Being a natural principle, this law is also spiritual.  Standing by his mother’s knee each child hears the story of the echo.  The boy visiting in the mountains, when he called aloud found that he was mocked by a hidden stranger boy.  The insult made him very angry.  So he shouted back insults and epithets.  But each of these bad words was returned to him from the rocks above.  With bitter tears the child returned to his mother, who sent him back to give the hidden stranger kind words and affectionate greetings.  Lo! the stranger now echoed back his kindliness.  Thus society echoes back each temperament and each career.  Evermore man receives what he first gives to nature and society and God.

History is rich in interpretation of this principle.  In every age man has received from society what he has given to society.  This continent lay waiting for ages for the seed of civilization.  At length the sower went forth to sow.  Landing in midwinter upon a bleak coast, the fathers gave themselves to cutting roads, draining swamps, subduing grasses, rearing villages, until all the land was sown with the good seed of liberty and Christian civilization.  Afterward, when tyranny threatened liberty, these worthies in defending their institutions gave life itself.  Dying, they bequeathed their treasures to after generations.  At length an enemy, darkling, lifted weapons for destroying.  Would these who had received institutions nourished with blood, give life-blood in return?  The uprising of 1861 is the answer.  Then the people rose as one man, the plow stood in the furrow, the hammer fell from the hand, workroom and college hall were alike deserted—­a half-million men laid down their lives upon many a battle-field.  Similarly, the honor given to Washington during these last few days tells us that the patriot who gives shall receive.  From the day when the young Virginian entered the Indian forests with Braddock to the day when he lay dying at Mount Vernon the patriot gave his health, his wealth, his time, his life, a living sacrifice through eight and forty years.  Now every year the people, rising up early and sitting up late, rehearse to their children the story of his life and work.  Having given himself, honor shall he receive through all the ages.

To Abraham Lincoln also came the word:  “Give and thou shall receive!” Sitting in the White House the President proclaimed equal rights to black and white.  Then, with shouts of joy, three million slaves entered the temple of liberty.  But they bore the emancipator upon their shoulders and enshrined him forever in the temple of fame, where he who gave bountifully shall receive bountiful honor through all the ages.  There, too, in the far-off past stands an uplifted cross.  Flinging wide his arms this crowned sufferer sought to lift the world back to his Father’s side.  In life he gave his testimony against hypocrisy, Phariseeism and cruelty.  For years he gave himself to the publican, the sinner,