New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-11-07

newspaper or on canvas anything that viii de-
praye. Pictures are no longer the exclusive
possession ofthe aH1uent. There is not a re-
spectacle home in these cities that has not
specimens of woodcut or steel engravings, if
not of painting, and your whole family will
feel the moral uplifting and depression. Hay-
ing nothing on yourwall or in books that
will familiarize 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 ar
tistic delirium tremeas. Pictures are not on
ly strong but universal language. The hui
man race is divided into almost as many lam
guages as there are nations, but the pictures
may speak to people of all tongues. Volapuk
many have hoped, with little reason. would
become worldwide language. and printers
types have no emphasis compared with it.
We say that children are fond of pictures.
but notice any man when he takes up a 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 natures,
One engraving has sometimes decided an
eternal destiny. Under 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 disgrace
a barroom. and they need to be confscated.
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 effec-
tive for good, they must make pictures, if
not by chalk on blackboards, or kindergar-
ten designs, or by pencil on canvas, then by
words. Arguments are soon fOrgotten; but
pictures, whether in language or in colors,
are what produce strongest effects. Christ
was always telling what a thing was like,
and His sermon on the mount was a great
picture gallery beginning with a sketch of a
s'city on hill that cannot be hid, !" and end
ing with a 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 theFsower, who went forth
to SOW, a picture; parable of the 10 virgins,
a picture; parable of the talents, 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, which is only a picture.
When we see how muchis accomplished in
secular directions by pictures Shakespeare's
tragedies picture, Victor Hugo's writings
all pictures ohm Ruskin's and Tennyson's
and Longfellow's works all pictures-why not
enlist, as far as possible, for our churcher
and schools and reformatory work and evan
gelistic endeayor, 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,
theircoming career ofvirtue ifthey prefer that,
of vice if they prefer that. After making the
picture, put it on the wall, or paste it
on the fly leaf of some favorite book, that
You may have it before you. I read the
other day of man who had been executed
for murder, and the jailer found afterward
picture made on the wall of the cell by the
assassin',s own hand, q picture of a flight of
stairs. Onthelowest step he had written 6 Dis
obedience of ParentsE" on the second, "Sab-
bath Breaking;" on the third, Drunkenness and
Gambling;" on the fourth, g Murder"
and on the fifth and top step, GA Gallows"
Ifthat man had made that picture before he
took the firststep, he neverwould have taken
any of them. Oh, man, make another pict-
ure, a bright picture, an evangelical picture,
and l will help you make it'll suggest six
steps for this flight Of stairs. On the first
step write the words, ga Nature Changed
by the Holy Ghost and Washed
the second step, Industry and Good Cd
Companionship on the third step, ga
Christian home with family affair." on the
fourth step: Ever widening usefulness" on
the fifth step: "a glorious departure from
this world;'' on the sixth step: 'sHeaven!
heaven! heaven!'' Write it three times, and
let the letters of one word be madeup of BAN
ners, the second of coronets, and the third of
y,
and will promise to meet you on the sixth
step, if the Lord will through His pardoning
grace bring me there too.
And here l am going to say a word of cheer
to people who have never had a word of con-
ISOLATION on that subject. There are men and
women in the world by hundreds of thous--
ands, some of them are here today, who have
o fine natural taste, and yet all their lives
that taste has been suppressed, and although
they could appreciate the galleries of Dresden
and Vienna and Naples far more than 900
out of 1000 who visit them, they never may
go, for they must support their households,
and bread and schooling for their children are
of more Importance than pictures. Though
fond of music they are compelled to live amid
discord, and though fond of architecture,
they dwell in clumsy abodes; and though APP
preciative Of all that eDgravings and paint
lngs can do, they are in perpetual depriva-
ton. You are going, after you get on
the sixth step of that stairs lust
spoken Of to find yourselves in
the royal gallery Of the universe, the concen-
tered splendors of all worlds before your.
transported vision. In some way all the
thrilling scenes through which we and the
Church of God have passed in our earthly
state will be pictured or brought to mind.
At the cyclic rama of Gettysburg, which we
had in Brooklyn. one day blind man, who
lost his sight in that battle, was with his
child heard talking while standing before
that picture. The blind man said to his
daughter: care there at the right of the
picture some regiments marching up hill?''
Yes she said. WE'LL" said the blind
man, is there general on horseback lead
ing them on?' YES" she said. s.Well is
there rushing down on these men cavalry
charger" s'Yes,' was the reply. ssAnd do
there seem to be many dying and dead?"
YES" was the answer. ssWell, now, do
you see a shell from the woods bursting
near the wheel of a cannon?" EYES," she
said. "Stop right there!'' said the blind
man. THAT is the last thing / saw on
earth What a time it was, Jenny, when l
lost my eye-sight!'
But when you, who found life hard bat
tie, a very Gettysburg, shall stand in the
royal gallery ofheayen, and with your new
vision begin to see and understand that
which in your earthly blindness you could
not see at all, you will point out to your
celestial comrades, perhaps to your own dear
children who have gone before, the scenes of
the earthly confiictsin which you participated,
saying: There from that hill of prosperity
/ was driven back; in that valley of humilia-
ton was wounded. There 1 lost my eye
sight. That was the way the world looked
when saw it. But what a grand thing TO
get celestial vision, and stand here before the
cyclorama of all worlds, while the rider
- ~. I.