The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-07-21

hood, in refinement, culture, in strength
and force Of character, and. fit them fol
high services hereafter. Millions ol
children unfold their spiritual natures
amid the obscenity, vulgarity, filth and
corruption Of the masses.
was once listening to the sermon Of q
grand man, and rs whole the sermon
was good one. Knowing the position
occupied, Of course it aimed at me. The
preacher said, 1.-THE world wants Christ, y
and in my heart said, amen. "Thc poor
want Christ" ! said, amen, they dc
want that Christ who toiled with the null
titnde and earned his own bread, who
fed the hungry, clothed the naked,
and healed the sick, who cleansed the
leper and gave eyes to the blind, who
lifted up the suffering masses, and in
most scathing language denounced and
threatened every man that oppressed
them. The world wants that Christ.
He went on: 1.-THE poor don't want
money, they want Christ" said, 'show
foolish to make that statement" His
congregation woke up; every eye was
fixed on me. He had struck O lead and
went on. ssThey do not want Legislation,
they want Christ" / said in my heart,
ssyou do not understand"
/ was on the battlefield of Gettysburg
six days and nights. About the middle
of the week, near midnight, I was roam
ing about with my lamp and some sooth-
ing medicine in my hand, guided by the
groans Of the men, going from one 70
another, adjusting their clothing, taking
IL
they had lain for hours and days; heard
cry in the distance, and finally made
out the word water" Ihastened to the
spot and found Confederate boy not
more than seventeen. shall never for
get that face as the light Of my lamp
flashed into it. As I stopped over him,
he said, .'Oh, chaplain, give me water "
II had followed out the teaching of this
preacher, l should have sat down with
my lamp by the side Of this boy and said
to him my dear boy, what You want
most is not water, it is Christ. / am q
Christian minister, and it is my business
to teach Christ and Him crncified and
not have anything to do with political
or secular affairs" Instead of TINT
took my cup, ran to q stream not thirty
feet away, the murmuring Of which he
could hear, got q pint Of water, raised his
head and steadied him till he slipped the
last drop. He said: "Oh chaplain, you
will never know how that water blesses
mel" l gave the poor boy oil the water
he wanted, took the sticks from under
him, adjusted his saturated and stiffened
garments and fixed pillow Of leaves ON
which to rest his head. After had done
that / gave him soothing medicine, pro-
vided for men in his condition. Then /
knelt by his side and put my hand to his
fevered brow and said: ''My dear boy,
/ wish I could do more for You. It is
very hard to lay here suffering in the
woods" He said: s'Home! home |!
Oh, my mother !" with tone that made
me curse war in the depths Of my soul.
I said to him: "Your mother cannot
come to You but there is One who loves
you more than o mother" and talked
to him Of the love of Christ, and he
drank in every word rs he had drank in
the water. That, in my judgment, is the
way to preach Christ. Lift up the
masses. Take the children out Of the
filth and corruption; take them away
from those influences while their spiritual
natures are more plastic than the pol
ished plate Of the artist that takes the
human countenance by tho touch of sun
team pencils. Bring them under the
power Of our Christian civilization, give
them taste and refinement. When this
revolution is accomplished, then the
masses will be lifted up. Every indus
trions family will have o home with all the
comforts and Injuries Of life. Then cul-
ture will be universal. Look! I see the
lifting up Of tire race. God hasten the
grand success. / bid you good evening.