THE BEST THING ON EARTH
By R.L. Cole
John Wanamaker said: "I have for the government, and in my own
business, made contracts involving millions of dollars. I have signed
checks for millions of dollars, but the greatest purchase I ever made
in my life was when I was 11 years old. I saved every penny of my
hard-earned money and bought a Bible that cost $2.75. That was my best
investment and has had most to do with the rest of the riches of my
life. Every other investment I have ever made holds a secondary place
to the first and greatest one of them all."
Lord Bacon, the literary genius and philosopher, lifted the Bible one
day above his head, and said: "There God speaks."
God speaks in the first verse, saying: "In the beginning God!" And all
through the Book we find expressions as "Thus saith the Lord," "the
word of the Lord came," "God said," "the Lord commanded," etc.
These expressions are used four thousand times in the Bible, thus
indelibly stamping the divine mark.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Inspiration means
breathed into. God breathed his thoughts into the Book. The Book
contains the breath of God, and lives because God lives.
Jesus said: "Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not
pass away."
The Bible tells us things we get nowhere else. It tells us of the
beginning, for only God was in the beginning. It tells of the beginning
of creation, the beginning of the human race, the beginning of the
human family; the beginning of sin, the beginning of redemption; the
beginning of the arts, sciences, music, agriculture, of nations and
languages. Of the Hebrews, of law, etc.
Much of ancient history of the earliest times is borrowed from the
Bible.
The Bible tells of things that are to occur thousands of years in the
future. The destruction of Babylon, Nineveh, Tyre and Jerusalem was
foretold in detail and has come to pass exactly as was predicted.
The first coming of Jesus Christ was foretold--that He would come
to the tribe of Judah, would be born of a virgin, would be born in
Bethlehem, would come out of Egypt and would grow up in Nazareth, would
be despised and rejected of men, would work miracles, would be betrayed
by one of his own followers, would be falsely accused, crucified.
That they would gamble for his garment; would be buried in another
man's tomb, would rise again; that His gospel would be preached to all
nations; that to Him would be given a name greater than any name. All
these prophecies have been fulfilled. The prophecies of the Bible are
yet being fulfilled, and will all be fulfilled.
In Naomi we are told that in the day of His preparation the rivers
shall be opened, the palace shall be dissolved and chariots shall be
flaming torches, shall run like the lightning and rage in the street.
Notice this prophecy: the bridges shall be opened. The suspension
bridge opens our rivers. The palaces shall be dissolved. They have been.
Russia and Germany are notable examples. We are living in an era of
democracy. The flaming chariots running like the lightning so much like
the automobile.
In Isaiah we are told that with the coming in of the Gentiles to the
brightness of His rising they shall fly as doves to their windows. That
sounds like the airships.
The Bible is a priceless book because it makes promises no other
book can make. It promises pardon, salvation, eternal life, soul
rest, peace, comfort, strength and succor; victory over trials and
temptations; strength in the dying hour, and heaven for all eternity.
The Bible is priceless because it is indestructible. For two thousand
years the critics have hurled against it their anathemas, and it
still lives. Time and again it has been gathered up and burned, and
its advocates for ages were persecuted and put to death, but it has
survived fires and floods.
A popular author of fiction boasts 9,000,000 copies of his book
published in eight years. 240,000,000 copies of the Bible have been
sold in the same eight years.
Another publisher boasts that his book has been printed in 23
languages. The Bible is published in 770 different languages and
dialects.
Last we passed beside a blacksmith's door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime,
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter all your hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, then with a twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out you know."
And so thought I, the anvil of God's word,
For ages skeptics' blows have beat upon,
Yet thru the noise of falling blows was heard.
The anvil was unharmed--the hammers gone.
Last we passed beside, _etc._
Hume gone, Voltaire gone, Tom Paine gone, Bob Ingersoll gone. The
present-day enemies in the church and out of the church will wear their
hammers out. God's word that has for two thousand years endured the
test, will endure and stand forever.
The individual or nation that believes the Book, and lives according to
its teaching, will live as long as the Book lives, and the individual
or nation that spurns it will go down.
Martin Luther gave the Bible to Germany and for generations Germany
respected and loved the Book, and lived. Then Germany began in her
schools to criticise and spurn the Book and brought on the World War.
Germany by turning away from the Book, committed suicide, and so shall
it be with any nation.
God forbid that America should ever turn away from the Bible!
