Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-12-02
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
1hs Eminent Brooklyn Divine'S Sun.
day Sermon.
subject: gathering the Harvest

his IS the time OF tn9 year Tor nuSkine
corn. If you have recently been in the
fields OF Pennsylvania. or New Jersey. or
New York, or New England, or in any Of
the country districts, you know that the
corn is all cut. The sharp knife struck
through the stalks and left them all along
the fields until man cana with bundle
Of straw and twisted few Of these wispS OF
straw into band, and then, gathering up
as much OF the corn as he could compass
with his arms, he bound it with this wiSp OF
straw, and then stood it in the field in what
is called shock. There are now at least
two billion bushels Of corn either standing
in the shock or having been already husksd.
The farmers gather ons day on one farm
and then another day on another farm, and
they put on their rough husking apron, and
they take the husking peg, which Is piece
of iron with leathern loop fastened to the
hand, and with it unSheath the corn from
the husk and toss it into the golden heap.
Then the wagons come along and take it TO
the corncrib.
About corn as an important cereal or
corn as a metaphor the Bible is constantly
speaking. You know about the people IN
famine coming to buy corn OF Joseph, aud
the foxes on fire running into the standing
corn" and about the oxen treading out tbs
corn. and about the seven thin ears of corn
that in Pharoah's dream devourel the seven
good ears aud the "parchsd corn handed
to beautiful Ruth by the harvesters Of Betl-
lehem, and Abigaiis five measures Of
"parched corn" with which she hoped to
appease the enemies Of her drunken hus-
band, and David's description of the valleys
covered over with corn" and 'the handful
of corn in the EARTH" and the full corn in
the carr aud COrists Sabbath morning
,rollx 4l,,.o,.nrh 1ofn 6ai1- cp1 tho 4iscinlaS
"plucking ears of corn, and 50 l am not
surprised to find corn husking time referred
to in my text. "As shock OF corn cometh in
in his season."
How wildly to all those o. us who were
born in the country comes the remembrance
of husking time. We waited for it as for
q gala day OF the year. 1t was called
frolic. The trees having for the most part
shed their foliage the farmers waded
through the fallen leaves an1 came through
the keen morning air to the gleetul COM
pany. The froStS. which had silvered every
thing during the night, began TO melt of
the top Of the corn shocks. While the
farmers were waiting for Others they stood
blowing their breath through their fingers
or thrashing their arms around their boty
to keep up warmth OF circulation. Roaring
mirth greeted the late farmer as be crawied
over the fence. Joke and repartee aud
rustic salutation abounied All ready now
The men take hold OF the shock of corn
AMI hurl il PROSTATE while the moleS and
mice which have Secreted themselves there
for warmth attempt escape. The withe OF
straw is unwOund from the corn shock, and
the stalks heavy with the wealth Of grain
are rolled into two b1ndles, between whicl
the husker sits down. The husking PEE is
thrust in until il strikes the corn, and then
the fingers rip of the sheathing Of the ear,
and there is q crack as the root OF the corn
is snapped off from the husS, AMI the grsia
disimprisoned is hurled up into the sunlight.
The air Is so tonic, the work is so very exhll-
arating the company is so bliths that some
laugh, and some shout, aud some sing, and
some banter, and some tease a neighbor for
a romantic ride along the edge OF the woods
in an eventide in a carriage that holds but
two, and some propAeSy as to the number OF
bushels TO the field, and others 90 into con-
petition as 70 which shall rifle the most corn
shocks before shutdown.
After awhile the dinner horn sounds from
the farmhouse aud the table is surrouude
by a group Of Jolly and hungry men. From
all the pantries and ths cellars and the
perchss Of fowl on the place the richest
dainties come, and there IS carnival and
neighborhood reunion, and a scene which
HIS our DNll VIII SlAti-es OAL iADt =
with tears, as we remember that the farm
belongs now 70 other owners, ami other
hands gather in the field, aud many OF those
who mingled in that merry husSlng scene
have themselves been reapsd like as a
shock Of corn cometh in IN MS season"
There is a differences OF opinion as TO
whether the orientalS knew anything ABOUT
the corn as it stands in our fields. but rscsnt
discoveries have found out that the Hebrew
bnew all about Indian maize for there have
been grains OF corn picked up out OF ancient
crypts and exhumsd from hiding places
where they were put down many centuries
ago, ard they have been planted IN our time
and have come up just such Indian maize as
we raise in New York and Ohio; so l am
right when say that my text may refer TO
a shock Of corn Just as you aad l bount It;
lust as you and threw it; just as you ana L
husked it There may come some practlcas
and useful and comforting lessons to all our
souls while we TANK OF coming in at last
like shock OF corn comeIh in in his
season.
IL is high time that the King Of Terrors
were thrown out OF the Christian vOca0-
uiary. a vast multitu ie of people talk OF
death as though IL were the disaster OF dis.
asters, instead OF being 70 a good man tn
blessing of blessings IL is moving out o, .
cold vestibule into warm temple. 1t IL
migrating into groves Of redolence and per
petual fruitage. II is change from bieai
March TO roseate June. II is a change OF
manacles for gariands. 1t is the transmitting
of the iron handouts of earthly incarcera-
ton into the di6mOnded wriStets OF bridal
party, or, to use the suggestion OF my text
il is only nusking time It is the tearing
of Of the rough sheath Of the body that the
bright and beautiful soul may go free. Com
ing in like a shock of corn cometh IN In his
season" Christ broke up funeral process
sion az the gate of Main by making resur-
rectiOn dav for young man ana his mother,
aud / would that / could break up your sad
ness and halt the long funeral procession Of
the worlds grief by some cheerful view Of
the last transition.
We all know that husking time was time
of frost. Frost on the fence; frost on the
stubble; frost on the ground; frost on tbs
bare branches of the trees; frost in the air:
frost on the hands Of the huskers. You re-
member we used to hide between the corn
stacks so as to keep off the wind, but still
you remember how shivering was the body
and how painful was the cheek, and how be-
numbed were the hands. But after awhile
the sun was high up, and all the frosts wont
ont Of the air, and hilaritieS awakened the
up, "Aha. aha~ and was answered by joy
from another corn shock, "Aha, ahar So
we all realizs that the death OF our friend is
the nipping OF many expectations, the freez-
ing, the chilling, the frOsting o. many OF
our hopes. 1t is tar from being a south
wind.
1t comes out Of the frigid north. AMI
when they 60 away from us we stand b.
numbed in body and benumbed in mind and
benumbet in soul. We stand among our
dead neghbors, our deal families, aud we
say, evil We ever get over it, Yes, We
will get over it amid the shoutinSs OF heay-
emily reunion, and we will look bsc ( 70 all
these distresses OF bereavement only as the
temporary distreSseS OF huskng time.
weeping may endure for a night, but Joy
cometh in the morning" "Lignt, and but
for a moment" said the apostle as hs
clappsd his hands; light, and but for
moment" The chill Of the frOsts followed
Oy the gladuess that cometh in like shock
OF corn cometh in in his season"
OF course the husking time made rough
work with the ear OF corn. The husgmg
peg had TO be thrust in. and the hard thumb
of the husker mad TO come down on the
swathing of the ear, and then there was a
pull and there ives a ruthless tearing. and
then a complete swapping OF before the
corn was free and If the husk could have
SPOKEN it would have said "Why do you
Iacerate mes Why do you wrench mes7
All. my friends rat is the way God has a.
ranged that the ear. and husK shall part,
and that Is the way He has arranged that
the body and the soul shall separate You