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z-s ' , !/\Pj^:‘ <z - H xl VOLUME EIGHT NUMBER FORTY- EIGHT DR. R. C. BUCKNER’S EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY Founder of Great Texas Orphans 9 Home Kept Open House — Was Visited By Two Thousand People—Manna Hall Dedicated —Splendid Gifts to the Orphans. By J. L. WALKER. J or vale. The far-off southern gulf sent gentle warmth on the wings of the breezes, and dur ing the entire golden day winter was wholly suspended. “Father Buckner,” as his orphan family af fectionately call him, was in the finest health and spirits, and was everywhere greeting and shaking hands with his friends. Multitude of the Finest People. By ten o ’clock visitors were arriving in autos and on trains. The Buckner Orphan children were neatly attired. To the visitors Buckner Orphans’ Home seemed a charmed spot. En thusiastic expressions were heard on every side. They continued coming, and by eleven o’clock, a multitude of 2,000 of the finest people from all parts of this finest State, swarmed about the beautiful lawns. Robert Cooke Buckner, D. D., L.L. D. ‘ 1 Where is Dr. Buckner ?’ ’ this was the ques tion on the lips of the visitors on entering the grounds. “We must see Dr. Buckner —bless his good soul —and shake his hand!” They found him —found him everywhere, the same genial, smiling, courteous, cheerful, happy, Christian gentleman that he has always been. The dear old man does not know how to be any thing but his natural self. There is just one R. C. Buckner, as there was just one Broadus, one Columbus Durham, one Spurgeon, one Carey. This fact was recog nized at Ridgecrest, N. C., when the five moun tain knobs on the Southern Baptist Assembly ground were named, “Broadus,” “Durham,” “Spurgeon,” “Carey” and “R. C. Buckner.” God Raised Up Buckner. That God raised up Dr. Buckner to establish the world’s ideal orphanage, none of us doubt Nor does Dr. Buckner himself doubt it. The Divine Hand used all the morning of his life to prepare him for this holy afternoon task. To prepare him for his great afternoon work, Moses needed forty years’ schooling in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and then another forty years’ schooling in the hardships of the desert. Before “Pardise Lost” could be writ ten, the world’s first poet must be crowned with ANU ARY 3rd, was highday at Buckner Orphans’ Home. Dr. Buckner kept open house all day, and received his friends, and the friends of his 650 orphan children. The day was perfect. The mid winter sun rose with springtime warmth, and suffered not a floating cloud to cast its shadow on hilltop t>RIESTLY CONFESSION OF ROMISH TYRANNY—Page Four. ATLANTA, GA., JANUARY 23, 1913 silver. And before our noble Southwestern Theological Seminary could be founded the hair and beard of the great B. H. Carroll must be white as light. And so it was, before Dr. Buck ner should begin building this home for orphans he must have many years of training as pastor, as editor and as denominational leader. / ■ .B ■ ■ - ■ fc, GEORGE W. TRUETT, Who Preached Dedication Sermon of “Manna Hall.” Dedication of Manna Hall. At eleven o’clock, more than 2,000 visiting people and orphans were gathered in the beau tiful spacious home chapel. The “Home Chor us Class,” of one hundred orphans, sang like angels. Bro. R. H. Coleman, business mana ger of the Baptist Standard, called on George W. McCall, of Oklahoma, to lead in prayer. Then came George W. Truett, at his best. He opened God’s Book and read: “And Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dimmed nor his natu ral force abated. ’ ’ “Moses never grew old. He died young. And Dr. Buckner is not old at eighty. He is still young, and God will keep him young in heart, in spirit and in body, as his work is not yet finished. Moses lived in the companion ship of God, laid himself out for his people, took the future into account, for he had respect unto the recompense of reward. Would you be al ways young? The way is open: “Live always a surrendered life to God. “Link your life to some great cause or insti tution. “Life for the future. “That is what Moses did. That is what Dr. Buckner has done. “And now we are to dedicate ‘Beautiful Man na Hall,’ where 1,200 people can eat bread from Heaven at one sitting. There is just one man among us fit to offer the dedicatory prayer, that one is R. C. Buckner.” The vast audience stood with bowed heads, while the patriarch of the orphans, with words deeply impressive, gave Manna Hall back to God. A cablegram from the Buckner Colony, in China, read, “Boundless Love.” A congratulatory telegram was read from the professors and students of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Hundreds of congratulatory messages—they could not be read. Thousands of dollars were announced for Buckner Orphans’ Home. Dinner Fit for a King. The principle company repaired to “Beauti- Manna Hall. ” And Manna Hall groaned under the weight of good things. The great dinner of chicken, and turkey, and bread, and cake, and fruit, and hot coffee, and pure milk, had been prepared largely by the Dallas County Baptist Association. It was a dinner fit for a king. The happy orphan family were at their accustomed places. There was the sound of the organ in the great balcony, mingled with the sweet voices in a hymn of praise to God. Then was God thanked while all heads were bowed. Like unto occasions when Jesus fed the mul titudes, all were filled. But instead of enough left to fill twelve baskets, there was enough left to feed the large orphan family three days. The happy company with delight inexpressi ful Manna Hall.” And Manna Hall groaned un der the weight of good things. The great dinner hade us all “Good-bye,” and departed for their own homes, but left the radiance of their bene dictions and benefactions behind. — 1 ================== COLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS 11 FIVE CENTS A COPY