"Lord God of hosts be with us yet
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
We've traveled together, my Bible and I,
Thru all kinds of weather, with smile or with sigh.
In sorrow or sunshine, in tempest or calm,
Thy friendship unchanging; my lamp and my psalm.
We've traveled together, my Bible and I,
When life has grown weary, and death e'en was nigh;
But all thru the darkness of mist and of wrong,
I found thee a solace, a prayer and a song.
So now who shall part us, my Bible and I.
Shall isms or schism or new lights who shall try?
Shall shadow for substance, or stone for good bread
Supplant its sound wisdom, give folly instead?
Ah no, my dear Bible, revealer of light,
Thou sword of the spirit, put error to flight;
And still thru life's journey, until the last sigh;
We'll travel together, my Bible and I."
* * * * *
These statements agreed exactly with Robert's views. He had found his
greatest help in the Bible and knew John Wanamaker was right when he
said that the greatest purchase he ever made in his life was when he
was 11 years old and bought the Bible for $2.75. As Robert read:
"Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away,"
he remembered that the Bible said that whenever you pray, believe that
you have it and you shall. As he knew that all things are possible
with the Lord, he determined to pray believing that Marie would soon
return to him. Robert was much impressed with the statement that all
the prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled and will be fulfilled.
He knew that every promise that God had ever made to man, he had kept.
This renewed Robert's faith and again he read Marie's note where it
said: "According to your faith, be I unto you," and Robert thought
that if faith would bring Marie back to him she would surely come. He
knew that time would never change his love and that there was no other
woman but Marie for him. He would live, work and hope for Marie until
he found her, but if she had gone from him forever and such bad news
should come to him, he knew that he would bury all life and that hope
would depart from him and life would not be worth living.
At the end of the article he read the poem on the Bible and was much
impressed with these lines:
"Ah no, my dear Bible, revealer of light,
Thou sword of the spirit, put error to flight;
And still thru life's journey, until the last sigh;
We'll travel together, my Bible and I."
Robert felt that this article had been written especially for him when
he needed it most, making him realize the value of his Bible and the
trust he should put in it, applying its wisdom to his present problem
and troubles.
By the time Robert had finished reading this article, it was after 1:30
P.M. and he decided that it was hopeless to wait longer for
Marie, that something radically wrong had happened and she had either
gone away or an accident had befallen her. He must make some plans
for locating her. Decided to go to a hotel and call Mr. Kennelworth
on long-distance 'phone at Texarkana. With this plan in mind, he made
his way to the hotel, registered and as soon as he was assigned to his
room, put in a long-distance call for Mr. Kennelworth. Mr. Kennelworth
was at his residence and it was only a question of a few minutes until
he had him on the 'phone. Between sobs, he told his sad story to Mr.
Kennelworth about Marie's disappearance and asked his advice. Mr.
Kennelworth told him that he thought for some reason Marie may have
decided to return to school and complete her education, and probably
was at that time on her way back to Sherman. The best plan would be
to wait until the next night to see if she returned, altho it was
possible that she might get back late that night. Mr. Kennelworth told
Robert that he would go to see her father and find out any information
he could for him. Robert was to remain at the hotel and if he got any
information, he would telephone him. He advised Robert to notify the
railroad authorities, and have them make a search and inquire at all
of the stations where the train stopped that night on the way from
Texarkana to St. Louis, in order to get a clue to Marie's disappearance.
After talking with Mr. Kennelworth, Robert got in touch over the 'phone
with the railroad officials in St. Louis and notified them of Marie's
disappearance from the train. They promised to send telegrams to all
the station agents, to have all the trains watched and try to secure
some information for him. They were to communicate with him just as
soon as they had anything definite one way or the other.
Robert now realized that he must go thru the greatest ordeal yet--that
of waiting hourly for some news of Marie. He knew the hours would pass
slowly and decided to formulate a plan in case Marie did not return to
school or to her home, and if no news came from her the next day what
would be his next move and what he should do to try to locate her.
The next time Robert noticed the time of day, it was after 6
P.M. and he realized that he had had no breakfast, lunch or
dinner, but his heart was heavy and he felt that he could not eat
anything. The shock had been so great and had come so suddenly that
Robert found it hard to adjust himself to it or to realize what it all
meant or what it might mean in case Marie should pass out of his life
forever. It would mean every hope blasted, every sweet dream gone and
would leave him with an uncertainty of life, like a ship without a
rudder. He decided to pass the time by reading and seeking consolation
in the Bible.
