Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-31
Ne paIsied that will not Bay, 20, King

mon BANQUET TO which these great peo
pie came. All parts of the earth ha6
sent their richest viands TO that table
Brackets and chandeliers flashed theil
LIGHT upon tankards OF FURNISHED gold
Fruits, ripe and luscious in baskets o.
silver, entwined with leaves pluckec
from royal conservatories. Vases inlaid
with emerald and ridged with exquisite
traceries, filed with nuts that were
threshed from forests OF distant lands.
Wine brought from the royal watts, foam
| ing in the decanters and bubbling in the
chalices. Tufts OF cassia and franklin
cense waiting their sweetness from wall
and table. Gorgeous banners unfold
inc in the breeze that came through
the open window betwitching with the
perfume OF hanging gardens. Fountains
rising ND from the Enclosures Of ivory,
in jets Of crystal, TO fall in gathering
rain of diamonds and pearls. Statues
ofmighty men looking down from inches
in the wall upon crowns and shields
brought from subdued empires. Idols
of wonderful work, standing on pedes-
tails of precious stones. Embroideries
STOPPING about the windows, and wrap
ming pillars of cedar. and drifting on
| floor inlaid with ivory and agate. Music
mingling the thrum of harps, and the
clash OF cymbals, and the blast OF tr-lm-
phets in one wave OF transport that
went ripping along the wall, and breath
ing among the garlands, and pouring
the corridors, and thrilling the souls OF
900 banqueters.
IN THE MIDST OF MAD RIOT.
The signal is given, and the lords and
ladies. the mighty men and women OF
the land, come around the table. Four
out the wine. Let foam and bubble kiss
the rim. Hoist every one his cup, and
drink to the sentiment: "Oh King
Belshazzar, live forever" Bestarred
headband and carcanet OF royal beauty
CLEAN to the uplifted chalices, as again,
and again, and again they are emptled.
Away with care from the palace. Tear
royal dignity to tatters! Pour out
more wine. Give us more light, wilder
music. sweeter perfume? Lord shouts
to lord, captain ogles to captain. Cob
lets clash, decanters rattle. There
comes in the vile song, and the drunken
hiccough, and the slavering lips, and
the guffaw of idiotic laughter, bursting
from the lips OF princes, flushed, reel
ing, bloodshot; while mingling with it
ali 1 hear, "Huzza. huzza. for great
Belshazzar"
What is that on the plastering on the
wall? Is it spirit? Is it phantom:
Is it God? Out OF the black sleeve OF
the darkness q finger OF fiery terror
trembles through the air and comes to
the wall, circling about as though 1t
would write, and then, with sharp tip
OF flame, engraved on the plastering
the doom OF the king. The music stops.
The goblet falls from the nerveless
grasp. There is thrill. There Is a
start. There is q thousand voiced
shrieks of horror. Let Daniel be brought
in to read that writing. He comes In.
He reads it: weighed in the balance
and found wanting"
Meanwhile the Assyrians, who for
two years had been laying seige to that
city, took advantage of that carousal
and came in. / hear the feet Of con-
querors on the palace stairs. Massacre
rushes in with a thousand cleaning
knives. Death bursts upon the scene;
and shut the door of the banqueting
hall, for do not want to look. There
is nothing there but torn banners, and
broken wreaths, and the slush OF upset
tankards, and the blood and murdered
women, and the kicking and tumbling
carcass of dead king. For lin that
night was Belshazzar, the king OF the
Chaldeans, slain"
READING THE MESSAGE Alright.
60 on to learn that when God writes
ANYTHING on the wall man had better
read it as it is. Daniel did not misin-
terpret or modify the handwriting on
the wall. 1t is all foolishness to expect
minister of the gospel to preach al
ways things that the people like or the
people choose. Young men, what shall
/ preach to you tonight? Shall | tell
you OF the dignity Of human nature?
Shall l tell you of the wonders that our
race has accomplished? ''Oh, no." you
say, tell me the message that came
from God" / will. II there is any
handwriting on the wall, it is this les.
son: Accept of Christ and be saved"
| might talk of a great many other
I0lDRS, UuI llldI 10 IlC 1nCcouSC ehAAA
declare it. Jesus never fiattered those
to whom he preached. He said to those
who did wrong and who were offensive
in his sight: Eye generation OF vipers!
Ye whitened sepulchers! how can you
escape the damnation of help" l am,
the apostle, preached before man who
was not ready to hear him preach.
What subject did he take? Did he say,
20! you are good man, a very fine
man, very noble man?" No, he
preached Of righteousness to man who
was not righteous; Of temperance to
a man who was the victim OF bad appe-
tite; of the judgment to come to man
who was unfit for it. So we must al
ways declare the message that happens
to come to us. Daniel must read 1t as
it is. A minister preached before
James 1, OF England, who was James VI
of Scotland. What subject did he take!
Tine king was noted all over the world
for being unsettled and wayering in his
ideas. What did the minister preach