The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-19
THE BREAKERS.
Teoture by Rev. n. De witt TaImRge at
mmaIcaI Fund Hall, last evening.

musical Fund Hail, last evening.
ESPECIAL REPORT FOR EVENING TELEGRAPH
The sea is an endless study. From the time
that in childhood we first pick up pebbles
from the beach, gathering our apron full, until
in manhood we take passage In a Liverpool
packet, we talk and write, and dream Of the
sea- It's power and glory mingle with all
literature, and arts, and poetry, and romance
You hear its dash against the prov of Cooper's
1.-TWO Admirals," and see its foam on the cam
vas of Turner's "Slave Ship" and hear its
thunder in historical alcoves as IL whelms the
Spanish Armada. The "gusty waves" washed
up into Shakespeare's tragedy, and their surf
tumbed into the metre Of Byron's "Corsair"
with the rush and toss of his own impetuous
nature. Southeys Frederick" )" and Keats
''Endymion" and Campbells Gertrude of
Wyoming" stand like Chelsea beach and
Eddystone lighthouse, sounding with the ever
lasting tide-thrOb of the sea. Genesis is spray
deWed with waters rushing to their own place.
and Revelation flashes with a sea Of glass
some of the worlds most stupendous occur
renCes have taken place on the deep, from the
old sea-nghts of LepautO and Actium, down to
the modern battle IN Hampton Roads, where
the limited states arose to the first naval power
on earth the guns OF the Monitor sounding
across the Black Seaand the Indian Ocean, MAX
ing the British lion snuff the breeze, and Lord
John to think he heard thunder. There is a
mighttness in the smile of the sea, but when
feaSed and Iashed Of the tempest who shall de-
Dict the foam the fire, the darkness, the tumult,
the almightnesS of its wrath, Till the very ele-
ments, blinded and woe-struck, below, and
shrek and moan from cavern to sky, from sky
to cavern. Ships caught in the fury are driven
helpless and forsaken, till the breakers sound,
and there is rush up the ratlines, and the trum-
pet calls, stand by for stays!" Ready about"
''Down helm ~ Hard downp and there is a
crash, and plunge and struggle, and cry TO
God, and asilence OF all, save the storms gabble,
and the clang of sea-fowls, and the dull heavy,
dead beating of a hulk among the breakers.
If some great geoOgist or navigator could
bring the rocks into confessional, this one would
say, II dashed to pieces an East Indiaman, and
ali It's treasures are at my feet" Another would
say, II sunk a man-Ot-war, and captured all its
guns in five minutes." Another 81 wrecked
steamer, and surrounded myself by the stark
bodies of young men and fair maidens." Well,
we are all running some kind of craft either
ship, or schooner, or brig, or bark or sloop. or
scoW. And often the sea is rough, and the maps
are imperfect, and the pumps will not work,
and there are squalls (all parents know what
squall is), and we have to put the helm hard up,
and let go the Spauker sheet and out haul, and
Clew proyals and top -galants, and haul down
hying-jib. and it is only by constant sounding
Of the lead that we can keep from crashing into
the breakers.
My lecture is not so much for the old seam en-,
who have long been out on life's voyage. 1t Is
nifty or sixty years since they went out from
Nantucket and harpOoned their first W hale. 1
would as seon think of describing school of
Perry as to instruct the aged. But there are
those who may find it profitable to consider for
little while the rocks against which people
wreck themselves.
Rock the First Multiplicity of occupation
The general rule is Mason, stick toy your trowel;
carpenter, stick to your plane; lawyer, stick to
your bref minister, stick TO your pulpit; farmer,
stick TO your plough. Fireman, If you please,
one locomotive at Il time; navigator, one ship;
professor, one department. The mighty men
of all professions were men of one occupation.
Thorwaldsen at sculpture, Irving at literature
Paxton at brewing, Rothschild at banking,
Forrest at acting, Brunei at engineering, Ross at
navigation, Punch at joking, and the London
Mitchell can successfully put down his tele-
scope, and forsaking the hosts of light that
heaven, go forth to win still higher tri-
umphs on the field of national struggle,
until the stars in their courses seem to
fight for the cause of liberty and union: this
good man then passing up from the fever hos.
p1tal to heaven, as If by coming nearer the
throne OF God, he might the better plead the
cause of outraged justice and suffering humanity
Sometimes, indeed, a man is prepared by Prov-
dence through a variety OF occupations for
some great mission. Hugh Miller must climb
up to his high work through the quarries of
Cromarty, and Western man must come up
through farming and afterwards through law
practice, and then through the Illinois Legis-
lature, until he is ready for his work, and then
he goes forth with the same hands with which
he once split rails to take InsurrectiOn by the
throat, and to bury Rebellion deep under the
broken shackles of six millions OF men coming
to resurrection.
But, generally, by the time thirty years are
reached the occupation Is thoroughly decided,
and there will be achievement in that direc.
tiOn If the occupation be thoroughly followed,
1t does not make much difference wnat you do
aS far as success is concerned If you only do it.
Brandreth can make fortune at pills, Adams
by expressing, Cooper by manufacturing glue,
Van Nest by making harness, Genn by sell
ing hats, contractors by the manufacturing of
Shoddy, and merchants by putting sand in
sugar, and beet-juice in vinegar, and chickory
in coffee, and lard in butter. One OF the cost
lest dwellings l ever saw was built out OF
eggs. Palaces have been built out Of spoOls,
out of tooth-ache drops, out of hides, out OF
pigs feet, out OF pickles, out of tooth-bruSheS,
out of hose (h-o-s.e and h-o-e.s), out of hne-
tooth combs, out of ice, out of water, out of
bones, out of shells, out of steam, out of tuun-
der and lightning.
The difference between conditions in life is
not so much a difference in the fruitfulness of
occupations, as II is a difference in the endoW-
ment OF men with that great and magnificent
attribute OF sticlStoitiveness. Mr.. PlOd-on was
doing hourishing business at selling bantams
but he wanted to do all kinds of huCkstering
and so his nice little property TOOK wing OF
ducks, and turkeys, and Shanghas, and flew
away.
Mr.. Loom-driver had au excellent factory on
the MerTimac, and made beautiful carpets but
he concluded TO put up another kind of factory
for the making of shnwls: and one day there
was nice little quarrel between the two facto-
ries, and the carpets ate up the ShaWls and the
shawls ate up the carpets and having sue
ceeded so well in swallowing each other they
turned round and gulped down Mr.. Loom
driver.
blackstone had large practice. and was tbe
best lawyer in town. he could make the most
plausible argument, and had the largest re.
tainers. and was lion at the bar, and some
Young men OF the profession were proud no
wear their hair just as he did, and TO have lust
as big a shirt collar. But he concluded t6 90
into politics. He entered that paradise which
men call a caucus. He was voted up and he
was voted down. He came within three votes
ofgetting it, He got on the Chicago Platform
but Horace and Thurlow shook it so roughly
that plank broke, and he slipped through
He got on the Baltimore Platform, butt rocked
slipped through. Then, as g circus rider, with
one foot on each horse whtrls round the ring