Robert had always been a great admirer of the poet, S.E. Kiser; always
read his poems in the daily newspapers and a few months previous to
this time, had bought a little book entitled, "Poems That Have Helped
Me," collected by S.E. Kiser. He remembered that he had this little
book that he liked so much in his suit-case so he unpacked it to look
for the book and as he did, he came across the present, the surprise
that he had for Marie, that he had told her about before and refused to
give to her or tell her more about it until they arrived in St. Louis.
The present was a wedding ring set with diamonds and a beautiful brooch
made of two hearts woven together and tied with a cluster of diamonds
and pearls. This was to be the great surprise for Marie and he was
going to present it to Marie after they were married, as a token of the
two hearts that now beat as one. Robert looked at this and thought of
how the diamonds represented Marie in all of her beauty and that she
was a pearl of great price.
It was too much for him. He broke down completely and wept like a baby.
Alone he was--the most alone he had ever been in his life before--away
from friends, away from mother, and above all, separated from Marie,
who meant more than life to him. He sobbed for hours. His heart was
breaking, but with a wondering mind, he realized that he must have
strength, and that he must have faith and hope on--hope and believe
that Marie was alive and he knew that if she were alive, there was hope.
He picked up his favorite little book, "Poems That Helped Me," and
started to read. The first one that caught his eye was, "Faith" by
Tennyson:
"We have but faith; we cannot know;
For knowledge is of things we see;
And yet we trust it comes from thee,
A beam of darkness: let it grow.
Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before,
But vaster. We are fools and slight;
We mock thee when we do not fear;
But help thy foolish ones to bear;
Help thy vain worlds to bear thy light.
Forgive what seemed my sin in me;
What seem'd my worth since I began;
For merit lies from man to man,
And not from man, O Lord, to thee."
This cheered Robert and he resolved to have more faith, realizing that
while he could not see or understand Marie's action he must have faith
and love and trust her, and trust that time would bring understanding
and solve the problem.
He read another poem by Aubrey de Vere, and these words seemed to sink
into his heart as he read them:
"Hid it; dropt it on the moors!
Lost it, and you cannot find it--
My own heart I want, not yours
You have bound and must unbound it.
Set it free then from your net,
We will love, sweet--but not yet!
Fling it from you--we are strong
Love is trouble, love is folly;
Love, that makes an old heart young,
Makes a young heart melancholy."
Robert felt that love might be trouble, but that love was the greatest
and sweetest thing in the world and that he would go thru any troubles
in the world, suffer anything, only to regain Marie and her love. As
Robert slowly turned the pages of the little book, his eyes fell upon
another poem, "Courage" by Thos. F. Porter:
"What if the morn no joy to you shall bring,
No gleam of sunbeam shine across your way;
What if no bird one joyous note shall sing
Into your listening ear thru all the day!
What if no word of comfort you shall hear
As thru the hours long you toil and strive;
What if to you no vision bright appear
To keep your hungry heart and soul alive!
What if the blest companionship men crave
Come not to you thru all the day's long length,
But, bound and fettered even as a slave,
Within yourself you have to find your strength!
And if, when you have toiled and wrought alone,
The sweet reward you sought you do not gain,
And find the hoped-for bread is but stone,
In that sad hour for grief, should you complain
Ah no! It matters not if shade or sun,
Or good or ill, your efforts shall attend;
In doing you have but your duty done
As best you knew--and should do to the end."
He eagerly devoured the words one by one, because he was looking for
something to give him courage to go thru this terrible ordeal. He
thought that this poem would do. It surely had been written for him
in this very hour of trouble and realized with Job he must find his
strength within himself and have courage, hope and faith.
He then read another little poem from the book; "Not in Vain" by Emily
Dickinson:
"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."
Robert felt that he had tried always to be kind and considerate and
charitable towards others, and knew that he must go on regardless of
what happened, and live his life hoping to find Marie. About this time,
Robert, tired, hungry and worn out fell asleep. The next time that he
remembered anything, he awoke on Monday morning with the sun streaming
in thru the window of his hotel and realized that he had fallen asleep.
The little book, "Poems That Have Helped Me," lay on the bed beside
him. Because the sun was coming in the east window he knew that he
must have slept thru some part of the night, and it was now morning.
His first thought was of Marie, and of any news that might have come.
