The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-12-24

y
of Genesis was written, the lesson of
the pyramid was written.
Well, of what is this Cyclopean ma
sorry a sign and a witness? Among
other things: of the prolongation of
human work compared with the brevity
of human life. In all the four thou
sand years this pyramid has only lost
eighteen feet in width, one side of its
square at the base changed only from
seven hundred and sixty-four feet to
seven hundred and forty-six feet, and
the most of that eighteen feet taken
off by architects to furnish stone for
building in the City of Cairo. The men
who constructed the pyramid worked
at it only a few years and then put
down the trowel and the compass and
the square and lowered the derrick
which had lifted the ponderous weights;
but forty centuries has their work
stood and it will be good for forty
centuries more. All Egypt has been
shaken by terrific earthquakes and
cities have been Frustrated or swal-
lowed, but that pyramid has deied all
upon some of the greatest battles ever
fought since this world stood. Where
are the men who constructed it? Their
bodies gone to dust and even the dust
scattered. Even the sarcophagus in
which the kings mummy may have
slept is empty.
So men die but their work lives on.
We are all building pyramids not to
last four thousand years, but forty
thousand, forty million, for trillion,
forty quadrillion, forty quintillion.
For awhile we WELD the trowel or
pound with the hammer or measure
with the yard-stick or write with the
pen, or experiment with the scientific
battery, or plan with the brain, and for
awhile the foot walks and the eye
sees and the ar hears and the tongue
speaks. All the good words or bad
words we speak are spread out into one
layer for a pyramid. All the kind
deeds or malevolent deeds we do are
spread out into another layer. All the
Christian or unchristian example we
set is spread out in another layer.
All the indirect influences of our lives
are spread out in another layer.
Then the time soon comes when we put
down the implement of toll and pass
away, but the pyramid stands. The
twentieth century will not rock it
down, nor the thirtieth century, nor
the one hundredth century. The earth
quake that rocks this world to pieces
will not stop our influence for good or
evil. You modestly say: "That is true
in regard to the great workers for good
or evil, and of gigantic geniuses, Mil
tOnian or Talleyrandian, but not of me-
for l live and work on a small scale. "
Your business and mine is not to
build a pyramid, but to be one of the
hundreds of thousands who shall ring
towel, or pull rope, or turn the
crank of derrick, or cry ''Ye heavew
while lifting another block to it's eleva-
ton. Though it be seemingly small
work and brief work, it is work that
shall last forever. In the last day many
a man and woman whose work has
never been recognized on earth will
come to special honor. The ecumen-
zeal council, now in session at Washing
ton, its delegates the honored repre-
sentatives of fifty million Methodists in
all parts of the earth, will at every SEES
sion do honor to the memory of John
Wesley, but l wonder if any of them
will think to twist a garland for the
memory of humble Peter Boiler, the
Moravian, who brought John Wes-
ley into the kingdom of God. / re-
joice that all of the thousands who have
been toiling on the pyramid of right
eousness will at last be recognized and
rewarded-the mother who brought her
children to Christ, the Sabbath teacher
who brought her class to the knowl-
edge of the truth, the unpretending
man who saved soul. Then the trowel
will be ruore honored than the scepter.
AS in Egypt that December after
noon, 1889, exhausted in body, mind
and soul, we mounted to return to
Cairo, we took our last look of the
pyramid at Gizeh. And you know
there is something in the air toward
evening that seems productive of
solemn and tender emotion, and the
great pyramid seemed to be humanized
and with lips of stone it seemed to
speak and cry out: Hear me, man,
mortal and immortal! My voice is
the voice of God. He designed
me. Isaiah said l would be a
sign and a witness. l saw Moses
when he was lad. l witnessed the
long procession of the Israelites as they
started to cross the Red sea and
Pharaoh's host in pursuit of them. The
falcons and the eagles of many centuries
have brushed my brow. l stood here
when Cleopatra's barge landed with
her sorceries, and Hypatia for her
virtues was slain in yonder streets.
Alexander the Great, Sesostris and
Ptolemy admired my proportions.
Herodotus and Pliny sounded nv
praise. l am old, l am verv
old. For thousands of years l have
watched the coming and going of
generations. They tarry only little
while, but they make everlasting i'm
preston. l bear on my side the mark
of the trowel and chisel of those who
more than four thousand years ago
expired. Beware what you do, oh,
hot Il