Warning: include(acton/acton_index.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/acton/end.php on line 1
Warning: include(acton/acton_index.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/acton/end.php on line 1
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'acton/acton_index.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/parsonsf/public_html/acton/end.php on line 1
CHAPTER XXV
1885
THE END OF A USEFUL LIFE
Gone from life's unceasing struggle,
From that keen and Cross-led fight.
Where the serried ranks of Jesus
Serve beneath His banner bright.
Gone from work for His dear glory,
From the souls thou lov'dst to bless,
From the toil so free for others, I
n thy sweet unselfishness.
But the labour wrought so nobly,
And the life laid down for Christ,
Evermore shall breathe a fragrance
Which the Church shall hold unpriced.
And thy light can ne'er burn lower,
Though men's thoughts of thee may cease ;
Therefore, in those arms so loving,
Now and ever, ' Rest in peace.'
We have traced the earthly journey of Colonel Ball-Acton almost to its close, and may pause for a moment before we go further. The record of his life, it is needless to state, has been compiled in the first instance for the sake of those who knew and loved him. If the little book should fall into the hands of strangers, they may perhaps wonder that the Colonel's career should form the subject of a memoir. Beyond the gallant Christian story of a soldier's experience, diversified by ordinary incidents of service in India, there seems nothing remarkable to stand forth and attract the casual reader.
And yet, we may well ask ourselves this question : Is not the greatness of England built up by those who bring a cultivated character, courage, and devotion, to bear on the duties of every day?. The men whose names stand out in history are few, but there would be no history worth reading were it not for the brave gentlemen who do the work allotted to them ' without haste, without rest'—not looking for notoriety or reward. It is in the ordinary round, where nothing remarkable enters into the daily routine, that character is built up; and as the characters of individuals are formed, so is the national character welded into strength. What affects the former affects the latter. This is a point too often disregarded, and the debt of gratitude that England owes to her undemonstrative heroes can never be known.
The story of Colonel Ball-Acton, therefore, has lessons for everyone, and it is worth while to pause for a brief survey of the influences that moulded his life. The first point that calls for notice is the early environment. He had the priceless advantage of a peaceful Christian home, and, in addition to this, his child-life was spent among beautiful surroundings. His was the eye to see, the heart to understand.
Nature never did betray The heart that loved her.'
The influence of Dr. Arnold of Rugby was a fitting sequel to the training, direct and indirect, of childhood. When the young man, therefore, entered the army, it was with a nature already fitted to perceive the highest Ideal. His natural reserve and shyness, as we have seen, made it hard for him to expand, and he was not one of those who can easily exercise a conscious sway over others. Yet, in spite of his self-contained disposition, his influence was strongly felt. And the influence of an officer who shows that he is a follower of Christ is not to be estimated.
There exists, even now, among young men a feeling that devoutness and personal consecration are inconsistent with manliness. There is supposed to be something 'feeble' about a man who can write in his diary, for example, as Colonel Ball-Acton would write. Let anyone who shares that impression study, for example, the account of the Colonel's adventures in tiger-hunting! From his entrance into the army in 1851 he did his duty as a soldier should. He received the Burmese medal and clasps after the campaign of 1852; was mentioned in despatches in the Afghan War, and received the Afghan medal with clasps. He
received his C.B. in 1881, and afterwards the pension for distinguished service. He was emphatically a Christian soldier and gentleman.
His intense religious convictions did not, as is too frequently the case, involve narrowness. Here are two sentences from his Indian letters, which may serve as mottoes for any reader. They afford a clue to his character in a few words:
Perhaps some of those we think so mistaken are nearer the Kingdom of God than others.'
And again :
If we do all our work for God, and in love to Him and our neighbours, we shall not be weary, except where we come short by want of faith.
When Colonel Ball-Acton left the army, and established himself in England, it was still to fight under the banner of his Lord and Master, but in a peaceful warfare. Regardless of public opinion, he strove to champion the cause of the poor and oppressed, of the slaves to drink, to social con ditions, to superstition, and to sin. One of his utterances should be laid to heart by all would-be reformers:
Many a thing will seem absurd to those who are content with the amount of wretchedness there is in the world.
With this he was by no means content, and he strove to prevent others from being so. One way in which this generous unrest was manifested was in his work on behalf of ' tramps.' The care of these outcasts from society was one of his greatest interests. He was not satisfied, as so many are, calmly to acquiesce in their existence and condition. Sometimes, we are told, there would be three of them at a time standing in the hall of his house, and not one would be sent away without a loving, kindly talk, a tract or book (perhaps a portion of the New Testament), and tickets for food. Although he did not encourage begging by indiscriminate almsgiving, the meanest tramp felt that Colonel Ball-Acton had an affectionate interest in his welfare. The Colonel would take the chair at meetings on behalf of the ' Tramps' Mission,' and speak with fervour on the duty of ministering to these men in the casual ward and wherever they could be reached.
There is little to add to the history of this busy and useful life. Colonel Ball-Acton's diaries cease with the autumn of 1894; but to the last entry they record his anxiety for his children and his unfailing zeal in good works. His last years were spent, as his former ones had been, in the service of his Master. It is pleasant to know that, during his life in England, a certain melancholy and austerity, which had at times tinged his disposition, gave way to a more cheerful habit of mind. He was thoroughly in earnest in all that he undertook. Firmly imbued with the need for upholding the doctrines of the Reformation, an advocate for total abstinence, his views were not always popular; and yet High Churchmen, and those who differed from him on social questions, could regard him with affection and respect.
In 1895 Colonel Ball-Acton removed to Leighton Buzzard, where, at Egginton House, a new and happy home was formed. Once more he engaged in all good works in this new neighbourhood, and soon became a vice-president of the Leighton centre of the South Beds Temperance Federation, interesting himself keenly in the work of this society, as well as in other religious and philanthropic organizations.
But his health was causing uneasiness. Bronchitis, the result of a bad cold, set in, attended by serious complications ; and after some weeks of suffering, he passed away, at the age of sixty-six, early in the year 1897. Beloved and honoured by those who knew him, he
'Gave
His body to that pleasant country's earth,
And his pure soul unto his Captain Christ,
Under whose colours he had fought so long.'
Warning: include(footer.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/acton/end.php on line 68
Warning: include(footer.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/acton/end.php on line 68
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'footer.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/parsonsf/public_html/acton/end.php on line 68