Picking up the little book, the first thing that struck his eye was the
poem, "Press On" by Park Benjamin:
"Press on! Surmount the rocky steps,
Climb boldly o'er the torrent's arch;
He fails alone who feebly creeps,
He wins who dares the hero's march.
Be thou a hero! Let thy might
Tramp on eternal snows its way,
And thru the ebon walls of night
Hew down a passage unto day.
Press on! If once and twice thy feet
Slip back and stumble, harder try;
From him who never dreads to meet
Danger and death they're sure to fly.
To coward ranks the bullet speeds,
While on their breasts who never quail,
Gleams, guardian of chivalric deeds,
Bright courage like a coat of mail.
Press on! If Fortune play thee false
To day, tomorrow she'll be true;
Whom now she sinks she now exalts,
Taking old gifts and granting new,
The wisdom of the present hour
Makes up the follies past and gone;
To weakness strength succeeds, and power
From frailty springs! Press on, press on!"
Robert hastily read this poem and found some consolation in it. He
resolved that he would press on, and hastened down stairs to the hotel
desk to inquire if any telegrams had been received for him, or if any
long-distance call had come during the night when he had fallen asleep,
but again he met with disappointment. There were no telegrams and there
had been no 'phone calls.
Robert felt very faint and weak because he was hungry. He had not eaten
all day Sunday, and now realized that he must get something to eat, and
strengthen himself for the ordeal to follow. He went to the dining-room
and ordered a light breakfast but when the food was served, he found
it hard to eat because he thought of the breakfast the Sunday morning
before that he had intended to have eaten with Marie on the dining-car.
Everything he saw reminded him of her. Her smile was in the glittering
sunshine which played upon the windows in front of him or appeared
in the clear crystal water in the glass and the sweet odor from the
flowers on the table brought memories of sweet kisses and soft caresses
which haunted him. Finally, Robert managed to eat a little, because he
knew he must if he expected to keep up and have strength to fight on
and find Marie.
When he had finished his breakfast, he returned to his room and decided
to call the railroad office again and ascertain if they had any
information for him. The general passenger agent was there, and was
very courteous over the 'phone to Robert. He had taken a great interest
in the case and they had received reports from every station along the
line, but nowhere had any trace been found of Marie. He assured Robert
that the railway company would use every effort to continue the search
and report to him promptly any information that they received.
Robert decided to call Mr. Kennelworth on the long-distance 'phone at
his office in Texarkana and soon got him on the wire. Mr. Kennelworth
said that he had gone to see Marie's father, Mr. Stanton, soon after
Robert's telephone message Sunday afternoon and had told Mr. Stanton
of Robert's success since he had been with his firm; how hard Robert
had studied and planned and how he had figured out the cotton and grain
markets and the large amount of money that he had made on such a small
capital. He confided to Mr. Stanton the secret of how Marie had saved
up her money and how much money Robert had made on the $400.00 which he
had invested for her. Mr. Stanton and his wife were much impressed with
the story and felt that they had been wrong in opposing Marie's love
for Robert and their marriage. They told Mr. Kennelworth that when
Marie returned they would give her their consent to marry Robert then
or any time later. They felt that they might be to blame for any harm
that would come to Marie or for the sorrows that Robert was suffering.
However, they were hopeful that Marie was either returning home or
was on her way back to Sherman, Texas, to complete her education,
and, therefore, were not greatly alarmed and intended to wait until
Monday afternoon to find out if Marie had gone back to Sherman. Mr.
Kennelworth stated that Mr. and Mrs. Stanton wished him to convey their
sympathy to Robert and to tell him that they had great faith in him and
wanted to help make him and Marie happy.
This message was great consolation to Robert because he felt that
it was going to solve the problem, that no matter what had prompted
Marie's decision to leave the train and not to go ahead and marry him
when she found that her father and mother had changed their attitude,
she would be only too glad to return to Robert. They could then be
married and continue on to New York where he could take up his studies
and complete the building of his airship as soon as he had made enough
money to do so.
Mr. Kennelworth told Robert that he would call him on the 'phone about
8 o'clock that night and let him know if any word had been received
from Marie or if news was received sooner, he would call immediately,
but at any rate would call at 8 o'clock. Mr. Kennelworth praised Robert
and told him not to lose hope but take a philosophical view of the
matter. He felt sure that no harm had come to Marie, for had there
been any accident it certainly would have been discovered by this time
by the railway company. The fact that Marie's baggage had disappeared
was convincing evidence to him that in some way, at some station during
the night, she had left the train and had probably concealed herself
and was waiting to return on another train, later. He believed before
the day was over they would have some good news in regard to Marie, and
advised Robert to get busy and go right ahead with his trading in the
market and continue to make money, as he was sure that everything was
going to come out all right.
