The Coolidge examiner., 1934-12-07

organizing at the entrance for the
march 10 the platform. There. VII
lage officials and the local preach
ers crowded around the speaker OF
the day, eager TO be recognized as
part Of the essentials.
The platform was empty save FOR
the chairs carefully arranged. and
one man sat at one end. lie was
a huge hulk OF a fellow. dressed
In a well worn doughboy uniform
with a decoration on his breast. 4
pair Of large dark glasses covered
his eyes.
The speaker noticed him and
turned TO the chairman in inquiry.
Soldier OF the World war" he
explained. The only one we have
who won a crolx de guerre.'
"BHudT
"Bllnd as n bat and stone deaf"
"How did he get his decorationr
The chairman brought up his
hands ia indication Of ignorance.
In fact. don't know much about
him. No one does one ot the pa
pers got hold OF him some way, and
we brought him in for the celebra-
ton. Eager to cone. too. when we
finally got the message across 10
him"
"Umpl Too bad the speaker,
evidently relieved that be would
have little competition for atten-
ton. turned back TO his group and
they marched 20 their positions Il
was a great day for Charlottesville
But It was a greater day fer
Peter Kelly.
He might be blind as a bat and
deaf as a post, but his Imagination
was seeing wonderful sights on this
day. His mind surveyed twenty
years IN second lie saw plenty
and famine. wars and peace, pain
and soy. love and hate But above
all these rather petty thlngs-petiy
20 him just now-he saw one great
ideal of human service: be saw the
Justification Of n lifelong ambition
which had been handled roughly
but now came 10 claim It's own.
II was just twenty years before
that he bad stood on the platform
OF the village school Of Crawfords
Vile and received his diploma.
Senator Harrington had nd
dressed the class which was cradn.
ating. His subject had been "The
Compensation of Public Service"
He recounred the story Of his own
life. telling OF the rise OF the bare
foot boy 20 n position OF great re-
sponslbllity.
Young Kelly had eagerly listened
TO each word lie could stlli recall.
word for word. parts OF that great
address.
-My young gentlemen the sen.
ator had said. there Is but one
rule 10 "A successful and happy life.
That is the standard 81 unseldsh
service. All other things fail. All
that glistens is not gold. But II
Is written IN the very hfeblood OF
the universe that the man who
serves his fellow men VIII be
smiled upon By the gods The law
Of service never fails The re-
ward of sacrificIal living may be
long delayed-the mills of the gods
grind slowly-but the reward IS In.
evltable. Sooner or later his fel-
low citizens viii call him from HIS
humble abode OF labor and place
the crown of public esteem upon
his brow Some day be may stand
here. before those whom be has
served. beloved and respected by
all. His words then Will be the
golden apples OF advice which they
consume with eagerness and affee.
ton"
From that day Peter Kelly began
TO live.
or course he had 10 start in a
rather low capacity.
He got a job as timekeeper in
the local woolen mills, bnt few op-
portunlties for service are present
in a place as common as that. He
found himself lending aid 20 the
families OF those who toiled. More
than once he paid the doctor bills
for some hard-pressed toller. The
men took the money and smiled
at what they considered his naive
philosophy. They thought that II
was the bunk. But the mills OF
the gods grind slowly. He could
afford to wait
Then h--ll broke out on earth and
the World war was on. Peter
kissed his old father and mother
good-by and Joined the first con-
tIngent OF volunteers In the coun-
try. For a time he really tasted
the sweets Of public esteem.
There were parties. dinners and
pretty girls.
In the fever OF the moment he
married one who swOre that she
would be faithful to him till death
and marched away with a proud
and happy heart
War was not all that he expect
ed IL TO be.
Where he looked for Idealism he
found lice and muddy trenches nro-