t with a small army of men who
stand waiting to carry out his slightest behests, relieve him of
details, halve his burdens, while at the same time doubling his joys
and rewards. Lifted up in the sight of the entire community the great
man stands on a lofty pedestal builded out of helpers and aids. And
though here and now the honors and successes all go to the one giant,
and his assistants are seemingly obscure and unrecognized, hereafter
and there honors will be evenly distributed, and then how will the
great man's position shrink and shrivel!

Here also are the parents who loved books and hungered for beauty, yet
in youth were denied education and went all their life through
concealing a secret hunger and ambition, but who determined that their
children should never want for education. That the boy, therefore,
might go to college, these parents rose up early to vex the soil and
sat up late to wear their fingers thin, denying the eye beauty, denying
the taste and imagination their food, denying the appetite its
pleasures. And while they suffer and wane the boy in college grows
wise and strong and waxing great, comes home to find the parents
overwrought with service and ready to fall on death, having offered a
vicarious sacrifice of love.

And here are our own ancestors. Soon our children now lying in the
cradles of our state will without any forethought of theirs fall heir
to this rich land with all its treasures material--houses and
vineyards, factories and cities; with all its treasures mental--library
and gallery, school and church, institutions and customs. But with
what vicarious suffering were these treasures purchased! For us our
fathers subdued the continents and the kingdoms, wrought freedom,
stopped the mouths of wolves, escaped the sword of savages, turned to
flight armies of enemies, subdued the forests, drained the swamps,
planted vineyards, civilized savages, reared schoolhouses, builded
churches, founded colleges. For four generations they dwelt in cabins,
wore sheepskins and goatskins, wandered about exploring rivers and
forests and mines, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, because of
their love of liberty, and for the slave's sake were slain with the
sword--of whom this generation is not worthy. "And these all died not
having received the promise," God having reserved that for us to whom
it has been given to fall heir to the splendid achievements of our
Christian ancestors.

And what sh