After Robert received this telephone message he was more hopeful.
He secured a morning newspaper and found the headlines filled with
Lindbergh. Read about the preparations for Captain Lindbergh's return
to Washington and New York and the plans for his reception. Of course,
Robert had looked forward to being there at that time and have Marie
with him as his wife. He had been looking forward to the day when his
own dream would be realized and he would build one of the greatest
airships of the age.
Returning to his room, he fell upon his knees and breathed a prayer; a
prayer that only a man whose heart is filled with love for a good woman
can pray. He prayed to the Universal Power that created the Universe,
the master of land and sea, who rides on the winds and walks upon the
water, to whom all power was given over heaven and earth. Prayed for
strength and for guidance to do only that which was right and that the
good God of the Universe would return Marie to him in safety. Prayed
not only for himself, or the strength to come to him, but for Marie,
for her happiness, for her safety. It was an unselfish prayer; the kind
of a prayer that a mother prays when her child is lost, when she thinks
nothing of herself but only of the child that she loves.
When Robert arose from the prayer he felt better; felt that some of the
strength of that unseen guiding hand, which is ever a comfort and in
great demand in time of trouble, had come to him. In God and his word
alone he found comfort and consolation. He realized the significance of
money and how little it meant; thought how quickly he had made money
on a thousand dollars in the market and now how he would give every
cent of it for just a message from Marie; just to know that she was
alive. He had never tried to make the money for a selfish purpose, but
thought of the things that it could buy to make Marie happy and give
her comfort, and what he might be able to do for his country in time
of war when they would need service and inventions which would protect
them against the enemy.
After he had time to collect his thoughts, he decided to call his old
pal, Walter Kennelworth, in New York on the long-distance telephone and
tell him all that had happened in such a short time.
Robert had not informed Walter that he was coming to New York at this
time. He intended to telegraph him from St. Louis on Sunday morning
after he and Marie had been married, and, of course, he knew that
Walter would be at the train to meet them on their arrival. After some
delay he got Walter on the long-distance 'phone and told him as quickly
as possible all that had happened. Walter was more amused than shocked
at the news and said: "Robert, Marie is just a little devil and full of
fun. She is only testing your love. There is nothing to worry about. I
know her ways better than you do." He was sure that everything would
be all right. But Robert felt that too much time had already elapsed
for it to be a joke and that Marie was not waiting around St. Louis or
hiding somewhere playing a joke that long. It was too serious a matter
for Robert to feel that Marie would punish him in this way so long.
Walter begged Robert to come right on to New York, but Robert told him
he would never leave St. Louis until he had some definite news, one way
or the other, as to what had happened to Marie.
After his talk with Walter, Robert felt better because he was his
closest friend and it was always a pleasure to talk with him. He hoped
that Walter was right and that Marie would show up soon. At the same
time, he feared that something might have gone wrong, but every time
this thought occurred he would read Marie's letter again and this would
give him hope and courage because it plainly said she would come to him
when he needed her most. Of course, he realized that she could not know
just how badly he needed her now and felt that he would never need her
more than he did at that very moment.
When Robert was troubled and blue it had always been his practice to
read either the Bible or some other good book. He had a scrap book
where he had collected poems and he took this book out and began to
look thru it. He noticed a clipping that he had pasted in only a short
time before headed: "Tomorrow's Chance," by his favorite modern poet,
S.E. Kiser:
I may not reach my goal today
Nor move one step ahead;
No effort that I make may pay,
I may lose ground, instead;
But I can try no matter what
Obstructions I shall find,
And let no thought
Of turning from the path I've sought
Take root within my mind.
There may be many reasons why
No effort I can make
Shall send my fancies soaring high
Or clear the course I take;
Mischances I could not foresee
May check me everywhere,
But I can be
Determined bravely, faithfully,
To keep my purpose fair.
It may be that at every turn
Discouragement shall lurk;
My lessons may be hard to learn.
Men may condemn my work;
My trust may be betrayed by those
Whom I have thought my friends,
But I can close
My mind against imagined woes,
And strive for worthy ends.
No matter how my hopes shall fail,
Or how I fall behind,
I'll not sit down tonight to wail
That God has been unkind.
