Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-04-03

pany. IL you 90 60 any place where you
have to associate with the incorporate, with
the unclean, with the abandoned, however
well they may be dressed. IN the name OF
God quit it. They will despoil your nature.
They will undermine your moral character.
They will drop you when you ore destroyed
They will give not one cent TO support your
children when you are dead. They will weep
not one tear at your burial. They will
chuckle over your damnation-
! had friend at the west-a rare friend.
He was one of the first to welcome me to his
new home. To fine personal appearance he
added generosity, frankness and ardor Of
natEr,s that made me love him like brother.
But saw evil people gathering around him.
They came up from the saloons, from the
gambling bells. They piled him with a thou
sand arts They seized upon his social ma
ture, and he could not stand the charm.
They drove him on the rocks like ship full
winged, shivering on the breakers. used
TO adnonish him. I would say, Now l
wish you would quit these bad habits and
become Christian" "Oh," he would reply,
FL would like to- Iwould like to, but have
gone so far don't think there is any way
back" In his moments of repentance he
would go home and take his little girl OF
eight years, aud embrace her convulsively,
and cover her with adornments and 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
go out to the entiaming cup and the house of
shame, like fool to the correction of the
stocks.
] was summoned to his deethbed.
fastened. entered the room. found him,
to my surprise, lying in full every day dress
ON the top Of the clothes. / put out my hand.
He grasped it excitedly and said, ''Sit down,
MIR. Talmage, right here" I sat down. He
said: Last night [ saw my mother, who has
been dead twenty years, and she sat just
where you sit now. It was no dream. was
wide awake. There was no delusioa in the
matter. saw her just plainly as I see
you. Wife, / wish you would take thoss
strings off of me. There are strings spun
all around my body. I wish you would
take them off Of me-" l saw it was de-
irlum.
oh" replied his wife. my Gear, there is
nothing there there is nothing there" He
went on, and said: Just where you sit, Mr.
Talmage, my mother sat. She said: Henry,
/ do wish you would do better got out Of
bed, put my arms around her, and said,
Mother, want to do better. I have been
do better? You used to help me- No mis-
take about it. No delusion. saw her-tha
cap, and the apron, and the spectacles, just
as she used to look twenty years ago; but
do wish you would take these things away.
They annoy me so. l can hardly talk.
Won't you take them awayT' I knelt down
and prayed conscious Of the fact that he did
w
said, ''Good~by; I hope your will be better
soon." He said, ''Good-by, good-by."
That night his soul went to the God who
gave it. Arrangements were made for the
obseQuies. Some said, Don't bring him in
the church; he was too dissolute." ooh"
said, bring him. He 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"
AS sat in the pulpit and saw his body
coming up through the aisle [ felt as if I
could weep tears of blood. I told the people
that day: This man had his virtues and
good many of them. He had his faults, and
good many of them, but if there is any man
in this audience who is without sin let him
cast the first stone at this coffin lid" On one
side the pulpit sat that little child, rosy,
sweet faced, as beautiful as any little child
that sat at your table this morning,
l warrant you: She looked up visit
fully, not knowing the full SORROWS
Of an orphan child. Oh, her cour-
tenance haunts me to-day like some sweet
face looking upon us through horrid dream
On the other side Of the pulpit were the men
who had destroyed him. There they sat,
hard visaged, some Of them pale from ex-
hausting disease, some of them flushed until
it seemed as il the fires Of iniquity famed
through the cheeks and cracked the lips.
They were the men who had done the work:
They were the men who had bound him hand
and foot. They had kindled the fires They
had poured the wormwood and gall into that
orphans cup. Did they weep? No. Did
they sigh repentingly2 No. Did they say:
What pity that such a brave man should
be slain? No, no: not one bloated hand was
lifted to wipe tear from a bloated cheek.
They sat and looked at the coffin like Vul-
lures gazing at the carcass Of lamb whose
heart they had ripped Quit cried in their
ears as plainly as I could: 'sThare is God
and judgment dayp Did they trembleS
Oh, no, no. They went back from the house
Of God, and that night, though their victim
lay In lakewood Cemetery, was told that
they blasphemed, and they drank, and they
customer in all the houses Of iniquity. This
destroyed man was Samson in physical
strength. but Delilah sheared him, and the
Philistines OF evil companionship dug bis
eyes out and threw him into the prison of
evil habits. But in the hour of his death he
rose up and took hold Of the two pillared
curses of God against drunkenness and I'M
cleanness, and threw himself forward, until
down upon him and his companions there
came the thunders of an eternal catastrophe.
Again, any amusement that gives you a
aistaste for domestic life is bad. How many
bright domestic circles have been broken up
by sinful amusements. The father went Off,
There are to-day the fragments before me OF
blasted households. Oh, if you have wan
dered away, would like to charm you back
by the sound of that one word, home" Do
you not know that you have but little more
time to give to domestic welfare? Do you
not see, father, that your children are soon
TO go out into the world, and all the influence
for good you are to have over them you must
have now? Death will break in on your con-
jugal relations, and, alas! il you have to
stand over the grave of one who persisted
from your neglect!
Il