The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-08-21

Rth0eo4 10R t00 benefit OF Evan
gelisss anA the Younger Clergy.
Fron the Birmhsham Dare.
The following hits Off pretty fairly
the way in which some discourses are
consfructed: es
Brethren, the words Of my text
are:
"Old Mother Hubbard. she wentto the cupboard
To get her poor dog . bone.
But when she got there. the cupboard was bare
And 50 the poor dog got none." al
These beautiful words, dear friends'
carry with them . solemn lesson. i
propose this evening to analyze their
meaning, and to apply it, lofty as 1t
may be, to our everyday life: Sci
Old Mother Hubbard, she went to the cupboard
10 get hsr pssr dog . bone.
Mother Hubbord, yen zee, was old ;
there being NO mention Of others, we
may presume she was alone; widow
"a. :riendless, old, solitary widow.
Yet did she despair7 Did she sit down
and weep, or read novel, or wiring
her handler No, she went to the cup
board. And here observe that che
i vent TO the cupboard. She did not
hop, or skip, or run, or jump, or use
any other perfpatetic artifice; she SOLE
" and mefely WANT to the cupboard.
We have seen that she was old and
lonely, and. We further, zee that she
was poor. For, mark, the words arc
the cupboard Not one of the cup
boards or sths right hand cupboard,
oF .ths left lbaad oupbosrd, orthe one
above, or the one below, or the one
under the hpor, butjust the cupboard.
The one humble little cupboard the
poor widow possessed. And why did
she 60 to the c1pboard7 Was it to
bring forth golden esblets or glitter
ing precious stones, or costly apparel,
or feasts, or any other attribute OF
wealth. It was to get her poor dog a
bonsi Not only was the widow poor,
but her dog, the sole prop OF her age.
was poor too, We can. imagine the
scene. The poor dog crouching in the
corner, looking wistfully at the soli-
taFy cupboard, sad the widow going
to that cupboard-in hope, In expecta-
tion may be-to open 1t, although we
are not distinctly told that it was not
hlfz open or4Ajars to open 2itafor that
poor dog: ~
But when she got there the cupboard was bare.
q And p Ne 1ser dog got none: nak -ts4
When she got therel You see, dear
brethren, what perseverance is. You
zee the beauty Of persistence in doing
right, She, got there. There vas no
turnings and twistings, no slippings,
and slidings, ne leaning ITO the right
or falterings to the left. With glori--
oss simplicity We ssSs told she got
tfere. E4 - .A .a.st
And how was her noble effort re.s
warded7 -
sThe cupboard was barep 1t was
barel There were to be found neither
oranges, nor cheese cakes, nor penny
buns, nor gingerbread, nor crackers !,
nor nuts, nor lucifer matches. Tho
cupboard was bare! There was but
ono, only one solitary cupboard in the
whole Of that cottage, and that one the
sole hope of the widow, ana the glori-
ons loadstar of the poor dog was barrel
Had there been . leg of mutton. . lion
Of lamb, . fiilst of veal, even an ice
from Gunter's, the case would have
been different the incident would
have been otherwise. But it was bare,
my brethren, bare as bald head, bare
~ An infant born without caul.
Many Of you will probably say,
with all the e'pride of worldly sophistry
; The widow, no doubt, went ont and
bought her dog . biacuit.' Ah, NO !
Far removed from earthly ideas, these
desires, poor Mother Hub
bard, the widow whom thoughtless
would despise, in that she
only .ownede . cupboard. perceived, or
| might even say saw-at once the re-
lsntless logic Of the ituation, and
yielded to II with all the heroism of
hat nature which had enabled her |
without deviation to reach the barren
,upboard. She did not attempt, like |
he sim neck scofersl Of this genera
ion, to war against the inevitable; she |
lid not try, like the so-called men OF
to explain what she did not |
She did nothing. sThe |
poor dog had nonep And then at
his point our informstion csases. but |
a. ;wenot know seAc Aciene : Are we
aot cognizant Of enough?
Who would dare to pierce thei iveil1
hat shrouds. the. .ulteries fate nf old |
Mother Habbard-the poor dog-ths
;upboard-or the bone that was not
here? Must we imagine her stillI
It the open cupboard door,
lepict to ourselves the dog still droop-
ne his disappointed tail upon the
ioor. the sought Tor bone still remains.
ng somewhere else Alb, no, my
lear brethren, We are NOT 90 permit
Cd to attempt to read the future. Euf..
Ice It for es TO CLEAN from this beau-
ifnl story its many Lessons !; suffice it
or ne to apply them. to study them asi
n - In us lies, aud bearing IN mind
he natural frailty of our nature. to
void being widows; to shun the
Of Hubbard TO have, II
ur means afford il. more than one
spbosFd in ths house and keep stores +
4 theA all And. ohl dear frfepds
eepfng In recollection what we have
earned this das, let rs avutd keeping
ogs that are ford of homes. But,
srethrcn, five do; iefate 1as ordaiu-
d thst we should do any of these
hfnQs. Let M then 3o N MOther Hnh.