But, with a duty to fulfil,
And with a proud, defiant glance,
I'll prove that still
I have the courage and the will,
And gird me for tomorrow's chance.
This poem seemed to fit his case and he read it over carefully. He
resolved that regardless of discouragement or disappointment, blasted
hopes, lost ideals or shattered dreams, he would still have the courage
to exert himself for "Tomorrow's Chance."
After reading this poem he began to think about the future and his
plans. He knew that he had intended to go into the market again on
Monday or Tuesday, but the thought came to him--What good would money
do now, without Marie? However, he remembered her letter saying,
"According to your faith, be I unto you." Therefore, he braced himself
and again determined to have faith to go on, watching and waiting for
Marie.
Robert bought the evening paper and looked over the financial page
and noted that cotton had gone down as he had figured it would. The
following day was the time that his forecast indicated that it would
strike bottom so he must pull himself together and buy some cotton,
both for his own account and for Marie's. Wheat had also declined and
he felt that it was time to buy wheat for another advance as his cycle
indicated an up-trend to run for the next ten days. Robert looked over
the stock page and noticed the heading: "Major Motors advances above
200, a new high level." Robert had figured out that Major Motors would
not advance much above 200 before it would be a short sale for big
profits. He figured out from the cycle of Major Motors that it would
hold until along in June and July and that it would decline to a very
low level in 1928, so he decided he was going to go short to hold for a
long campaign and make a fortune.
Robert was still holding his Right Aeroplane stock, which he had
bought at 31 on May 21st, the day that Captain Lindbergh completed
his successful flight to Paris. He figured that he could make a great
fortune by buying Right Aeroplane stock and holding it for years and at
the same time selling Major Motors short. The markets in Wheat, Cotton,
Major Motors and Right Aeroplane were all doing just exactly as he
had calculated they would. The fact that he was making money on Right
Aeroplane stock encouraged him to continue his work on his own plane.
Robert did not forget sweet Marie or what she meant to him. At the
same time he realized what the study of the Bible had brought him and
felt that thru the aid of that book and the knowledge and wisdom he
had gained through its teaching, there would be a way to find Marie if
she were alive. He believed she was and he would hope and wait. But
in the meantime he would try to make some money in order to provide
all the luxuries and comforts for her when he found her. Since Marie's
father and mother had agreed to withdraw all their opposition to their
marriage, he thought that as soon as Marie heard this she would
certainly come to him or communicate with him.
On June 7th, Robert sent a telegram to his broker to buy 500 bales
of October Cotton and 500 bales of December Cotton at the Opening on
Tuesday morning. He also ordered him to buy 100,000 bushels of July
Wheat and gave an order to sell 500 shares of Major Motors when it
reached 203. After sending these telegrams he returned to the hotel
feeling some better and hoping that when he heard from Mr. Kennelworth
on the long-distance 'phone he would have some good news. So he ate
his dinner and returned to his room to wait for a message. Later he
inquired for telegrams and 'phone calls and was informed that none had
been received. He settled himself down in the room and concluded to
wait for the long-distance call, hoping that it would bring good news.
At about 8:15 the telephone rang and Mr. Kennelworth was on the wire.
Robert knew from Mr. Kennelworth's voice that he had no good news. Mr.
Kennelworth informed him that no word had been received from Marie by
her parents, and that they had called up the school in Sherman, Texas,
and not a word had been heard from her there. The school informed them
that she had left school on Saturday afternoon and had not been seen
since. Of course, Robert knew she had left Sherman to meet him and
was now more anxious and worried than ever and freely expressed his
great anxiety to Mr. Kennelworth. Mr. Kennelworth was still hopeful
and tried to cheer and encourage Robert. Advised him to go on to New
York and wait him there. He had followed Robert's advice and bought
Wheat and Cotton on Monday afternoon and Robert told him that he was
going to buy the next morning at the Opening. Mr. Kennelworth said that
he planned to leave for New York at the end of the week. Robert then
decided to stay in St. Louis until he got some definite word, or anyway
remain there until Mr. Kennelworth arrived and then go on to New York
with him. He was anxious to see Walter as soon as possible but wanted
to know something about what happened to Marie before leaving for New
York. Mr. Kennelworth was confident that the next day would bring some
news from Marie, one way or the other, and advised Robert to keep
cheerful; that he would inform him just as soon as news came.
