Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1893-01-12
IN THE FURROW.
The Sermon That Secured Rev
MouIron a Good Wife.


pulpit and announced his text the con-
grcgatiou settled themselves in the
pews with an air Of satisfaction They
were confident that they were about to
listen To a fine sermon. and they were
not TO bs disappointed They admired
and esteemed Rev. Thomas Moulton.
who had come To them from n country
parish which his liberal views and tai
ents had outgrown. Modest and sincere.
the young man appealed to his hearers.
I by his good sense and by the simpls
beauty of his thoughts In laundering
oratorical power he was deficient, but
his voice was clear and PHEASANT. his
manner was earnest and pleasing.
When he addressed an audience. ne
won their confidence. and they believed
him 10 be what he was. a thorough
gentleman, n man cherishing high
ideals and sympathizing warmly with
the trials Of his fellow men
Rev Mr. MouIton was unusually
/ happy in the sermon 10 which partieu-
( Lar reference has been made. He
-pOl<e feelingiy 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 ignoble per-
sons who failed 10 use them properly;
on the contrary, these good things
were as frequently unaecountabiy
withheld from those to whom they
were admirably adapted. Fortunate
II, of the millions in the world who
lived in poverty, squalor and ignorance,
the greater part did not possess keen
sensibilities aud am 5ition, and conse-
quently did not experience the suffer
ing which tender-hearted but unphiIo-
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 sphere higher
than that 10 which they were acecus-
toned they became positively misera-
bic and longed to return to a lower
condition Nevertheless. a gradual inn
prOvement in the environment of the
masses was accompanied by a like i'm
provement in these people themselves
Therefore the fact that they were so
largely wouted to their present eondi-
ton did not excuse the more fortunate
/ from ceasing their endeavors to eIe-
vate them The millions deserved at
l-tentiou. but inasmuch as they did not
suffer acutely. and in many instances
were happier than were people above
them. 1t was not 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 vaiuIy
making desperate efforts to overcome
the circumstances that thwarted them
/ They were fitted for something better
and they louged 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 unfavorable 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. II they should receive time
I ly assistance. could climb the heights
that now discourage them Strange
to say, the last-mentio ned class. al
though they deserved the most atten-
tion- received the least The uuprom-
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 eoolly ignored II
was the mucn 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 afarmsr while walking over
a freshly-plowed field. espied in a fur.
row something which gIittered. lie
bent down and picked up diamond
ring. There were spots of dry mud on
the rim, and the once clean orramen,
looked neglected and weather-heaten.
A few years before the farmer found
IL. it had been lost by n rich city
woman during rural ramble. The
farmer took the ring home, washed IL,
Furnished il. and then il looked a.
beautiful as when it was new. He re
st ernr
it again
Thus was IL returned To its prone,
place. where it could fulfill the purpose
for which il was made, viz. to be an
ornament to be n thing of beauty 70,
the admiration of all observers. Blu
had the farmer not CHANGED 70 go by
or had he mistaken the diamond in III.
ring for shining bit of quartz, ana
been too Indifferent TO make an ex
animation. the ring would have re
NAMED IN the furrow, IL would hav,
been left to its obscure fate Soon i
would have been covered with eartl
and rubbish, and would have continues
in the wrong place forever.
The speaker next proceeded to an an
alogy- He eonrras.ed the story of tn,
ring with the story of poor GRIT He
parents were refined and intelligent
she herself was refined and sensitive
her earliest years were passed in com
fort, and in surroundings suited to he
tastes But when she vas fourtee,
years old. her parents died she wa
left destitute. there was no near rela
tiyes To take care Of her. and she wa
Obliged TO 20 to work in factory in OF