Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-13

There il q place IN switzerland, nave
been told, where the utterance of one word
will bring back score of echoes, and |
have TO tell you this morning that sym
pathetic word, kind word, a generous
word, q helpful word, uttered in the dark
places of the town, will bring back ten
thousand echoes from all the thrones Of
heaven.
Are there in this assemblage this morn
ing those who know by experience the trag
edies of midnight in town. | am not here
to thrust you back with one hard word.
Take the bandnge from your bruised soul
and put on it the soothing salve of Christ's
gospel and Of Gods compassion. Many
have come. ] see others coming to God
this morning tired of the sinful life. Cry
up the news to heaven. Set all the bells
ringing. Spread the banquet under the
arches. Let the crowned heads come down
and SIT at the jubilee.
Itell you there is more delight in heaven
over one man that gets reformed by the
grace of God than over ninety and nine that
never got off the track. | could give you
the history In a minute OF one of the best
friends / ever had. Outside of my own
family, never had Il better friend He well
coined me to my home at the west. He was
of splendid personal appearance, and he had
that made me love him like brother.
saw men coming out of the saloons and
gambling hells, and they surrounded my
friend, and they took him at the weak
point, his social nature and I saw him 60
ing down, and | had fair talk with him
for never yet saw Il man you could not
talk with on the subject of his habits if
YOU talked with him in the right way.
said to him, why don't you give up your
bad habits and become Christian" / re-
member now Just how he looked, leaning
over his counter, as he replied: II wish
could Oh, sir, should like to be Chris
tian, but ! have gone SO far astray l can't
get back"
HIS MOTHERS MISSION.
So the time went on. After awhile the
day of sickness came. l was summoned to
his sick bed. / fastened. 1t took me but
very few moments to get there. l was
surprised as l went in. l saw him in his
ordinary clothes, fully dressed, lying on the
top of the bed. ! gave him my hand, and
he seized it convulsively and said "Oh,
| how glad am to see you. Sit down there"
| ] sat down. and he said: MIR. Talmage,
| just where you sit now my mother sat last
| night. She has been dead 20 years. Now,
| | don't want you to think / am out of my
mind, or that am superstitious; but, sir,
| she sat there last night just as certainly as
you sit there now-the same cap and apron
! and spectacles--it was my old mother-she
sat there"
Then he turned to his wife and said ~
I wish you would take these strings off the
bed. Somebody is wrapping strings around
me all the time. / wish you would stop
that annoyance" She said There is moth
ing here" Then | saw it was delirium.
He said: Just where you sit now my moth
err sat, and she said, Roswell, wish you
would do BETTER wish you would do bet
ter l said: Mother, | wish | could do bet
ter. try to do better but | can't. Moth
er, you used to help me; why can't you help
me now.' And, sir, got out Of bed, for it
was reality, and l went to her and threw
my arms around her neck and l said
Mother, | will do better, but you must helI
i can't do this alonep" | knelt down
and prayed. That night his soul went tC
the Lord that made it.
Arrangements were made for the OBJ
sequies. The question was raised whether
they should bring him to church. Some
body said, ~ ou can't bring such dssolut,
man as that into the church" / said, "Gou
will bring him in the church, he stood by
me when he was alive, and | will stand by
him when he is dead; bring him" AS
stood in the pulpit and saw them carrying
the body up the aisle, | felt as if | coult
weep tears of blood.
On one SIDE of the pulpit sat his LITTLE
child of years, sweet, beautiful little cir
that had seen him hug convulsively in Iii
better moments. He put on her all jewels
all diamonds, and gave her all pictures anC
toys, and then he would go away, as /
bounded by an evil spirit, to his cups ant
! Of 81 q n I he in n
} thestocks. She looked up wonderingly. Sh
knew not what it all meant. She was no
old enough to understand the sorrow of al
orphan child
On the other side the pulpit sat the mel
: who had ruined him. they were the mel
who had poured NORWOOD into the or
phan's cup; they were the men who haC
bound him hand and foot. l knew them
How did they seem to feel? Did they weep
No. Did they say, What a pity that sucl
n generous man should be destroyed" No
Did they sigh repentingly over what the
had done? No. They sat there, looking a
vultures look at the carcass of the lam
whose heart they have ripped out. So the
sat and looked at the coffin lid, and toll
them the judgment of God upon those VIII
had destroyed their fellows. Did they re
form? | was told they were in the place
Oh lullully lutIl ulSul ulltE my iIieilu w Il
laid in lakewood cemetery, and they bias
phemed, and they drank. Oh, how mere
less men are, especially after they have de
stroyed you! DO not look to men for CON
} fort or help Look to God.
: AN AWFUL TRAGEDY.
But there is a man who will not return
He says, Il won't reform" Well the1
how many acts are there to tragedy?
believe five.
Act the First of the Tragedy-A youn
man starting off from home. Parents an
sisters weeping to have him 60 WACO
rising over the hill. Farewell kiss fun
back. Ring the bell and let the curtai
fall.
Act the Second-The marriage ALTA
Full organ. Bright lights. Long whit
veil trailing through the aisle. Prayer an
congratulation and exclamation of "Ho1
y well she looks"
Act the Third-A woman waiting fc
staggering steps Old garments stuck int
the broken window pane. Marks of hare
ship ON the face The biting of the nails {
bloOdlesS fingers Neglect and cruelty an