Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-11-09
and not leave it to the within


Of others. Some of the best people
sleeping in Greenwood have no monu-
ments at all, or some crumbling stones
that in few years will let the rain wash
out name and epitaph; while some men,
whose death was the abatement of Il
nuisance, have pile of polished Aber-
deem high enough for a king, and eulo-
GUM enough to embarrass seraph. Oh.
man of large wealth, instead Of leaving
to the within of others your monumental
commemoration and epitaphiology to be
looked at when people IRE going to and
fro at the burial of others, build right
down in the heart of our great city. or
the city where you live. an immense free
reading room, or free musical conserve
tory, or free art gallery, the niehes for
sculpture and the walls abloom with the
rise and fall of nations, and lessons of
courage for the disheartened. land rest
for the weary, and life for the dead; and
one hundred and fifty years from now
you will be welding influences in this
world for good among those whose
great grandfather was you, great- grand
child. How much better tlan white
marble, that chills you if you put your
hand on it when you touch it in the
ors, in beaming eyes, in living possess
sion, in splendors which under the
chandelier would be glowing and warm,
and looked at by strolling groups with
catalogue in hand on the January night
when the metropolis where the bodysleeps
is all showed under. The tower Of David
was hung with 1000 denied shields Of
battle; but you, oh man of wealth, may
have a grander tower named after you,
one that shall be hung not with the
symbols of carnage, but with the victor
les of that art which wasso long ago
recognized in my text as "plearant pict-
ures." oh, the power Of picture! I
cannot deride, as some have done, Car
must die, took his last walk through the
art gallery of his palace, saying: Must
quit all this? Look at that Titan!
Look at that Correggio! Look at that
deluge of Caracci! Farewell dear pic
tures!" AS the day of the Lord of Hosts
according to this text, will scrutinize
the pictures, implore al parents to see
that in tn cir households they have
neither in book or newspaper or on
canvas anything that will deprave.
Pictures are no longer the exclusive
possession OF the atfiuent There is not
respectable home in these cities that
has not specimens of wood cut or steel
engraying, if not of painting, and your
whole family will feel the moral uplift.
ing or depression. Have nothing on
iZe the young with scenes Of cruelty or
wassail; have only those sketches made
by artists in elevated moods, and none
OF those scenes that seem the product of
| artistic delirium tremens. Pictures are
not only strong but u universal langu
age. The human race is divided into
almost as many languages as there are
nations, but the pictures may speak to
people of all tongues. Nolapuk many
have hoped. with little reason, would
become world wide language; but the
pictorial is always a world wide langu-
age, and printers types. have no en-
phasis compared with it. We say that
children are fond of pictures; but no.
tice any man when he takes mp book.
and you will see that the first thing that
he looks at is the pictures. Have only
those in your house that appeal to the
better nature. One engraving has some
times decided an eternal destiny. I'm
der the title of fine arts there have come
'here from France a class of pictures
which elaborate argument has tried to
prove irreproachable. They would dis
grace bar-room. and they need to be
contiscated. Your children will carry
the pictures of their fathers house with
them clear on to the grave, and. passing
that marble pillar. will take them
through eternity!
Furthermore. let all reformers and
all Sabbath school teachers, and all
Christian workers realize that if they
would be effective for good they must
make pictures, if not by chalk on black
boards, or kindergarten designs. or by
pencil on canvas. then by words. Argu-
nents are soon forgotten, but pictures,
whether in language or i'll colors, are
what produce strongest effects. Christ
was always telling what thing was like,
and His Sermon on the Mount was a
great picture gallery. beginning with a
sketch of q city on Il hill that cannot be
hid, and ending with tempest beating
against two houses, one ON the rock and
the other on the sand. The parable of
the prodigal son, a picture; parable of
the sower, who went forth to SOW, d
picture: parable of the unmerciful serv-
ant, picture; para. lie of the ten virgins,
a picture; parable of the talents, a
picture. The world wants pictures and
the appetite begins with the child, who
consents to go early to bed if the mother
will sit beside him and rehearse story,
how much has been accomplished in
secular directions by pictures-Shaks-
peare's tragediesa picture, Victor Hugo
writings all pictures, John Ruskin's and
Tennysons and Longfellow's work all
pictures-why not enlist, as far as pos
sible, for our churches aud schools and
reformatory work and eyangelistic en-
deavor, the power of thought that can
be put into word pictures, if not pictures
in color? Yea, why not all young men
draw for themselves on paper, with
pen or pencil, their coming career
of virtue if they prefer that, of vice
if they prefer this? After making the
picture, put it on the wall. or paste it or
the fly leaf of some favorite book, tina,
!. you may have it before you. read the
other day of man who had been ex.
ecuted for murder, and the jailer found
afterward picture made on the wall o.
the cell by the assassin's own hand, ;
picture of flight of stairs. On tn.
lowest step he had written: "Disobedi
ence of parents" on the second: sab
bath breaking" on the third: Drunk
enness and gambling;' on the fourth
Murder" and on the fifth and top step
"A gallows." If that man had made tn,
picture before he took the first step, Ii.
never would have taken any of them
. Oh, man, make another pic