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ADDRESS BY REV. H. EDDY, D. D. 



And this the reason why so few attain to anything special in this 

 life. It is not the want of ability; nor for the want of opportunity; 

 but for the want of patient drudgery, dauntless energy and con- 

 suming passion to strike the cold misty bar until it is raised to a 

 white heat. Then you may mould it to any shape you please. 

 Thus every great work is produced. We are told that much of 

 that work of genius — Uncle Tom's Cabin — was written in the 

 kitchen, while the author was now cooking, now writing. I have 

 no doubt I should pray to be delivered of the products of the 

 cookery; but having her hands and soul full of work and high en- 

 deavor she has produced some that lays a just claim to immortal- 

 ity. Many men and women are dying for want of something to 

 do. They leave no monument to tell of something done worth 

 living for. This is not for the want of genius, but for want of ef- ^ 

 fort, and for the love of simply vegetating. These would rather ft 

 show a clean white hand than gather in the golden harvest in any 

 field of human endeavor. A clergyman in old and beautiful Berk- 

 shire showed his hand to a neighboring brother and said as he did 

 so, "that hand never did a day's work in my life. See how soft 

 'and smooth it is." Even muscular strength is at a discount. "Ah! 

 she is a delicate creature " in many quarters is considered a com- 

 pliment, and robustness and strength a disparagement. But give 

 me a buxom girl who can make butter and cheese, and such girls 

 have been the mothers of great men. 



And here I make a point. One of the values of reasonable 

 labor is strength. Let us say it without any apology; strength of 

 sinew — muscular Christianity — strength to knock down the ruffian 

 that assaults you in the way, or in your house; strength to do the 

 work of life; strength to sympathise with a world misery, strength fl 

 to bear one's own burdens and those of others. This strength f| 

 when connected with true benevolence and goodness is what con- || 

 stitutes the hero and heroine. What an imperious demand there || 

 is for strength like this in all the fields of human activities. What || 

 fields of endeavor. What calls for mighty endeavors! One of the || 

 explosive sentences of Cailyle was, "Produce! Produce! for the || 

 life of you, produce! " Who will bring these rock farms into a || 

 high state of culture but men of brawn and pluck ? Who will ex- || 

 plore the whole world for scientific observation, braving the snows, || 

 ice bergs and congelation of the North Pole like Kane or Greeley, fjp 

 studying the life of the seas and rivers of the world midst mala- || 

 rial swamps and roaring surfs like Agassiz, or studying the phe- || 

 nomena of the earth's surface like Humbolt, who was able to work || 



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