The Portland daily press., 1890-05-09

1T HAS MANY PUPILS.
The School OF Scandal Described by
the Rev. r. Dewitt TaImage.

wasn't II grandY" Such was the eXcla-
nation frequently heard as the big audience
dispersed from City Hall last evening. Rev.
I. Dewitt Talmage had lectured as only the
greatest living preacher can. More than an
ordinary rain storm is necessary to keep peo-
pie at home when such an attraction is an
nounced.
Previous to the lecture, DIR. Talmage held
reception in the Mayors room, having a
pleasant word for all who wished to shake
him by the hand. Upon the platform num-
Der Of our local ministers were seated.
Americas unique divine" this best known
preacher has often been called, and 1t was
easy to understand the application of such
term after listening TO his characteristic ut
terances and observing his constantly chang
ing facial expressions. Not especially grace
full in his movements, it is still too much to
say that he is awkward; he is so thoroughly
in earnest, and his utterances are so grand,
that all thought of personal appearance dis
appears liz contemplation Of the large ideas
advanced. His most telling points were
made by moments silent pondering, fol-
lowed by powerful exclamations.
Frequent outburst Of laughter and ap-
plause punctuated the lecture, as anecdote
after anecdote, bubbling with richest humor,
fell from the lips OF the speaker. Particu-
larly strikingly arraigned was the gossip
monger of the period, in School OF Scan
dal." which was the subject of the lecture.
His Honor, Mayor Melcher. in a few pleas
ant words, introduced the eminent preacher,
who spoke in brief as follows:
If we leave to the eyolutionists to guess
where we came from, and to the theologians
70 prophesy where we are going to, we still
have left for consideration the fact
that we are here. And we are
here unLer interesting circumstances. OF all
the centuries, this Is the best; of all the
decades OF the centuries, Of all the years of
the decades, OF all the months of the years,
OF all the days. Of the months. and Of all the
nights of the days, this is the best night. We
are at the very acme OF history. 1t took all
the ages to make this minute possible.
The Doctor invited all to go to Brooklyn
all come together.
There are schools and colleges all over the
lands, many Of them crowded, but the larg-
est school in the .yoEld Is tba.o "ieb9nla e6
took their diploma. with black seal, signed
by the devil, and have been out In the world
Dracticing their profession.
What is to be done with the attacks made
upouscharacter? Shall we accept or reject
them? say reject them all until positive
guilt Is established. In every community
there are great factories Of falsehood that
run day and night because the demand is so
large. Almost everybody gets lied about
before he dies. The lie thrives in every
cline, with perhaps little preference for
the temperate zone. 1t lives on
berries oosns and bananas. drinks wat,
have destroyed the boy who afterward be-
came the father of his country IL he had not
driven 1t back with his hatchet. Its pecul-
iarity Is its longitude. 1t has been at every
President from first to last; malaria does not
poison 1t. nor fires burn it.
Scandal mongers are so small they some
how escape the fine tooth comb of the law.
Sheriffs cannot find them. 1t don't require
much brain to retail gossip. A man must
have no business, and woman be single or
have no children, to make successful tat
tier. Most business troubles are caused by
these everlasting snoops." Those who
gather up all they hear said about you and
then rehearse 1t all under the guise of secre-
cy, are amung the worst. How they do make
the feathers fly The worst assassination oD
earth is the assassination of character. Take
the best man that every lived and put de-
tective on his track for ten years, and pret-
ty good story could be made.
Some people say there Is no hell, but IL
there is no hell for a tattling despoiler Of
womanly character 1t Is high time some phil
anthropist built one. Tell your children to
speak well Of others or say nothing. Look
out what use Is made of the tongue. 1t is
loose at one end and can swing either way,
but 1t is fastened at the other end to the floor
of your mouth and that makes you RESPONSE
BILE for the way it wags.
In judging person take into considera-
tion his hereditary tendency. The strong
probability Is that the present wrong doer
started life with nerve, muscle and bone
contaminated. In this country we are told
all men are born equal, but there never was
greater Misrepresentation 1t is fearful
disaster to inherit criminal tendencies. A
person who goes down because Of heredita,
ry influence deserves, not condemnation, but
pity. He thought the man who was born
wrong, but by the grace of God triumphed,
would have the highest seat In Heaven.
One OF the biggest words In the language
Is mercy. That word is as big as Heaven.
oh that all the scholars in the school of
scandal would pass over into the school of
mercy; better help people thao to try to
draw them down!
DR.. Talmage closed with a thrilling de-
scription Of the scenes on the battlefield of
Waterloo, and said our life was a Waterloo
and the difference between victory and de-
feat is the difference in reinforcement, as it
was in that famous clash of arms.