The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-02-24
In THE FURROW.
The Sermon That Secured Rev
Moulton a Good Wife.

pulnit and announced his text, the con-
gregation settled themselves in the
pcws 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
euts had outgrown. Modest and sincere,
the young man appealed 70 his hearers
by his good sense and by the simple
beauty of his thoughts In laundering
oTatorical 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
him to be what he was, a thorough
gentleman, a 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-
voraole environment, who are pre-
vented by thwarting circumstances
fom attaining those places III society
III which their naturally high qualities
II mind could best loarish. There
Mas astrange inequality III life. Choice
gifts and excellent opportunities often
iell 10 the lot of dull or ignoble per-
5ons who failed to use them properly:
on the contrary, these good things
we're as frequently unaccoun:ab.y
withheld from those 20 whom they
were az nlirably adapted. Fortunate
= Il.
lived in poverty, sqUalor and ignorance,
the greater part did uot possess keen
scusibiliIies aud ambition, aud conse-
quently did not experience the suffer
'ug which tander-hearted but unpLilo-
sophie persons imagined for them. In
deed. the csilpa biiities OF this large class,
Of people were so limited that when
they were sometimes placed ty Jealous
Phiianthropists ia a a.i,cEs higher
thaD that TO which they were 5tcccGs-
-Oucd, they became positively Iaisera-
ble ana lon-ed TO retain - = lower
cOndit on. Nev-rth he.>.ss. =: grad Isl i'm
I,rovcuent IL the e..vI. oi-..-l.I: Of tie
masses was accompanied by like iIn-
provement ia these people themselves
therefore the fact that they were SO
largely wouted 20 their present condi-
IIon did l.ot excuse The moe fortunate
from ccasiag their cHdeasora ~ cie-
s.le them The millions deserved at
Jentiou. but inasmlsciI they did not
auiieg- acately. alb. ii many InstBncJS
we're happier than yser. people above
then. ii was MT necessary 10 lie awake
nights Tor tis. puri-O7y- O1 devising
plans in tiir r Ieha4E But in the same
cav ironInenJ wItit Ghe millions were
tbuGssiDd~ OF superior Peopie who were
the great sufferers. and Who deserved
speedy aad generous aid and sym
p4tht Ihry Were daily and vainly
MAKING d.>peratc Efforts u overcome
the circumstance that tIy,arted them
They were fitted for something better
and they lon.s,-d 10 attain IL. but there
was some Lack. either of health, Of
money. II mercy OF of oucJhing else
" hich prevented thrIn from escaping
from their ufaVorabit. surroundings
Only the strongest and Dcst equipped,
uDai.ied, surmounted greatest obsta-
clcs- Yet there were hundreds OF
others not less worthy. although less
able. who. il Lhev should receive time
" assistlnce, could climb the heights
that how discourage them. Strange
to say. thf. iasr-Iuentio ned class, al
though they deserved the most ltten-
lion. received Jhc least. The unprom-
ising poor were pitied and given aims
and the successful great were landed
But those who were gravely tut incf-
fectuaiiy struggling against adverse
circumstances were cooiiy ignored. II
was the much AID undeservedly nog-
iec;ed class. the noble unfortunate.
whose claims Tor sympathetic aid from
the Christian world were greater than
those Of anv other portion of humanity.
70 elucidate ais subject in manner
as effective n possible, the preacher
employed several Illustrations One of
them briefly outlined was as follows:
One day farmer while walking over
a freshlv-plowed field, espied in a fur
row something which .yiittercd lie
bent down and picked up diamond
ring. There were spots of dry mud on
the rim, aud the once clean ornament
looked neglected and vveather-beateu..
a few years before the farmer found
it, it had been lost by a rich city
woman during rural ram BILE. The
farmer took the ring home, washed ii,
FURNISHED it. and then IL looked as
beautiful as when 1t was new. He re
stored il to the owner and she wore
II again.
Thus was il returned to it's proper
place, where it could fulfill the purpose
for which it was made. Viz, To b. an
ornament. To b. thing of beauty for
the admiration of all observers. But
had the farmer not chaDced to go by,
or had lac mistaken the diamond in the
ring for a shining bit of quartz. and
been too indifferent TO make an cx-
animation, the ring would have re-
mained IN the furrow, il would have
been left to its obscure fate. Soon it
would have been covered with earth
and rubbish, and would have continued
in the wrong place forever
The speaker next proceeded tn an an
alogy. He conIrasted the story of the
ring with the story of poor girl Her
parents were refined and intelligent,
she herself was refined and sensitive,
her earliest years were passed in com
fort, and in surroundings suited to her
tastes But when she was fourteen