Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-14

reaches the spire pointing heavenward,
tipped with the cross OF Christ, who
gave His life for our aims.
INSTRUCTION FOR PREACHERS.
The public mind has become so
satiated that it constantly Graves for
what is sensational, 30 our ministers are
gradually pandering TO this taste 10y in
terlarding their discourse with anecdotes
or siclkly sentimentalities, the former
furnishing amusement, the latter pro-
voking q smile Of scorn or derision,
neither OF which is calculated to inspire
reverence or the devotional feeling ne
csssary for all trne heart-worship. Once
in great while We meet man who en-
chains our attention from the beginning
TO the end OF his sermon. III we analyze
il it NAV contain nothing new, but so
earnest and forcible was his manner, so
fresh and original his presentment OF his
subject, that old truths assume new and
beautiful meaning we had not dreamed
OF before. II is said of the father OF
Edwin Booth that once at dinner party
he was requested to repeat the Lord S
PRAYER. He did so, and so powerful, so
was his rendering OF that
simple, earnest petition that moistened
eyes and quivering lips in silence at
tested his wondrous power.
EARNEsrNEss IN THE PULPIT.
There IA personal magnetism which
is as clearly a gift as is that of the artist
or the poet, but one powerful weapon IS
within the reach of the masses, and that
is the correct handling of our mother
tongue. Why is it that so few ministers
read we'll The beautiful hymns are
droned through like q school-boy's first
composition and the chapters OF tho
Bible succeed each other i'll monotonous
procession, our greatest sensation being
that of relief when it is over 1t would
be we'll for us, then, il our waning reye-
renee. like a failing appetite, could be
stimulated and fostered back INTO
healthy growth. There is no surer
method than to take captive the mind,
for the heart cannot then resist ITS plead
ings, but will surely follow. All mon
are not gifted in prayer or speech, but
for these contingencies our mother
Church has most bounteously provided
us with prayers and liturgies of marvel
lous beauty; finished compositions which
need only hearty rendering to make
them very ehectful.
Every theological seminary should have
O chair of elocution, the pupils being re-
CURED to commit to memory the whole
service, or such portions as are in constant
use, so that not being compelled to keep
one eye on tho book, proper emphasis
and expression may be given.
This habit once formed will insensibly
lead to reading well, and the sacred Word
will come to us like a revelation. Above
all, it will do away with the tendency to
aff'ront the majesty of God by stumbling
petitions directed toward the Throne OF
Grace.
TIE FLIRT
Perhaps there is no occasion when n
young woman's frivolous propensity is
more astonishincIy developed than in
her love affairs and engagements. II Is
not an unusual thing for girl to engage
herself to two or three persons at once
without the faintest idea of marrying any
one OF them. A young lady was known
to 90 through with twelve engagements
three at one time, and finally settled
down with her thirteenth.
A party of six young men once made
an agreement that all of them would
propose to certain girl in the course OF
the same evening. 1t was summer tme
in large rambling country house with
all sorts of delightful hooks, unlooked-ior
corners, bowers, and summer houses
well adapted for tefe-G-tcteS. After the
close OF merry evening full of music,
dancing. &C., the six conspirators retired
for the night to compare notes
No l began by saying: We'll, l
courted hor, and She said she'd marry
me-" Up jumped No. ,, exclalming ::
d" MOI III be id if she did, because
she promised to marry rue !" Then en-
sued a perfect clamOr of voices, each
more excited than the last, until it be-
gan to dawn upon them that she had
deliberately plighted her troth to sir
men ! The iryolity of such hexagonal
courtship was only exceeded by the
wholesale acceptance.
"JUsT FOR FUN"
If these ephemeral trlhers are ques-
toned about their doings the inyariable
answer is: 81 just did it for fun. 4"
Think OF asking a woman to be your
welded wite-,tor .tpn! Think of q
woman giving her sacred, honorable
word, fOr I'm.
Could our young people be impressed
from their earliest childhood with the re-
sponsibility assumed by promise-the
sacredness of trust confided to them -
there would be fewer defaulters, less
frequent and startling divorces, fewer
shattered fortunes and ruined homes.
WANT OF REVERENCE.
There is a hippancy which seems pure
" American. Ii is not found III older
countries, especially monarchies. where
reverence for the king is Unborn, almost
unconsciously blended with reverence
for the Most High. This is our growing
tendency to speak lightly, even imperti-
nently, of "the powers that be-" Tho
dignifed father is "the old man" or
"the governor -; the gray haired mother
lUO OltA tdINs bOiNO
chap drops would-be funny remark and
it is Immediately seized 10y our papers,
and 80 the names Of the President Of
these grand United States and his love-
ly lady wife were banded about as
Grover and frankie" Even the gra-
cious Majesty, the Queen of England,
appears i'll doggerel rhymes, as "Old
Mrs. Guelph"
Familiarity breeds contempt. So IN
self-defence we need to cultivate an
earnest dignity of character which will
build for each individual wall of re-
serve, behind which he may fortify him
self. His influence will soon be felt.
and like the pebble dropped Ill the lake
it will finally extend in widening
circles until ii touches the furtherest
borders of our beloved land. We are a
smart, go-ahead nation, but we lack dig
nifty. Perhaps as We grow older we may
grow wiser.
FLIPPANT LITERATURE.
Now We come to the deepest, farthest-
reaching, most-abidiDg source Of frivoli-