The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-14
MUSIC BY THE FIRE.
The PsaImist Recalls the Days Of
His Youth.

DIR. Talmage breaches on the Benefits of
Solitary ContempIation-The Hand of
Providence In the vicissitudes of Life.
Preparation For the Hereafter.
BRooKLYN, Aug. 6.-Rev. DIR. Talmage
has chosen as the topic for today PAN
Drama of "reminiscences appropriate to
The season, the text selected being Psalm
xxx. 8, tsWhile was musing the fire
burned"
Here is David, the psalmist, with the
forefnger of his right hand against his
temple, the door shut against the world,
engaged in contemplation. And it would
be well for us to take the same posture
often, closing the door against the world
while we sit down in sweet solitude to
contemplate.
In a small island off the coast once
passed Sabbath in delightful solitude,
for had resolved that would have one
day Of entire quiet before entered upon
autumnaA work. I thought to haEe spent
the day in laying out plans for Christian
work, but instead of that it became
day Of tender "Reminiscences. reviewed
my pastorate. I shook hands with an old
departed friend, whom l shall greet
again when the curtains of life are lift
ed. The days of my boyhood came back,
and was 10 years of age, and was 8,
and / was s. There was but one house
on the island, and yet from Sabbath day
break, when the bird chant woke me,
until the evening melted into the bay,
from shore to shore there were 10000
memories, and the groves were album
with voices that had long ago ceased.
YOUTH AND AGE.
Youth is apt too much to spend all il
time in looking forward. Old age is apt
too much to spend all its time in looking
backward. People in midlife and on the
apex look botI, ways. 1t would be well
for us, think, however, to spend more
time in "Reminiscences. By the constitu-
tion of our nature we spend most Of the
time looking forward. And the vast
majority of people live not SO much In
the present as in the future. find that
you mean to make reputation. You
mean to establish yourself, and the adj
vantages that you expect to achieve alb
soRb great deal Of your time. But ]
see NO hagm in this if it does not make
yon disconnected with the present or
disquaEfy you for existing duties
Tt is a useful thing sometimes to look
back and to see the dangers we have es-
caped, and to see the sorrows we have
suffered, and the trials and wanderings
of our earthly pilgrimage, and to sum
up our enjoyments. I mean today, SO
far as God may help me, to stir up your
memory Of the past, SO that in the re-
view you may be encouraged and hum
fbled and urged to pray.
There is chapel in Florence with
fresco by Guido. It was covered up
with two inches Of stucco until our
American and European artists went
there and after long toll removed the
covering and retraced the fresco. And !
am aware that the memory Of the past,
with many of you, is all covered up with
10000 deliberations. and propose this
morning, SO far as the Lord may help
me, to take away the covering, that the
old picture Hnay shine out again.
want to bind in one sheaf all your
past advantages, and | want to bind in
another sheet all your past universities.
lit is precious harvest, and must be
cautious how swing the scythe.
Among the greatest advantages OF
your past life was an early home and its
surroundings. The bad men Of the day.
for the most part, dip their heated pas
sions out of the boiling spring OF an I'M
happy home. We are not surprised that
Byron's heart was a concentration OF
sin when we hear that his mother was
abandoned and that she made sport OF
his infrmity and often called him ''the
lame brat" He who has vicious parents
has to fight every inch of his way if he
would maintain his integrity and at last
reach the home of the good in heaven.
Perhaps your early home was in the
city. It may have been in the days
when Canal street, New York, was far
I'D town. That old house in the city
NAV have been demolished or changed
into stores, and it seemed Like sacrilege
TO you, for there was more meaning in
that plain house, in that small house,
than there is in granite mansion or
turreted cathedral. Looking back this
morning, you see it as though it were
yesterday-the sitting room, where the
loved ones sat by the plain lamplight,
the mother at the evening stand, the
brothers and sisters. perhaps long ago
gathered into the skies, then plotting
mischief on the floor or under the table;
your father with firm voice command
ing silence, that lasted half minute.
HAPPY CHILDHOOD DAYS.
: Oh, those were good days! If you had
your foot hurt, your mother always had
a soothing salve to heal it. If you were
wronged in the street, your father was
always ready to protect you. The year
was one round of frolic and mirth. Your
greatest trouble was an April shower,
more sunshine than shower. The heart
had not been ransacked by troubles, nor
had sickness broken it, and no lamb had
warmer sheepfold than the home in