Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-05-15

reference to the falsehood that be had ad-
vocated misceginatiou of tue white and
black races. The vast copgreg alton sang
the hymn beginning:
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come.
DR.. Talmage's text was Deuteronomy viii,
2: "Thou shald remember all the way
VIII ich the Lord Thy God led thee" He
said:
Before entering on my subject | wish to
say that soma newspaper correspondents IS,
referring to recent sermon in which wei
coined tho foreign nationalities to the
country, have said that l advocated as de-
sirable thing the Intern srriage of the white
and black races. | never said SO, | never
thought so, and anyone who SO misrepre
septs that sermon is either villain or a
fool perhaps both.
But to open this morning S subject have
to say God 10 the text advises the people to
look back upon their past history. 1t will
do US all good to rehearse the scenes be
tween this May morning and our cradle,
whether it WAS rocked in country or town
A few days ago, with my sister and brother,
| visited the place of my boyho.d. It was
one of the most emotional and absorbing
days Of ny life. There stands the old
house, and as l went through the rooms !
said: 81 could find my way here with my
ey es shut, although have not been here in
forty ears" There was the sitting :oom
where large family group every evening
gathered, the most of them now in better
world. There was the old barn where we
hunted for Easter eggs, and the place where
the horses stood. There is where the orch
ard was, only three or four trees now left of
all the grove that once bore apples and
such apples, too There is the brook down
which we rode to the watering Of the horses
bare back and with rope batter We also
visited the cemetery where many of our
kindred are waiting for the resurrection,
the old people side by side, after journey
together of sixty years. only about three
years between the time of their going.
There also sleep the dear old neighbois who
| used to tie their hcrses under the shed of
the country meeting house and sit at the
end of the pew, singing Duke Street," and
''Balerma," and ''An'ioch" On, they were
a glorious racs of men and women who did
| Eheir work WE'LL raised a splendid lot oi
| boys and girls aud are now as to their
bodies in silent neighborhood on earth, but
as 10 their souls iD jubilant neighborhood
before the throne of God. | feel that my
| Journey and visit last week did me good,
and it would do you all good. if not in per-
son then in thought, to revisit the scenes OF
bayhood or girlhood "rhou shaltremem.
Der all tho way which the Lord thy God lee
thee"
Youth is apt too much to spend all it;
time in looking forward. Old age is APT
too much to spend all its tune in looking
back ward. People IN midllfe and on tn:
apex look both ways. 1t would be well fol
us, l think, however, to spend more time
in reminiscene. By the constitution of oul
nature we spend most of the time looking
forward, and the vast majority of this audi
ence live not so much in the present as ii
the future. l find that you mean to maxi
a reputation, you mean to establish your
self, and the advantages that you expect Il
taehieve absorb great deal of your time
But see no harm in this If it does not maxi
You discontented with the present or dis
qualify you for existing duties.
It is useful thing sometimes to lool
back, and to see the dangers We have es
capped, and to see the sorrows we have sui
fered, and the trials and wanderings of ou
earthly pilgrimage, and to sum up enjoy
ments. l mean this morning, so far as Co
may help mo, to stir up your memory of tn
past, so that in the review you may be en-
|
There is chapel in Florence with fresc
by Guido 1t was covered up with tw
inches of stucco until our American an
European artists went there, and after lon
toll removed the covering and retraced tb
fresco. And | am aware that the memor
of the past, with many of you, is all cover
ed up with ten thousand deliberations, an
I propose this morniGg, so far as the LoT
may help ne, to take away the covering
that the old picture may shine out again.
[ want to bind in one sbeaf all your pas
advantages, and want to bind in auothe
sheaf all your past adversities, l. is pre-
cious harvest, and I must be cautious how
swing the scytbe.
Among the greatest advantages of you
past life was an early home and it's su
round.ngs. The bad men of tho day, fo
the most part, dip their heated passions OF
,, of the billing spring Of an unhappy homt
, We are not surprised to find that Byron
heart was concentration of sin, when "
hear his mother was abandoned, and ths
she made sport of his infrmity, and ofte
{ called him "the lame brat" He who ha
vicious parents has to fight every inch {
his way, if he would maintain his iutegrit
and at last reach the home of the good
r heaven.
cfudpS yOuk oaiiy hOh1O Woo 'A oho SA'
It may bave been in the days when Can
street, New York, was far up town and tt
site OF this present church was an excursic
into the country. That old house in tt
city may have been demolished or change
into stores, and it seemed like sscrilege
YOU, for there was more meaning in tn
plain house, in that small house, than the
i is in granite mausiOn or a turreSed cath
dral. Looking back this morning you s.
it as though it were yesterday-the sittin
room, where the loved ones sat by the pla
lampiight, the mother at the evening stan
the brothers ard sisters, perhaps long al
= gathered into he skies, then plotting M
chief on the floor or under he table, 20
father with firm voice commanding
silence that lasted hslf minute
Oh, those were go d days! If you b
your foot hurt, your moiher always had
,c soothing ssiye to heal it. If you we
wropged in the street, your father was
ways ready to protect you. The year