Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-04-22
wIsDOsf FROM TALMAGE.
He tells Of fine ssRocks On which
People Split"

Rev. L. Dewitt Talmage lectuTed In
the Star Course at the Academy Of Mu-
sic recently, ON the subject Of the "Rocks
on Which People Split" "The sea il
an endless study" be began. "From
childhood, when we pick up the pebbles
on the beach, until manhood, when we
take our first passage on an ocean
steamer, we talk, write and dream of
the sea. There is a power in the smile
of the sea; but when teased and lashed
by the tempest who shall depict the
mightiness of its wrath. We are all
running some kind of craft-either a
ship, or a schooner, or brig, or bark,
or scow-and it is only by sounding
the lead that we can keep from run
ming on the rocks on which people
split"
Having introduced his subject, Rev.
Mr.. Talmsge, in discussing the mani
fold rocks upon which we split, gave out
these cautionary signals:
"Rock the irst-Multiplicity Of occu-
pations. The general rule is that man
can do only one thing well. Perhaps
there are two things to do-the 6rst is
to find your sphere, the second to keep
it. Mason stick to your trowel, lawyer
to your brief, surgeon to your scalpel,
minister to your pulpit. and don't go of
lecturing A man must graduate in
hard knocks before getting his final di-
ploma. The difference in conditions Of
| life is not so much in faithfulness of oc-
cupation as in the endowment of men
with the great attribute of stick-to-itive-
ness. Better have one great idea than
five hundred little bits of ones. Every
man is made to fit into some one occu-
patton.
"Rock the next-Bad temper. Good
humor sells the most goods, makes the
best argument, breaches the best ser
mon and weaves the best carpet. The
poorest firm is Growl, Spitfire g. Bros.
Merryman & Warmgrasp were poor
boys when they came from the country.
They smiled and laughed and bowed,
and soon had a store of their own. They
were obliging men, and people from the
country left their carpetbags in their
store when they came to town. They
rose In the community, until to-day they
have the largest store, the handsomest
windows and the prettiest wives In all
Shuttlefeld. Gloomy men can do very
few things well. A man who can sing
and won't sing deserves to be sent to
Sing Sing.
"Rock the next-Bad treatment from
others. Sometimes community gets a
grudge against man and gives him q
kick. Men, fasten gossip on women; |;
but who can estimate the gossip which
Is carried on by men in business life.
Talk of gossip as light as feathers!
Why. in one night 1t has overturned a
city. Cursed be gossip
"Rock the next-Excessive amuse-
ment. Now, mind you, | say nothing
against amusement. l like 1t. A good
game at ball Is great sport. never see
man go out with fishing rod but si-
lently say: May you have good time,
basket full of bait, and bag full of
fish, The air Is full of music, II we
could only hear 1t. Silence itself Is on
| ly music asleep. Too much devotion to
amusement is ruinous; and there are
battles In life which cannot be fought
with a sportsman's gun. Those amuse-
ments are harmless which do not inter-
fere with home duties and enjoyment.
Those are ruinous which give one dis
taste for domestic pleasures and recrea-
tions. / offer home as q preventive, an
inspiration and restraint. Floating off
from that, look out for roeksl
"Rock the next-Unhappy domestic
relations. We are prodigal in our COM
passion wlfen a noble woman is chained
1 a N Aaao4f<.s1 ma hat IA hnU.o
with q man too stingy to be drunkard,
you have human excellence beyond de-
velopment. 1t is hardly possible ror
man to be thriftless if he has wife to
cheer him. Woe be to the man who has
an experience like the afflicted parson
who had three wives. The first was
very rich, the second was very hand
some and the third had an outrageous
temper. 'So,' said he, I've had the world,
the flesh and the devil Any man who
has good wife, though the whole world
| is against him, has no right to complain.
There are thousands of women the JOY
of our American homes. They know,
without asking the housekeeper, the diff
ference between washtub and flterer.
Seminaries are important in society, but
when the girl returns home her grand
father shocks her because he canHot
speak the Kings English, and she comes
down late to breakfast lisping her excu-
ses in French.
~Rock the last-Attempting life with
out enthusiasm or enterprise" In ref
erence to his final rock the speaker
dwelt altogether upon the development
of science and American enterprise,
which has caused knitting to be driven
into exile by fashionable croeheting, and
made the ocean ferry and all the