The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-08

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 I felt as II l
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
sweet faced, as beautiful as any little child
that sat at your table this morning,
I warrant you. She looked up visit
fully, not knowing the full SORROWS
Of an orphan child. Oh, her coun.
tenance haunts me to-day like some sweet
face looking upon US through horrid dream
On tie other side Of the pulpit were the men
who had destroyed him. There they sat,
bard vlsaged, some Of them pale from eat
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 weep2 No. Did
they sigh repentingly? No. Did they say:
"Whata pity that such brave man should
be slain~ No, no: not one bloated hand was
They sat and looked at the coffin like yul-
lures gazing at the carcass Of a lamb whose
heart they haG ripped outl cried In their
ears as plainly as could: "There is God
and Judgment day" Did they tremblei
Oh, no, no. They went back from the horse
or dou, and that night, though their victim
lay IN Oakwood Cemetery, was told that
they blasphemed, and they drank, and they
gambled, and there was not one less
customer in all the houses Of iniquity. This
destroyed man was g Samson in physical
strength, but Delilah sheared him, and the
Philistines of evil companionship dug his
eyes out and threw him into the prison Of
evil habits BIT in the hour Of his death he
rose up and took hold Of the two pillared
curses Of God against drunkenness and IN
cleanness, and threw himself forward, until
down upon him and bis companions there
came the thunders Of an eternal catastrophe.
Again, any amusement that gives you q
distaste for domestic life Is bad. How many
bright domestic circles have been broken up
by sinful amusementsl The father went of,
There are to-day the fragments before me of
sblasted 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 60 out into the world, and all the influence
for good you are to have over them you must
have now2 Death will break in on your con-
jugal relations, and, alas! il you have to
stand over the grave of one who perished
from your neglect
I saw a wayward husband standing at the
deathbed Of his Christian wife, and saw her
point to a ring on Der finger, and heard her
say to her husband, do you see that ringr
He replied, "Yes, l see it." "Well," said
she, do you remember who put 1t thsre"
Eyes" said he, n put it there" and all the
past seemed to rush upon him. By the men,
ory Of that day when, in the presence Of men
and angels, you promised to be faithful In
Joy and sorrow, and In sickness and in health;
by the memory of those pleasant hours when
you sat together IN your new home talking
Of a bright future; by the cradle and the
Joyful hour when our life was spared and
another given; by that sick bed, when tbs
little one lifted up the voice and called for
help and you knew he must die, he put one
arm around each of your necks and brought
you very near together in that dying kiss; by
the little grave in Greenwood that you never
think Of without rush Of tears; by the
family Bible, where, amidst stones OF
heavenly love- Is the brief but expressive
record Of births and deaths; by the neglects
VI Iuo pdSI dA0 pJ IAC o6OdiSo VI oAAS AeseASl
by a Judgment day, when husbands and
wives, parents and children. in immortal
groups, will stand to be caught up in shining
array or to shrink down into darkness; by
Ill that, I beg you to give to home your best
affections.
All, my friends, there is an hour coming
when our past life will probably pass before
us in review. It will be our last hour. II
from our death pillow we have to look back
and see life spent in sinful amusement
there will be dart that will strike through
our soul sharper than the dagger with which
Virginius slew his child. The iniquities and
rioting through which we have passed will
come upon us, weird and skeleton as Meg
Merrilies. Death, the old Shylock, will de.
mand and take the remaining pound OF
upon our last opportunity for repentance,
and our last chance FOR heayan the curtain
will foreyer drop.