Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-03-26

! i've and think and act, high on throne
where seraphs sing, or deep in dungeon
where demons howl In a world where
there is so much to do for yourselves ana
so much to do for others, God pity that
man who has nothing to do.
Your sports are merely means to an END.
They are aileviations and helps. The arm
OF toll is the only arm strong enough 10
bring up the bucket out of the deep wen OF
pleasure Amusement is only the bower
where business and philanthropy rest while
on their way to stirring achievements.
| Amusements are merely the vines that grow
about theanvil of toll and the biossoming OF
the hammers Alas for the man who spends
his life in laboriously doing nothing, hls
DAYS in hunting up lounging places ana
! .oungers, his nights in seeking out some
gas lighted fooleryl The man who always
has on his sporting jacket, ready TO hunt
for game in the mountain or fish IN the
brook, with no time TO pray or work or
read. Is not so well OFF as the greyhound
that runs by his side, or the fly bait with
which he whips the stream.
a man who does not work does not know
how to play. II God had intended us TO
do nothing but laugh he would not have
given us shoulders with which to lift, and
hands with which TO work, and brains with
which to think The amusements ofslife
are merely the orchestra playing while the
great tragedy of life plunges through its
fiye acts--infnncy, childhood, manhood, old
age and death Then exit the last earthly
opportunity Enter the overwhelming real
tiles of an eternal world
/ 90 further, and say that all those
amusements are wrong which lead into
bad company. If yoa go to any place
where you have TO associate with the in
temperate, with the unclean, with the
abandoned, however well they may be
dressed, in the name OF God quit IL. They
will despoil your nature. They will I'M
dermine your moral character They will
drop you when yon are destroyed They
will give not one cent to support your chill
dren when ron are dead. They viii weep
not one tear at your burial. They will
chuckle over your damnation.
| had a friend at the west-a rare friend.
He was one If the first to welcome me to
my new home. 10 fine personal appear
ance he added a generosity, frankness and
ardor of nature that made me love him
ike brother Bnt saw evil people gath
ering around him. They came up from
the saloons from the gambling bells.
They piled him with a thousand arts.
They seized upon his social nature, and he
could not stand the charm. They drove
him on the rocks, like ship full winged,
shivering on the breakers. | used 10 adj
mouish him | would say, "Now | wish
you would quit these bad habits and be-
come q Christian ooh" he would reply,
II would like to, | would like to, but l
have gone so far don't think there is any
way back In his moments Of repentance
he would 20 home and take his little girl
OF years. aud embrace her convulsiyely,
and cover her with adornments, aud strew
around her pictures and toys and every
thing that could make her happy; and
then, as though bounded by an evil spirit,
he would 20 out 10 the enilnming cup and
the house Of shame, like fool to the cor
rection of the stocks.
DEATHDED SCENE.
was summoned to his deathbed. /
fastened / entered the room / found
him, 70 my surprise, lying in full every day
dress on the top of the couch put out
my hand. He grasped ii excitedly and
said, sit down, Mr.. Talmage, right there"
| sat down. He said: Last night | saw
my mother, who has been dead twenty
years, and she sat just where you sit now.
II was no dream / WAS wide awake.
There was no delusion in the matter |
saw her just as plainly as see you. Wife, !
/ wish you would take these strings OF OF |
me. There are strings spun all around my 1
body. wish you would take them of Of 4
me-" saw is was Geiirum.
"Oh, - replied his wife, my dear there |
is nothing there. there is nothing there" I
He went on, and said: Just where you sit, I
Ar. Talmage, my mother sat. She said to /
me, Henry, l do wish you would do bet t
ter l got ont of bed, put my arms around /
her, and said; Mother, want to do bet
ter | have been trying to do better. I
Won't you help me to do betterf You
used to help me- No mistake about it, no
lelusion. | saw hes-the cap, and the
apron, and the spectacies, just as she used
10 look twenty years ago; but do wish you
would take these strings away. They
annoy me so. | can hardly talk Won't
you take them aways7 l knelt down and
prayed, conscious of the fact that he did
not realize what was saying. got up.
said, ''Good-by; l hope you viii be better
soon-7 He said, "Good-by, good by
That night his soul went TO the God who
gave it, Arrangements were made for the
obsequics. Some said, Don't bring him
n the church; he was too GissOldte.
Oh / said, bring him. lie was a good
friend Of mine while he was alive, and
shall stand by him now that he is dead.
Bring him to the church,
LAST SCENE OF ALL
As ! sat in the pulpit and saw his body
coming up through the aisle felt as if
,ould weep tears OF blood. / told the peo-
de that day: "i'his man had his virtues,
md q good many Of them. He had his
aults, and good many of them, but if
here is any man in this audience who is
Without sin let him cast the first stone at
his colin lid" On one side the pulpit sat
hat Little child, rosy, sweet faced, as beau
iful as any little child that sat ut your
able this morning, warrant you She
ooked up wistfully, not knowing the full
orrows of an orphan child. Oh, her coun-
enance haunts me today like some sweet
ace looking upon US through horrid
lream. On the other side OF the pulpit
we're the men who had destroyed him.
There they sat, hard visagcd, some of them
'ale from exhaasting disease, some of