The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-05-08
IN THE FURROw.
The Sermon That Secured Rev
Mouiton . Good Wife.

MOUltOQ = GOQ0 WIFE
when the new minister arose In hi,
pulpit and announced his teri The con,
rreRation settled themselves In thi
rews With 40 air Of satisfaction They
were confident that they were about u
listen 70 fine sermon. and they were
not 70 BE disappointed They admired
and esteemed Rev. Thomas Moulton.
who had come 70 them from country
parish which his liberal views and tai
ents had outgrown. Modest and sincere.
the young man appealed 70 bis hearers
b. his good sense and BY the simple
beauty Of his thoughts In laundering
orAtorical power be was deficient, bui
hia voice WAS clear and pleasant hi
manner was earnest and pleasing
When he addressed an audience, he
won their confidence. and they believed
him 70 be what be was, a thorough
gentleman, q man eherishing high
IDEALS and sympathizing warmly With
the trials Of his fellow men.
Rev Mr. Boulton was unusually
happy In the sermon TO which particu.
lar reference has been made He
spoke feelingly In behalf 81 the thou.
sands who are the victims Of an unfa.
vorable environment who are pre-
vented By thwarting circumstances
from attaining those places in society
In which their naturally high qualities
Of mind could best flourish There
was astrange inequality in life. Choice
gifts and excellent opportunities often
fell 70 the lot Of duh or ignoble per
s0ns who failed TO use them properly;
on the contrary, these good things
were. ~ frequently unaecountably
withheld from those 70 whom they
were admirably adapted Fortunate
y. Of the millions IN the world who
lived IN poverty, squalor and ignorance.
the greater part did not possess keen
nenAfbilities and ambition, and conse.
quently did not experience the suffer
Ing which tender-hearted but nnphilo-
sophie persons imagined for them In.
deed. the capabilities on this large class
Of people were 50 limited that when
they were sometimes placed BY Jealous
philanthropists In sphere higher
than that 70 which they were aeccus
toned, they became positively misera.
Bile and Ionged 70 return to d lower
condition Nevertheless, q gradual Inn
provement In the environment Of the
masses was accompanied by like Inn
proyement In these people themselves
Therefore tho fact TINT they were ID
largely wonted 70 their present condi.
ton did not excuse the more fortunate
from ceasing their endeavors 70 ele.
vate them. The millions deserved at.
tention. but inasmuch as they did NOT
suffer acuteiy. ard in many Instances
were happier than were people above
them. II was not necessary TO lie awake
nights for the purpose Of devisinQ
plans In their behalf but In the sana
environment with the millions were
thousands Of superior people who were
the great sufferers. and who deserved
speedy and generous aid and sym.
pathy. They were daily and yainly
making desperate efforts TO overcome
the circumstances that thwarted them.
They were fitted for something better
and they longed 70 attain 1t. but there
y - ODAAAC AMCAf GthLtE Ol uEAllUs Oh
money. Of energy or Of something else
which prevented them from escaping
from their unfayorable surroundings
Only the strongest and best equipped,
nnaided, surmounted greatest obsta
clea Yet there were hundreds oil
others not less worthy, although less
able. who. II they should receive time.
~ assistance, could climb the heights
that now discourage them. Strange
70 say, the last-mentio ned class, al
though they deserved the most atten.
ton. received the least. The unprom.
ising poor were pitied and given aims
and the successful great were Landed.
But those who-werc gravely but inef.
feetualiy struggling against adverse
circumstances were cooily ignored II
was the much and undeservedly neg.
lected class, the noble unfortunate,
Whose claims for sympathetic aid from
the Christian world were greater than
those Of any other portion Of humanity.
To elucidate his subject In manner
Is effective rs possible. the preacher
employed several Illustrations One 81
them briefly outlined was as follows:
One day farmer while walking over
: freshiy-plowed field. espied in q fur
row something which glittered. III
bent down and picked up diamond
ring. There were spots OF dry mud Or
the rim. and the once clean ornament
looked neglected and weather beaten
A few years before the farmer fount
II It had been lost by a rich city
woman during q rural ramble. Thu
farmer took the ring home, washed it
FURNISHED il, and then it looked q.
beautiful as when 1t was new. He re
stored It to the owner and she wor.
II again
Thus was It returned to It's propei
place. where It could fulfill the purpose
for which 1t was made. viz. to be ~
ornament, to be thing Of beauty 70
the admiration Of all observers. Blu
had the farmer not CHANGED to 20 BY
or had he mistaken the diamond in III,
ring for shining bit Of quartz. an,
been too indifferent To make an ex
animation, the ring would have re
manned In the furrow, ii would hav,
been left to lts obscure fate. Soon i
would have been covered with eartl