The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-07
IN TIE FURROW.
The Sermon That Secured Rev.
Moulton Good Wife.

pews with an air of satisfaction. They
were confident that they were about to
/ listen to fine sermon, and they were
/ not to be disappointed. They admired
/ and esteemed Rev. Thomas Moulton,
who had come to them from a country
! parish which his liberal views and tai
ents had outgrown. Modest and sincere,
| the young man appealed to his hearers,
! by his good sense and by the simple
! beauty Of his thoughts. In laundering
! o-atorical power he was deficient but
! his voice was clear and pleasant, his
manner was earnest and pleasing.
| When he addressed an audience, ne
! won their confidence, and they believed
l him TO be what he was, thorough
| gentleman, man cherishing high
/ ideals and sympathizing warmly with
the trials OF his fellow men.
/ Rev. Mr.. Moulton was unusually
/ happy in the sermon to which particu-
/ lar reference has been made. He
! spoke feelingly in behalf of 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 to the lot of dull or ignoole per-
/ SONS who failed to use them properly;
On the contrary, these good things
were as frequently unaccountably
/ \ Il o. e
were admirably adapted. Fortunate
! ty, of the millions in the world who
! lived in poverty, squalor and ignorance,
the greater part did not possess keen
scnsibilities and ambition, AID conse-
quently did not experience the suffer
ing which tender-hearted but unphilo-
sophie persons imagined for them, In
deed, the capabilities of this large class
OF people were so limited that when
they were sometimes placed by Jealous
philanthrOpists in a sphere higher
than that to which they We're acccus-
toned, they became positively misera-
bic and longed to return to lower
! condition. Nevertheless, a gradual i'm
provement in the environment of the
masses was accompanied by a like i'm
provemeat in these people themselves
Therefore the fact that they were so
largely wonsed to their present condi-
ton did not excuse the more fortunate
from ceasing their endeavors TO ele-
vate them. The millions deserved at
tention, but inasnuch as they did not
suffer acuteiy, and in many instances
were happier than were people above
them, it was ncs necessary to lie awake
nights for the purpose of devising
plans in their behalf. But in the same
environment with the millions were
! thousands of superior people who were
the great sufferers, and who deserved
speedy and generous aid and sym
patty. They were daily and vainly
making desperate efforts to overcome
the circumstances that thWarted them.
( They were fitted for something better
and they lOnged TO attain it, but there
was some lack, either of health. of
money, of energy or OF something else
which prevented them from escaping
/ from their untavorable surroundings
/ Only the strongest and best equipped,
unaided, surmounted greatest obsta-
cles Yet there were hundreds of
others not less worthy, although less
able, who, If they should receive time
IL assistance, could climb the heights
that now discourage them. Strange
to say, the last-nentio ned class, al
though they deserved the most atten-
/ ton, received She least The unprom
ising poor were pitied and given aims
and the successful great were Landed.
But those who were gravely but inef-
/ fectually struggling against adverse
circumstances were cooily ignored. Il
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 a manner
as effective as possible the preacher
employed several illustrations One Of
them briefly outlined was as follows:
One day farmer while walking over
a freshly-plowed field, espied in fur
row something which glittered He
bent down and picked up a diamond
ring. There were spots Of dry mud on
the rim, and the once clean ornament
looked neglected and weather-beaten-
\ few years before the farmer found
it, it had been lost by a rich city
woman during a rural ram BILE The
( farmer took the ring home, washed Ii,
FURNISHED il, and then II looked as
beautiful as when Il was new. he re-
stored it to the owner and she wore
II again.
Thus was i returned to its proper
place. where 1t could fulfill the purpose
Tor which II was made, viz, 70 be an
ornament. 70 be . thing Of beauty FOR
the admiration OF ali Observers But
had the farmer not CHANGED - 80 by,
or had he mistaken the diamond IN the
ring for shining bit Of quartz, and
been too Indifferent TO make an e,-
. animation. the ring would have re
manned II the turrow, i would have
been left % It's obscure tate Soon y
would have been covered vita earth
and rubbish, and would have continued
il the wrong place forever
+ The speaker usxt proceeded 20 al an
alo-v. he conIrzStsd the story Of the
ring With u. story q q poor Cir Her
parents were refined and intel-i0en.,
she herself was refined and sensitive
her earliest years were passed n con-
fort. aud n surrounding suited 70 1sr
tastes Bat when sEe was fourteen
years old her parents died. she wa
eft destitute, there vas no near rela-
tives 10 lake care az Der, and SIC vas
F.. OBLIGED 70 70 70 work IL g factory - o.