Telegram-herald., 1891-07-20
ATALK on EMPTY CHAIRS
a POWERFUL ARGUMENT FROM Da.
TsLAA1E IN OHIO.
30 Gf-.sss Isas~aes. Are Ia the Fs.aII,
cirsi= Than the Mate Appeals of De-


side
LAKESIDE, O., July l9.-For many years
people nags gathered Ia naaltitud-s az tAls
ssasoa of Ele ysar foe great outdoor as
se.nbly The grounds are a short sail
from Saaalasky; tie piacs beautiful DO
you'd descriptloa Dr. Talznags preached
this m0rEinz IN this delig place To A
sast Iaaltltuas. His sabiect vas the va.
eaAs Chair. AID LIS text. Samuel xx, IS
tEoU shalE Dc nissed, because thy seat
wili be emDty."
set on the table tie eatlery aud the
chased siivsrsare of ths palace. for Klag
SaG. viii give state dinnsr today A dis
tlng4lshesi place Il kept AZ the table for his
son-in-iaw, a celebrated warrior, David by
name. The gu=sts, ieweled aad pluIned.
come ia aud take their places. When peo-
PIE ars Invited . a king's banquet they
are very apt 70 20 but before the covers
are lifted from the feast Saai looks around
and ands a yaeant seal at the table he
SAYS within himself. perhaps andibly:
What does this mean, Where IS my SON
in-lsw, Where is David. the great war
Fiors invited him. lexpected him. Whaa
vacant chair az the kings banquet"
The facs was that David, the warrior
bad been seated for the last time az his
tatherin laws table. The day before Jon
atnan lad eoaxsd David 10 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 chsir spoke louder than al the oc-
cupied chairs at the banquet
In almost every house the articles of fur
niture take living personality That
picture-a strsn ger would not see anything
remarkable either ia it's design or execI-
ton. but IL Is more 10 you than all the
pictures Of the Louvre and the Luxenl-
bourg You remember no bought it, aud
who admired IL. And that hymn book
yog remember who sang out Of it. And
that cradie-you remember who rocked IL.
And that Biole-you remember who read
cut Of 10. And thAG bed-you remember
who slept ia IL. And that room-you re-
member who died In H. But there Is
nothing ia ali your houso so eloquent and
90 migaty voiced az the vacant chair |
suppose that before saul aud his guests 90.
up from this banquet there was great
elatter OF wine pitchers, but all that racket
was drowned out by the voice that came up
from the vacant chair ~ the table.
Millions have gazed and vept at John
Quincy Adams vacant chair in the house
of representatives. and At Henry Wilson's
vacant chair i'm the vice presidency aad AT
Henry Clay's vacant chair in the American
senate. and at Prince Albcrt's vacant chair
Ia Windsor castle, and Et Theirs 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 chains
any lesson for us 20 lcarnl Are we any
better men and women than when they
frst addressed usg
FATHERS CHAIR.
First point out TO you the fathers va
cant chair. Old men always like to sit
Ia the same place and Ia the same chair.
They somehow feel more at home, and
sometimes when you are in their place and
they come into the room you Jump up sud-
denly and say. Here, father, here's your
chair" The probability Is IL Is an arm
chair, for he IL not so strong as he once
was. and he needs little upholding. His
hair is . little frosty, his gums little de-
pressed, for in his early days there was not
Y.
aud old fashioned apparel. for though you
may have suggested some Improvement.
father does not want any OF your nonsense.
Grandfather never had much admiration
for new tangled notions.
I sat at the table Of one OF my parish
ioners In former congregation; an aged
man was at the table, and the son was pre-
siding. and the father somewhat abruptly
addressed the son and said. my son. don't
now try TO show of because the minister
Il hereP' Your father never liked any new
customs or manners. hs preferred the old
way OF doing things. and he never looked
80 happy rs when. with his eyes closed. he
sat in the armchair in the corner. From
the wrinkled orow TO the tip of the slippers,
what placidityl The wave Of the past years
Of his life broke A. the foot OF that chair.
Perhaps sometimes he was a little impa-
tient. and sometimes told the same story
twice; but over that old chair how many
blessed memories hoYeri 1 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. especially IL he mas been
40 anwise as TO make over all MS property
20 his children. with the understanding
that thev are 20 take care OF him. | have
seen In such cases children crowd the old
mans chair to the door. and then crowd it
clear into tbs street. snd then crowd it
into the poorhouse, and keep on crowdins
ir until the old man fell out Of it into his
grave
But your fathers chair was q sacred
place The children used 20 climb up on
the runEs % is for good night kiss. and
TIE longer he stayed the better ron liked it.
But that ebair has been vacant now for
some tifne The furniture dealer would
not give yon fffty cents for it. bnt IL IL a
throne II Influence in your domestic circle
7 saw in the French palace. and in the
throne room. the caair that Napoleon used
20 occupy l. was beautiful chair, but
the most significant part ofit vas the letter
~" embroidered into the hack 81 the
chair "a purple and gold And your faith
er's old chair sits in the throne room Of
yoar heart. and your Affections have EN-
broider-,i into the back Of thar old chair In
purple and gold the letter 'F Have all
the prayers of that Old chair been answer
eds Have all the counsels Of that old chair
been prscticela Speak osti old armchair
History tells IA Of an old man whose
three sons were vfetors IN the Olympic
games. and when they came back these
three sons, with their gsrisnis. pHt them
on she fathers brow aud ths cid man wss
- r>ioiccd st The victories OF his thres
children that he fell dead in their arms.
And are You. on. man. going 20 bring a
wreath II ioy and Christian usefulness
snd pms i On Yoer fsthsr's brow ~ on ths
vacant chair. IT On the memory OF the one
d-Dartr,ll Speak aet. oid srnsehsiri With
references - your f,ther, the words of my
text have been fsiGllsd. "ThDa shalt he
missed. because thr seat will s- empty"
NaTHgRs CHAiR
20 a LITTLE further on in your house and
dnd the mothers chair It - vcry apt 10