No, you
will find that the world's monuments and statues have been erected and
its praises and honors have gone out to those who were large and great
enough to forget themselves in the service of others, who have been
servants, true servants of mankind, who have been true to the great law
that we find our own lives in losing them in the service of others. Not
honor for themselves, but service for others. But notice the strange,
wonderful, beautiful transformation as it returns upon itself,--_honor
for themselves, because of service to others_.
It would be a matter of exceeding great interest to verify the truth of
what has just been said by looking at a number of those who are regarded
as the world's great sons and daughters,--those to whom its honors, its
praises, its homage go out,--to see why it is, upon what their lives
have been founded that they have become so great and are so honored. Of
all this glorious company that would come up, we must be contented to
look at but one or two.
There comes to my mind the name and figure of him the celebration of
whose birthday I predict will soon be made a national holiday,--he than
whom there is no greater, whose praises are sung and whose name and
memory are honored and blessed by millions in all parts of the world
to-day, and will be by millions yet unborn, our beloved and sainted
Lincoln.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25