From Boston to Yorktown
By P. T. Magan
It was a great day for the American colonists when the night air resounded with the sound of the tea chests splashing into the waters of Boston Bay. It was a still greater day for the American colonists when to the music of that quaint old English melody,—“The World Turned Upside Down”—Lord Cornwallis’s troops, with colors furled and cased, marched out of Yorktown, and surrendered to the victorious Washington. Between these events eight long years elapsed. Some of these years were doleful ones for the American forces. One is known to history as the “year of disaster.” Its annals record not a single success for the colonial forces. At Saratoga a great victory had been won; but at Camden these laurels were turned into willows. Bad generalship, mismanagement, meddling by Congress, caused many to lose heart. These clamored for surrender and the end of the war. But a few brave hearts, strong in faith that the thing for which they battled was right, cheered the flagging zeal of others, and pressed the battle to the gates. These believed in certain “self-evident truths.” They knew that these truths would win, therefore they pressed on, and to them pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. God heard their prayers, and vindicated their cause. We are now engaged in a desperate struggle to relieve our schools from debt. This war has been on for two years. It opened with a glorious day when the plan for the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” broke the dawn for a new era of our denominational life. It will close with a jubilee day, when every school will be out of debt. In the meantime there will be many difficulties to meet, many obstacles to overcome, and even at times it may be that only blank defeat will stare us in the face. The courage of some has waned, they have lost faith, and they ask that the war for freedom from debt be stopped, or that they be released from service before their strength and their fortunes are exhausted. Be it so; we will abide the issue. If we were not in dire need of money with which to buy material, we would not ask it. Cannot some of our wealthier brethren donate to the Relief Fund, and thus help push the battle side by side with the poorer ones who are selling the books? We thank God for the many generous gifts which have been made, for the many loyal hearts that have sacrificed in this matter. Let us rally round the standard until the jubilee banner bends to the breeze. P. T. MAGAN.