After Robert had time to think over the matter, he decided to place
"Personal Notices" in all the newspapers of St. Louis and the towns
along the line between Texarkana and St. Louis. If no news was heard of
Marie by Tuesday evening, he would place it in the papers the next day.
He then wrote out the Notice.
Miss Marie Stanton--I found your little note in my pocket on
Sunday morning. Have been waiting for you in St. Louis. My faith in
you is supreme. It will never change. Months and years cannot change
me, no matter what I hear or do not hear or what may happen, I will
always have faith in you and love you. Will never need you more than
now. Nothing else that I can get, or money that I can make matters
or means anything to me without you. Come to me or communicate with
me and explain all and I will understand and agree to anything you
may desire. Marie, relieve my anxious heart. Let me hear from you.
Your father and mother have agreed to withdraw their objections and
consent to our being married. I will have faith and wait in St. Louis
until I hear something from you.
Robert Gordon,
_Address_--Planters Hotel.
Robert decided to read and study some before he retired that night. He
read the poem, "How to Live," by William Cullen Bryant:
So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan that moves
To that mysterious realm where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Robert wished that he might be able that night to lie down to pleasant
dreams but he knew that he would lay down with an unfaltering trust in
Marie, that he would have the faith in her which would move mountains,
that he would never doubt her no matter how long a time passed and
would prove that his love for her was supreme and his faith unfaltering.
Robert read another poem on "Perserverance" by Goethe:
PERSEVERANCE
We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe gold ears,
Unless we have first been sowers
And watered the furrows with tears.
It is not just as we take it,
This mystical world of ours,
Life's field will yield as we make it
A harvest of thorns or of flowers.
He realized that perhaps all the good things of life do not come to us
easily and that we might have to go through sorrows and trouble to try
our faith. Robert decided to persevere and try to be philosophic and
hope, no matter what happened, and to continue to watch and wait for
good news from Marie.
Before he retired that night, Robert read "The Golden Hour" by James W.
Foley:
I'm sending you one golden hour
From the full jeweled crown of the day;
Not sorrow or care shall have power
To steal this rare jewel away.
I'm bidding you join in the dreaming
I had in that hour of you,
When all of the old dreams, in seeming,
Were gold like the hour, and came true.
So let's dream like a child in its playing,
Let's make us a sky and a sea,
Let's change the things 'round us by saying
They're things that we wish them to be;
And if there is sadness or sorrow,
Let's dream till we charm it away,
Let's learn from the children, and borrow
A saying from childhood: "Let's play!"
Let's play that the world's full of beauty,
Let's play there are roses in bloom,
Let's play there is pleasure in duty,
And light where we thought there was gloom.
Let's play that this heart with its sorrow
Is bidden be joyous and glad,
Let's play that we'll find on tomorrow
The joys that we never have had.
Let's play that regret with its ruing
Is banished forever and aye,
Let's play there's delight but in doing,
Let's play there are flowers by the way.
However the pathway seem dreary,
Wherever the footsteps may lead,
Let's play there's a song for the weary
If only the heart will give heed.
Let's play we have done with repining,
Let's play that our longings are still,
Let's play that the sunlight is shining,
To gold the green slope of the hill.
Let's play there are birds blithely flinging
Their songs of delight to the air,
Let's play that the world's full of singing,
Let's play there is love--everywhere.
Robert knelt and prayed before he went to sleep, always asking for
Marie and her protection. He said: "Lord, I ask nothing for myself,
but beseech the greatest blessings on Marie and only ask for her
happiness. If it be for the best that her happiness be away from me,
then I desire to suffer rather than for her to be unhappy. I pray that
she may realize my great love and faith in her, my devotion to her and
willingness to make any sacrifice for her that might seem right, no
matter what my judgment may be."
Robert slept better that night because he was looking forward to
Tuesday, the 7th day of the month. He had learned that the "7th" was a
sacred day, and had often talked to Marie about the number 7, and the
number of times it is spoken of in the Bible. How God had blessed the
7th day and made it the Sabbath; how many things had come to pass on
the 7th day of the 7th month, or the 7th year referred to in the Bible.
In some way he felt that on this day news would come from Marie and he
hoped that it would be good.
Robert awoke on Tuesday morning feeling much better, had his breakfast
early, bought the newspaper and read all about the receptions being
planned for Colonel Lindbergh and again the wish stole into his heart
and the hope was revived that in some way Marie might be with him when
Lindbergh arrived in New York. Later in the day he received telegrams
at his hotel from his broker, advising of the purchase of October and
December cotton and also the purchase of July wheat.
