, 1886-03-07

horrible; but what juicy steak How de
licious that Isl We reproach our butcher for
a dry one. We forget that while everywhere
in creation the principal Of destruction Is
manifested, the tendency Is steadily unfolding
the reverse: preservation, conservation,
humanity, and it finally breaks out in the
highest forms in the Gospel Of Jesus Christ
Now, the whole animal kingdom has a
right 10 consideration Not from sentiment
nlism, but il has its rights. In 80 far as ami
mails are noxious and dangerous to human
life, we have control Of them. In 80 far as
they are ~incommodious, we have n right to a
higher plane and place. And there are very
many insects In hummer that we are not
Obliged to preserve, though we need not 20
out OF our way 10 destroy them. They
may have just ono day OF happiness. But il
IL the ono day OF their life, and it IS their
whole.
But Of those animals that stand nearest to
man, and are most useful, they have been
comparatively left 70 his passions or TO his
exacting selfshneSs. Their usefulness ncels
no disclosure here. 1t is not safe that cattle
should be left to the interests Of their owners.
1t Is not safe nor humane that cattle should
be transported under conditions which imply
suffering, b~ruising and distress. 1t Is not
right that where they are to DO slaughtered
for the need Of the table there should be no
consideration If the methods OF doing it. It
is not right, II dogs are dangerous and they
are to he gathered, that they should be
left to the mercy Of bi-pedal ours,
and that they should be slaughtered
In a way that Is contrary to the
best sensibility OF humanity. Cruelty
to little things feeds the spirit Of cruelty
itself. Directly a man may not he affected
in his rights by the treatment Of these things
by other mon or by their opinion Of humanity,
but taking It through a generation, If brought
up TO disregard the feelings Of the brute crea-
ton they will hive their humanity dulled to
n certain extent toward their fellow men.
And therefore, when that apostle OF human
ityin our community, Mr.. Bergh, began
to TAKE measures for the protection OF the
brute creation, he wins working in a de
partnent OF Christian ethics, and was
worthy not only of sympathy and assistance,
but also of the praise which he did not get.
Still, his patient perseverance, has found to
such an extent sympathy as that the Society
for tho Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals
lives. and is doing n most beneficent work. If
any man remembers, as | do, how, in the re-
morseless carts lambs and their bleeding
mothers were crammed in, rolled in as IL they
had been but vegetables; II they had seen
calves brought into the spring market with
their heads hanging out and their
feet in the air, and in every pos
sible position that would entail suffer
ing, and now sees with what care they are
transported, he will have occasion TO know
that the public has at last come to such sym
pathy with this society as that the treatment
OF animals has been ameliorated. And the
same is true in regard to that noblest of un-
speaking animals, the horse. The dog is a
very good thing, hut not to be compared as
n family, for one single moment, with that
noblest of all quadrupeds, the horse.
There is another department of the animal
kingdom Of which l wish TO speak. l mean
birds. hardly know how this world would
get along without them. They toll not, any
more than the lily, neither do they spin, yet a
hummer without birds would seem almost to
be no summer at all Some of the most salient
Of our Inspirations are connected with bird
song. / don't suppose that, If you live in
tho city, you know anything about
it. because the little driblets OF bird
song that men hear in the daytime are no nd
equate revelation OF their minstrelsy. 1t is in
the summer my habit TO rise about half-past
three Of an unclouded morning, not to stay
up, but at about four TO hear the leading
notes, the call Of the chorister, usually in some
near tree, n little pccping noise, as much as to
say: MY dear, nre you awaken And that
wakes some other ono in a little further
tree and one noto joins TO another until
tho birds in all the neighborhood
are aroused, and then all at once there breaks
out such a choir of song Of every description
that il would seem as II the heaven was
packed full Of birds from end to end and the
whole n~cighborhood Is a gigantic organ That
holds on for half an hour or three-quarters.
III a.. N...lN,-H - -, I.-l~ -
bed Their grace Of motion, their beauty Of
plumnsc, tho interesting study that there is
in their notification and In the rearing Of
their young, and also to this vocal reason,
makes the birds among our most attractive
summer interests.
II is now the fashion 10 adorn bonnets and
dresses with the skins Of birds. And as color
il in great demand. the most beautiful of
them all arc selected for that purpose. And
TO such an extent Is II carried that there is
really danger that many kinds OF birds will
be exterminatcd in many portions OF our
country. They keep nobody warm, they are
not necessary, they serve 10 one end
except that Of taste and only taste in fashion
able circles. admit their beauty, l admit
the charm that thene Is connected with them,
whether upon tho fan or upon the bonnet, or
upon the breast or upon the skirt There can
be no question OF that Nevertheless, 1t is in
human. Tho slaughter Of the birds
thnt IL going on is such as ought
TO arrest the attention OF every Chris
tan woman who d~ccorntes herself
with these skins. and II ought to he with her
a question; Fam / of the spirit Of Christ and
Of tho spirit Of humanity in indulging my
sense of the beautiful by "A method that
almost insurcs their destnctionr | don't
suppose that any amount Of preaching would
do much good in general The appeal which /
maxi i to woman. And II there he any por-
ton of the community that is morn sensi-
tive to reasons OF humanity, that Is more
shocked by cruelty, Il certainly is woman
There will be some OF you go awnT
and say. mr. Beecher preached a queer
sermon this morning. Hiint he I went
thero hoping l should get the gos
pei Instead OF TINT ! got all sorts
Of things So I want to show you that
/ have been preaching the gospel WIN you
listen while l read the fourth chapter Of
Luke, sixteenth and ninetecnth ver-esi
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had
bo.n brought up, and as his custom was no
went into the Synagogue on the SABBATH Day,
and stood up for TO rad. And there was
delivered unto him the book or the
Prophet Esaias. And wlen he had
opened the book he found the place where it
was written; The spirit Of the Lord Is upon
me, because He hath nnointed me TO preach
tho Gospel to the poor; He hath sent
mo to heal the broken hearted, to
prca-h delivcrnnce TO tho captives,
and recovering sight to the blind, TO set at
iibef ~ them that are bruised, to preach the
acceptable year Of the ord. And he closed
the book and gave Il again to the minis
ter and sat down. Aud the eyes Of
oil them that were in the synagogue
were fastened on him And he began to say
unto them. This day is the Scripture
FULFILLED iu your t.r.r Jesus. tho
cmnu.t lputor, with l. heart enkindled
by Gods love, II ever preached
n sermon that had In IL the spirit OF the Cos
..l - is tl....u. . In A.. t.f.arhed this MORNING