Democratic messenger., 1893-11-18

ing on all around the world. and the con
tinents are crumbling into the waves.
And while this IL TRANSPORTING on the out
side of the world the hot chisel of tho in
ternal fire is digging under the founda-
ton Of the earth and cutting its way out
toward the surface.
Itsurprises me TO hear people say they
do not think the world will finally DO
burned up. when all scientists will tell
you that it has for ages been ON fire.
Why, there is only u crust between us
and the furnaces inside raging to get
out. Oblivionl The world itself will
roll into it as easily as n schoolboy's in
dia rubber ball rolls down hill. and
when our world goes it is SO interlocked
by the law of gravitation with other
worlds that they will 80. too. and so far
| from having our memory perpetuated by
u monument Of Aberdeen granite in this
world, there is no world in sight of our
strongest telescope that will be IL sure
pedimcnt for any slab of commemOra-
tion of the fact that we ever lived or
died ut all. Our earth is struck with
death. The axletree of the constella.
tions will break and let down tho popu-
lations of other worlds. Stellar, lunar,
solar mortality. Oblivion! 1t can swal-
low and will swallow whole galaxies Of
worlds as easily as a crocodile takes
down u frog.
Yet Oblivion does not remove or swal-
low anything that had better not bc re-
moved or swallowed. Tho old monster
is welcome to his meal. This world
would long ago have been overcrowded
if it had not been for the merciful remov-
nj of nations and generations. What IL
all the books had lived that were ever
written and printed and published? The
libraries would by their iinmensity have
obstructed intelligence and made all re-
search impossible. The fatal epidemic Of
books was a merciful epidemic.
Many of the state and national libra
ries today are only morgues in which
dead books are waiting for some ono to
como and recognize them. What il all
the people that had been born were still
alive? We would have been elbOwcd by
our ancestors of ten centuries ago. and
people who ought to have said their last
word 5000 years ago would snarl at us,
saying. What arc you doing hereY"
There would have been no room to turn
around. Some of the past generations Of
mankind were not worth remembering.
The first useful thing that many people
| did was To die-their cradle misfortune
and their grave a boon.
This world WIS., hardly comfortable
place to live in before the middle of tho
last century. So many things have come
in we ought to be glad they were put
out. The waters Of Lethe. the fountain
of forgetfulness. are healthful draft.
The history we have of the world in ages
past is always one sided and cannot be
depended on. History is fiction illus
trated by few struggling facts. In all
the Pantheon the weakest goddess is
Clio, the goddess Of history. and instead
of being represented by sculptors rs
holding scroll might better be repre-
scntcd ~ limping on crutches.
Faithful history is the saving Of a few
things out of more things lost. The i'm
mortality that comes from pomp If OBJ
scquies or granite shaft or building named
after its founder or page of recognition
in some encyclopedia is an Immortality
unworthy of ones ambition. for it will
all cease and is no immortality at all.
| Oblivion! a hundred years. But while
l recognize this universal submergcnce
of things earthly. who wants to be for
gotten9 Not ono of us.
Absent for few weeks or months
from home. it cheers us to know that we
are remembered there. 1t is phrase we
have all pronounced. II hope you missed
me-" Meeting some friends from whom
we have been parted many years. We in
| quirc. Ibid you ever see me before" and
they say Yes" and call us by name. and
we feel delightful sensation thrilling
| through their hand into our hand. and
running up from elbow to shoulder, and
| then parting. the one current of delight
ascending to the brow and the other de
sccndiny to the foot, moving round and
| round in concentric circles until every
nerve and muscle and capacity Of body
and mind and soul is permeate,l with lie
light.
A few days ago. visiting the place of
my boyhood, met one whom had not
seen since we played together at 10 years
of age. and | had peculiar pleasure in
puzzling him little as to who ! was,
and can hardly describe the sensation
rs after awhile he mumbled out: Let
me see. Yes. you are DE Witt" Wea
like to be remembered.
Now, have to tell you that this obliv-
ion of which have spoken has its de
fcats. and that there is no more reason
why we should not be distinctly and viv-
idly and gloriously remembered five
hundred million billion trillion quadril-
lion quintillion years from now than
that we should be remembered six weeks.
am going to tell you how the thing can
be done and will be done.
SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE EFFACED.
We may build this everlasting re-
membrance," as my text styles it. into
the supernal existence Of those to whom
we do kindnesses in this world. You
must remember that this infirm and
treacherous faculty which we now call
memory is in the future state to be COM
plete and perfect. Everlasting remem-
OIduCt6 &NOtAhuS VIII nAP tuu stOuS
grip of that celestial faculty. Did you
help widow pay her rent? Did you find
for that man released from prison a place
to get honest work? Did you pick up
child fallen on the curbstone, and by a
stick of candy put in his hand stop the
hurt ON his scratched knee: Did you as
sure "A business man. swamped by the
stringency of the money market. that
times after awhile would be better?
Did you lead IL Mag,lalen of the street
into midnight mission. where the Lord
said To her, Neither do condemn thee;
go and sin no more:" Did you tell
man. clear discouraged in his wayward-
ness and hopeless and plotting suicide,
that for him was near by laver in
which he might wash and a coronet Of
eternal blessedness he might wear! What
are epitaphs in graveyards, what are