and love of freedom; love CT hui
and love of God. Love was /
king even in that hour when David
Christy was writinq out his high =,
claims about the kingshin of cot
ton. and. indeed, before the ink /
was fairly dry upon the pages of |
his book, amid the rattle of mus /
kerry and the roar OF cannon, as /
well as in the quiet tones of Lin !
coins Inaugural Address ard in /
the prayers Of millions of peo1lc,
tho fundamental lordShip of love (,
was being effectively asserted. !
Men and women did great deeds in |
those DAYS; they made great sac
rifccs: they carried through great
enterprises. Because they were
being paid in cotton? They were
not paid for it all. They did it be-
cause they loved country. liberty.
they loved God more
than anv material advantage. |
Love i King.
A short while ago they were