The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-08-08
Do Your Dlty.
PLAIN PRACTICAL SERMON BY
HENRY. DI0TNT,
For Those Whe Fai. to Reach the
Highest Mark, and Feel that Life
il Draar rants Dark.
TWilson Mirror. !

i Drear Dark.
LWilson Mirror.l
In this earth-ife there are various
vocatons. Some are high and exalted
Others are low and humble All must
be filed, and the one who performs
his duty best deserves the richest reward
and highest honor, regardless of the
position in which that duty was done.
The pilot, who sits on his lofty post
of duty, and guides his noble and
majestic steamer through the bound
ing billows Of TIE sea. would be pow
erless to buffet single wave were i, I
not for the aid and cooperation be
receives from those SCOT be -smirched
toilers way down at the bottom Of the
vessel, who shovel and pour coal into
the ed-hot jaws of the hell-like furnace,
and thus doth feed the hungry mouth
which makes the steam that gives to
the vessel that strength and gigantic
motive power which laughs to naught
the widest sweep of fercest pillows,
And SO we say to those who may not
win the first prize in the race of life,
and fill the highest niche in the temple
Of renown, you can make yourself use
full in whatever sphere you may be
thrown. IT'S true, there is but one
mighty Niagara whose reserberating
roar is waited on winds of renOwn to
every land Of the sun, and induces peo-
pie of every cline to come and stand
upon its awe-wrapped banks and lis
ten i'll speechless wonder to the thun-
dering anthems rising in melodious in
sense to the God of Nature. Yet there
are thousands upon thousands of mur-
mur;ng cascades, which catch the sill
very rppels of sweetly flowing stream
lets, and dashing their radient wave
lets into foam-crested wh!rlpools below,
they send up their rising spray in
streams of sweetest melody to the
choral harmonies that flow in dulcet
waves of enchantment from the string
less instruments of Natures matchless
orchestra. IT'S true, their strains are
not SO loud and grand and ocean, toned
but yet they serve to make up that
thrilling diapson of melody which pours
its ripples over the embellishments OF
the sky, and there amid the angel
choir their softest echoes die 'Tis
true, there is but one Mississippi river,
whose majestic sweep of waters move
on in noiseless majesty to the warm,
throhbing breast of that sweetlywooing
Gulf, and on whose regal bosom vast
argosies do float, to feed the white
winged birds of the bounding billows
Yet there are hundreds upon hundreds
Of flowing rivers and graceful streams
and murmuring brooks and singing
rivulets and dripping rills, winding
here and there their silvery current:
| throughout our wide domain, and they
are deemed necessary in the divine
! economy of God, for the sweetest
! flowers bloom upon their messy brink
and in their cooling deeps the thirsty
cattle drink. IT'S true, there is bu
! one Jupiter and one Venus in all the
sky, yet if their radiant beaming fur
nished the only waves of light tha
rolled like glistening diamonds from
off the sea OF night, the sky would be
empalled with shadows dark and drear
and we would turn not there for com
fort or for cheer. But millions of little
stars doth all their glories blend, ant
down upon earth's shadows their heav
enly radiance send. And SO thei
mingling beamings doth make the SIX,
SO bright, we never dread the shadow
that follow blacklist night. 'Tis true
that in the forest some monarch oal
arises, and point his towering head int,
the very skies, but suppose no othe
trees would dare mid it stand, th
shower of the sunbeams would parcl
and scorch the land but other growt]
rich foliage give, and help to max
the shade, and in their cool retreat
the sweetest songs are made for bird
YOU know build nests in bush and flower
as we'll as in tree tops which up +
Heaven tower. SO aCquit yourseive
like true men in each and every sphere
and not once surrender to any doub
and fear Your missiles may hot hi
the mark at which You first did aim
but keep on nobly trying and YOU vii
win fame. Yes, be pure men, be trli
men. be honest and be brave. and hon
or's brightest banner alike Ger eac
, will wave; and when your work
ended, and YOU 90 home above, Go
Himself will crown You with the laurt
of His love
! Merit Wins.