The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-06-02
miscellaneous.
Rev, 7, DEWITT TALMAGE.
TORCHES, TO LIGHT THE WAY OF
THE BRIDEGROOM.
Not Like the Foolish Virgins Who Had No OIL
In Their Lamps, But Have Your FlAmbeauX
Fully RIgged, and Your Lights Brightly
Burning.
TORCHES, TORCHES.

groom Cometh, go ye out to meet him."
"A young man and young woman are
afianCed according to the oriental Gus
tom. The time of their marriage has ar.
rived; calm, soft, beautiful nig't comes
down on the eastern hills. The bride
groom invited his most intimate friends
to come; they are come from the life of
the hills, and they are boisterousin their
mirtb; they have such clothes as their
rustiCity affords them; each one has
hambeau, or rod of brass, with piece Of
wood on the top of il; the wood wound
with linen, the linen dipped in olive
oil, and a cup fastened under it, so that
the oil may not drop upon the man who
bears it. They strike the Ants, the sparks
fly and the aambeaux blaze; with these
torches the procession starts; how beau
tifully the lights glance in and out among
tie leaves, and the air redolent with ILL.,
les and frankinCeDse. There are songs,
and shouts, and glee, such as young men
feel en- the way to marriage, On and
on they 60. It - o'clock at night when
they come within hailing distance of the
brides house. In the languor of these
eastern nights all the bridesmaids have
fallen asleep. When the sound comes
through the dwelling, "The wedding
party is approaching" and the light Of
their torches pours stream of fire down
toward the house, what excitement there
is in the dwelling-a running to and fro,
and great husterl Some of them take
up the hambeaux that are standing in
the corner, and in the excitement and in
the darkness they cannot find the hints
with which to strike the light. Some
cry ole thing, some another, and they
iostle each other and stumble about in
the darkness. Some one takes fam
beaux and puts fire 10 it; for a moment
it blszes, and she holes both hands over
it 30 as to keep it from the draught of
the opening and the shutting doors; but
it burns only little and goes out. Then
they began to cry: "Who can lend us a
little olive oil2 Who has any oil to
Bpare2" There are none who have any
to lend.
But am happy to say that five of the
bridesmaids were calm and placid. They
had not waited until the night before
they prepared for the wedding; long be.
fore the night came they had taken linen
and wound it around the top of the of
flambeaux, saturated it with oil, set it
where they could find it in the darkness,
and placed the fints where they could
take them up and strike them. They
had elaboratey arranged garlands, and
tresses and robes. No sensible young
woman waits until the last ten minutes
before she prepares for great entertain
ment. Open the door now and let tho m
70 out. OF course the FIVE bridesmaids
who are ready can not wait for the five
slovens who are not ready. In front of
the house the torches are lifted high and
bright, and they are swung in the dark.
ness by the maidens who are greeting
the Oridegroom's party, which has come
nesr now, 80 that their voices may be
heard; and the maidens stand in the full
glare of their tossing hambeaux. The
songs and the welcomes of the two par.
ties mingle; he two flames become one,
Just like the two hearts whose united
Joy shall henceforth peam on one path.
way. There is a great hall in which the
banquet was spread, and amid the clap.
ping Of hands, and under a ceiling a.
bloom with flowers, and amid the lhrum
of harps and the clash of Cymbals and
the wave { f of excited peoble, the bridal
party enter. Of course there are strag.
glers round about the door, as around
every gay wedding-a curious rabbe,
who just want to look in. So the door
is slammed shut, and the bolts are 81. OF: |
and until the capacity for Congratulation
and merriment is exhausted, none shall |
come out and none shall 60 in. Now, |
there is an excl ement outside the ban |
quoting hall. What is it2 Why, here
come the five belated bridesmaids. Stand |
back and let them come up. They |
knock at the door; no answer; they try |
agai I, no answer. Then they put down |
their hambeaux on the ground, and |
with both hands thev beat against the |
door as though to drive it in. The door
keeper within hears the sound outside, |
and op ns the door mot wide enough TO |
admit any one, just wide enough to let !
his voice out, as he says: Go away; why
do you bother me now2 never knew
you" The door is shut.
New, there are some people who get
one thing out Of this parable, and there
are Others who get another thing, but |
get this: The soul needs light. If you
see the bride rooms party coming Gown
the hill, what do indP Torches. If you
see the bridal party coming out of the
door, what do you see2 Torches. What
does the soul, in it's midnight of sin and
suffering, needP Torches. Confucius
tried TO strike light for China; and he
did kindle it, but 1t went out and left
her uncounted millions to make the CEN
turtles dismal with their wailiug. Zeno,
Cleanthes, Aristotle, aCh struck a light
and passed /. along from hand to hand,
but it went ont; and l have to tell you
that the Universities Of the earth, while
they have ia their chemical laboratories
made the blue Ii ht, they have never
yet been able to make the white light OF
pardon and peace and hope for diving
world. PeaCel Where is it2 Diving
bells have gone two hundred feet down,
and not found it in the depths OF the sea.
Astronomers' telescopes have swept
across the heavens, and have not found
1t in the air. From a consuming brand
of Calvary l pick up the only light for a
lost world. The fact that Christ died to
save sinners is the fambeau which, flung
on the darkness of your soul, will scatter
its gloom as by daybreak. A good
many years ago in Washington there