Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-07-25
Homo Influences.

dusky. The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage
preached at the beautiful place that day
to large multitude.
His subject was the "Vacant Chair"
and his text, Samuel, Xxx, IL: Thou
shalt be missed because thy seat will be
empty"
Set on the table the cutlery and the
chased silverware OF the palace, for
King Saul will give state dinner to-
day. A distinguished place Is kent at
the table for his son-in-law, celebrated
warrior, David by name. The guests,
jeweled and plumed, come In and take
their places. When people are invited
to o kings banquet, they are very apt
to 90. But before the covers are lifted
from the feast. Saul looks around and
finds a vacant seat at the table. He
says within himself, perhaps audibly.
"What does this mean! Where is my
son-in-law? Where is David, the great
warrior? | invited him. / expected
him. What. A vacant chair at the
kings banquet The fact was that
David, the warrior, had been seated for
the last time at his father-in-law's Ia
BILE. The day before Jonathan had
coaxed David to go and occupy that
place at the table, saying to David IN
the,wOrds OF my text, Thou shalt be
missed. because thy seat will be empty.
The prediction was fulfilled. David
was missed. His seat was empty. That
one vacant chair spoke louder than all
the occupied chairs at the banquet. In
almost every house the articles OF FUR
niture take living personality.
That picture-a stranger would not see
anything remarkable either in its de
sign or execution. but it is more to you
than all the pictures OF the Louvre and
the Luxen bourg. You remember who
bought it and who admired it.
And that hymn book-you remember
who sang in it. And that cradle-you
remember who rocked it. And that
Bible-you remember who read out OF
It. And that bed-you remember who
slept in it. And that room-you re-
member who died in it. But there is
nothing in all your house SO eloquent
and 80 mighty-voiced as that vacant
chair. / suppose that before Saul and
his guests got up from this banquet
there was great clatter OF wine pitch
ers, but ali that racket was drowned out
by the voices that came up from the va
cant chair at the table. Millions have
gazed and wept at John Quincy Adams
vacant chair in the house OF represent
atives, and at Henry Wilson's vacant
chair in the vice presidency. and at
Henry Clay's vacant chair in the Amer
Jean senate, ana at Prince Albert's va
cant chair in Windsor castle, and at
Theirs vacant chair in the councils OF
the French nation; but all these chairs
are unimportant to you as compared
with the vacant chairs in your own
household. Have these chairs any les
SON for us to learn? Are we any better
men and women than when they first
addressed us:
First, point out to you the fathers
vacant chair. Old men always like TO
sit in the same place and in the same
chair. They somehow feel more at
home, and sometimes when you are in
their place and they come into the
room, you jump up suddenly and say,
Here father, here's your chair" The
probability is, 1t is an arm chair, for he
is not 80 strong as he once was, and he
needs little unfolding. His hair is a
little frosty, his gums little depressed,
for in his early days there was not
much dentistry. Perhaps cane chair
and Old-fashloned apparel, for though
you may have suggested some improve
ment, father does not want any OF your
nonsense. Grandfather never had
much admiration for new,fangled
notions.
l hope you did not crowd that old
chair and that 1t did not get very much
In the way. Sometimes the old mans
chair gets very much In the way, es-
pecially If he has been so unwise as to
make over all his property 10 his child
rem, with the understanding that they
are to take care OF him. l have seen in
such cases the children crowd the old
mans chair to the door, and then crowd
It clear into the street, and then crowd
it into the poorhouse, and keep on
crowding it until the old man fell out
of it into his grave.
But your fathers chair was q sacred
place. The children used TO climb up
on the rungs OF 1t for goodnight kiss
and the longer he stayed the better you
liked it. But that chair has been
vacant for some time. The furniture
dealer would not give you 30 cents for
il, but 1t is throne OF influence in your
domestic circle. l saw in the French
palace, and in the throne room, the
chair that Napoleon used to occupy. 1t
was a beautiful chair, but the most
magnificent part Of 1t was the letter
''N" embroidered into the back OF the
chair In purple and gold. And your
fathers old chair sits In the throne
room Of your heart, and your affections
have embroidered into the back OF that
chair in purple and gold the letter ''Fr'.
Have all the prayers Of that old chair
been answered? Have all the counsels
Of that old chair been practiced? Speak
out, old armchair.
1 go little further on in your house
and find the mothers chair. 1t is
very apt to be a rOckingchair. She had
- many oaras and Troubles IN eootha