Connecticut western news., 1891-07-23
DEPARTED VOICES CALL.
DR. TALMAGE BREACHES A SERMON
 AT LAKESIDE, o.

LII. lAeMAGe PReHCHeS A S6HMON
 AT LAKESIDE, o.
 Mothers. Raby's: All Urge the Living to Lead Better and Nobler Lives-A
 Powerful Appeal.
 LAKEs1DE, O.. July l9. For many years people have gathered in multi tudes at this season of the year for great outdoor assembly The grounds are short sail from Sandusky The place beautiful beyond description Dr. Talmage preached this morning in this delightful place to vast multi tude. His subject was the Vacant Chair, and his text, Samuel xxx. IS, 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 kept at the table for his son-in-law. a cele brated warrior. David by name The guests, jeweled and plulned, come in and take their places. When people are invited to kings banquet they are very apt to go. But before the covers are lifted from the feast Saul looks around and finds vacant seat at the table. He says within himself per haps audibly, What does this mean2 Where is my son-in-law9 Where is David, the great warrior2 l invited him. expected him. Whatl 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 table. 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
 THE VACANT CHAIR.
 In almost every house the articles of furniture take a living personality. That picture-a stranger would not see anything remarkable either in it's design or execution, but it is more to you than all the pictures of the Louvre and the Luxembourg You remember who bought it and who admired it. And that hymn book-you remember who sang out of 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 SO mighty voiced as the vacant chair
 I suppose that before Saul and his guests got up from this banquet there was a great chatter of wine pitchers, but all that racket was drowned out by the voice that came up from the vacant chair at the table. Millions have gazed and wept at John Quincy Adams vacant chair in the house of represen. tatives and at Henry Wilson's vacant chair in the vice presidency, and at Henry Clay's vacant chair in the Ameri- can senate. and at Prince Albert's va cant chair in Windsor castle, and at Thiers' 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 sons for us to learn2 Are we any bet ter men and women than when they first addressed us2
 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 their place and they come into the room. you jump up suddenly and say. "Here, father, here's your chair" The | probability is. it is an armchair, for he | is not SO strong as he once was, and he needs little upholding. His hair is little frosty, his gums little depressed, | for in his early days there was not much dentistry Perhaps cane chair and old fashioned apparel. for though you may have suggested sone improvement. | father does not want any of your non sense Grandfather never had much admiration for new tangled notions. l sat at the table of one of my parish toners in former congregation; an aged man was at the table. and the son ] was presiding. and the father some what abruptly addressed the son and said My son. don't now try to show | off because the minister is herei" Your father never liked any new 1 customs or manners; he preferred the old way of doing things and he never looked so happy as when with his eyes closed he sat in the armchair in the corner From the wrinkled brow to the tip of the slippers, what placidity l! The wave of the past years of his life broke at the foot of that chair. Per haps sometimes he was little impa tient, and sometimes told the same story twice; but over that old chair how many blessed memories hover! hope you did not crowd that old chair and that it did not get very much in the way Sometimes the old mans chair gets very much in the way. espe cially if he has been SO unwise as to make over all his property to his chiI dren with the understanding that they are to take care of him have seen in such cases children crowd the old mans chair to the door, and then crowd it clear into the street, and then crowI II into the poorhouse, and keep on crowd ing it until the old man fell out Of it into his grave
 A SACRED PLACE.