The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-07-26


worn spectacles. Grave and dignified
as you now are, you once went coasting
down the hillside, or threw off your
hat for the race, or sent the ball flying
sky-high. But youth will not always
last. 1t stays only long enough to give
us exuberant spirits, and broad shout
ders for burden-carrying, and an arm
with which to battle our way through
difficulties. Lies path, if you fol-
low it long enough, will come under
frowning crag and across trembling
causeway. Blessed old age, If you let
it come naturally. You cannot hide it
You may try to cover the wrinkles. IT
the time has come for you to be old, be
not ashamed to be old. The grandest
things in all the universe are old. Old
mountains; old rivers; old seas; old
stars, and an old eternity. Then do
not be ashamed to be old, unless you
are older than the mountains, and older
than the stars.
How men and women will lie! They
say they are forty, but they are sixty.
They say they are twenty, but they
are thirty. They say they are sixty,
but they are eighty. How some people
will lie! Glorious old age, if found in
the way of righteousness. How beau
tiful the old age of Jacob, leaning on
the top of his staff; of John Quincy
Adams, falling with the harness on; of
Washington Irving, sitting, pen in
hand, amid the scenes himself had
made classical; of John Angel James
to the last proclaiming the Gospel to
the masses of Birmingham; of Thodore
Frelinghuysen, down to feebleness and
emaciation devoting his illustrious
faculties to the kingdom OF God! AT
eventide it was light!
See that you do honor to the aged. A
philosopher stood at the corner of the
street day after day, saying to the pas
sers-by: "You will be an old man; you
will be an old man." "You will be an
old woman; you will be an old woman"
People thought he was crazy. l do not
think that he was. Smooth the way
for that mothers feet; they have not
many more steps to take. Steady those
tottering limbs; they will soon be at
rest. Plow notVp that face with any
more wrinkles; trouble and care have
marked it full enough. Thrust no thorn
into that old heart; it will soon cease
to beat "The eye that mocketh its
father, and refuseth to obey its mother,
the ravens of the valley shall pick it
out, and the young eagles shall eat it. !"
The bright morning and hot monday
of life have passed with many. 1t is
four o'clock! five o'clock! six o'clock!
The shadows fall longer and thicker
and faster. Seven o'clock! eight O clock!
The sun has dipped below the horizon;
the warmth has gone out of the air.
Nine o'clock! ten o'clock! The heavy
dews are falling: the activities of life's
day are all hushed; it is time to 60 to
bed. Eleven o'clock! twelve o'clock
The patriarch sleeps the blessed sleep,
the cool sleep, the long sleep. Heaven
messengers of light have kindled bon
fires of victory all over the heavens
At eventime it is light! light!
My text shall also find fulfillment in
the latter days of the church. Only a
few missionaries, a few churches, a few
good men, compared with the institu
tons leprous and purified.
1t is early yet in the history of every
thing good. Civilization and Chris
tianity are just getting out of the era
die. The light of martyr stakes, fash
ing all up and down the sky, is but tn,
flaming of the morning; but when the
evening of the world shall come, glory
to Gods conquering truth, it shall b'
light. Wars sword changing back il
the scabbard; intemperancc buried
under ten thousand broken decanters
the worlds impurity turning its brow
heavenward for the benediction
blessed are the pure in heart" tn,
last vestige of selfishness submerged
in notwithstanding charities; al
China worshiping DR.. Abeel's Saviour
all India believing in Henry Martyn'
Bible; aboriginal superstition acknowl
edging David Brainerd's piety; human
bondage delivered through Thoma
Clarkson's Christianity; vagrancy com
ing back from it's pollution at the cal
of Elizabeth Fry's Redeemer; tn
mountains coming down, the valley
going up, holiness inscribed OF
horses bell, and silkworm's thread
and brown-thrasher' wing, and she'll
tinge, and manufacturers shuttle
and chemists laboratory, and king
scepter, and nations Magma Charta
Not hospital, for there are no wounds
not an asylum, for there are no orphans
not prison, for there no criminals
, not an almhouse, for there are no pau
pers; not fear, for there are no sol
rows. The long dirge of earth lamer
tation has ended in the triumpha
: march of redeemed empires, the fol
ests harping it on vinestrung branches
l the water chanting it among the gorges
, the thunders drumming it among tn
hills, the ocean giving it forth with ii
organs, trade-winds touching the keys
( and Euroclydon's foot on the pedal.
, want to see John Howard when the las
, prisoner is reformed; want to Sc
Florence Nightingale when the last So
: ocr Nouhu has Suoppcu hurting, wan
l to see William Penn when the last Ii
l dian has been civilized | want to Sc
: John Huss when the last flame of pei
I secution has been extinguished; wan
: to see John BuAyan after the last pi
4 grim has come to the gait, of the cele
4 tial city; above all, want to see Jesu
4 after the last saint has his throne, an
5 begun TO sing ha,lciujah!
S You have watched the calmness an
1 the glory of the evening hour. TIL