Robert decided to console himself by reading the Bible. He read Job,
and realized that he, too, would have patience to wait until his time
should come. Nothing could shake his faith in Marie or shake his faith
in the wisdom of Almighty God whom, Robert fully believed, would answer
his prayer. He hoped that before the day was over, some news of Marie
would surely come.
As he was reading the Bible the bellboy brought him a letter stamped
Texarkana, and, of course, Robert hoped it contained some news of
Marie. He opened it hastily and read:
Texarkana, Texas.
June 6, 1927.
Mr. Robert Gordon,
Planters Hotel,
St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Robert:
We are deeply grieved over Marie's disappearance but are hopeful that
no harm has come to her. From what Mr. Kennelworth tells us of the
letter she wrote you, we believe she is returning to school or home,
and we are waiting news of her with hope.
While Marie is quite young and we thought too young to marry, and you
too, are very young and could well afford to wait a few years, we
now realize that if a delay would interfere with your happiness and
Marie's, we would gladly consent to an immediate marriage. We regret
that we have misjudged you, Robert, and are proud to know more about
you from those who have known you intimately. Parents often make
mistakes in opposing their children and frequently the interference of
parents in the marriage of their children separate two that God has
joined together. Man can only put asunder the physical bodies, but
what God doeth is forever.
We are very happy to know of your loyalty to Marie, your faith in God
and your great ambitions to succeed, according to the rules laid down
in the Bible. Shall be very happy to notify you promptly of any news
from Marie and will kindly ask you to do the same for us. Believe us
Sincerely your friends,
William and Mary Stanton.
When Robert received and read this letter he was deeply touched and
felt that a reward must always come to those whose intentions are
honest and honorable, so he sat down and answered the letter.
St. Louis, Missouri,
June 7, 1927.
Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Stanton,
Texarkana,
Texas.
Dear friends:
I feel like addressing you as friends because sorrow often makes us
all friends, and am enclosing a poem--"Trouble Brings Friends," which
I think is very appropriate. Materlinck said, "Men help each other by
their joy, not by sorrow," but it is my belief that we are often led
to extend help in time of sorrow which we would never think of doing
in time of joy or happiness. I quote from John 16:22--"And ye now
therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your hearts shall
rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." I hope and pray that
the day is not far distant when our hearts will rejoice together with
the return of Marie.
Marie means everything to me and I honor and respect you as her
parents. I believe that you acted as you thought best for Marie's
future, and can find no fault with your good and honest intentions,
regardless of the suffering it has caused me or the sorrow and
disappointment it may have brought to Marie. I wish to do only that
which is honorable and best for all concerned, and if Marie returns I
will agree to submit to your decision and wait until she has finished
her course in college before we are married. I wish to take my part
of the responsibility for Marie's elopement because I urged her into
action. I wanted to go to you and talk the matter over but she felt
sure that you would never consent to our marriage and said the only
thing to do was to elope.
Marie felt all along when I was a struggling boy without money, that
you would never consent to her marrying below her station in life and
this, as much as anything else, made me ambitious to achieve success
and prove to you that even tho I was born of poor parents and started
without anything in life, I could make a great success and accumulate
money. To me money means nothing and I would gladly give every dollar
I have ever made just to spend one hour with Marie, and I am sure that
this is no boyish love affair or trick of the imagination. While it
is my first love, it will endure forever. Time will prove that Marie
means everything to me.
I thank you for your kindness and consideration and hope and pray that
we may soon have good news in regard to Marie.
Sincerely yours,
Robert Gordon.
Poem enclosed with Robert's letter:
It's seldom trouble comes alone,
I've noticed this: when things go wrong
An' trouble comes a-visitin'
It always brings a friend along;
Sometimes it's one you've known before,
And then perhaps it's some one new
Who stretches out a helping hand,
An' stops to see what he can do.
If never trials come to us,
If grief an' sorrow passed us by,
If every day the sun came out,
An' clouds were never in the sky,
We'd still have neighbors, I suppose,
Each one pursuin' selfish ends,
But only neighbors they would be,
We'd never know them as our friends.
Out of the troubles I have had
Have come my richest friendships here,
Kind hands have helped to bear my care,
Kind words have fallen on my ear;
An' so I say when trouble comes
I know before the storm shall end
That I shall find my bit of care
Has also brought to me a friend.