Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-13
OLD FOLKS AT HOME.
TOUCHING AND FERVlD SERMON BY
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.

Preaching to Nation Through the Press
While He Is at the Antipodes-"TheR Rus
tic In the Palace"-Duty of Children and
Love of Parents.
BROOKLYN, July S.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now nearing the antipo-
des on his round the world journey,
has selected as the subject for his SER
mon through the press today "The Rus
tic In the Palace, the text being taken
from Genesis xiv, 20, Twill go and see
him before l die. "
Jacob had long since passed the hum
dred year milestone. In those times peo-
ple were distinguished for longevity.
In the centuries afterward persons lived
to great age. Galen, the most celebrat-
ed physician of his time, took so little
of his own medicine that he lived to
40 years. A man Of undoubted veracl-
tv on the witness stand in England
swore that he remembered an event lou
years before. Lord Bacon speaks OF a
countess who had cut three sets Of teeth
and died at 40 years. Joseph Crele Of
Pennsylvania lived 40 years. In 1857 a
book was printed containing the names
Of 81 persons who lived 40 years and
the names Of II persons who lived 100
years.
Among the grand old people Of whom
wa have record was Jacob, the shep-
herd of the text. But he had bad lot
of boys. They were jealous and ambi-
tious and every way unprincipled Jo-
seph. however, seemed to be an excep-
ton, but he had been gone many years,
and the probability was that he was
dead. As sometimes now in a house you
will find kept at the table a vacant
chair. a plate, a knife, a fork, for some
deceased member of the family, so ia
cob kept in his heart place for his be-
loved Joseph. There sits the old man,
the flock Of 14O years in their flight
having alighted long enough to leave
the marks Of their claw on forehead and
cheek and temple. His long beard SHOWS
down over his chest. His eyes are some
what dim, and he can see farther when
they are closed than when they are open,
for he can see clear back into the time
when beautiful Rachel, his wife, was
living and his children shook the orr
entail abode with their merriment.
A Glorious Visit.
The centenarian is sitting dreaming
over the past when he hears a wagon
rumbling to the front door. He gets up
and goes to the door to see who has ar
rived, and his long absent sons from
Egypt come in and announce to him
that Joseph instead Of being dead is liy-
ing in an Egyptian palace, with all the
investiture of prime minister, next to
the king in the mightiest empire OF all
the world! The news was too sudden
and too glad for the old man, and his
cheeks whiten, and he has dazed look,
and his staff falls out of his hand, and
he would have dropped had not the sons
caught him and led him to lounge and
put cold water on his face and famed
him little
In that half delirium the old man
mumbles something about his son Jo-
seph. He says You don't mean Jo-
seph, do you-my dear son who has
been dead so long? You don't mean Jo-
seph, do you?" But after they had fully
resuscitated him and the news was con-
firmed the tears begin their winding
way down the crossroads Of the win
kles, and the sunken lips Of the old man
culver, and he brings his bent fingers
together as he says: Joseph syet alive.
l will 90 and see him before die. "
It did not take the old man a great
while to get ready, l warrant you. He
put on the best clothes that the shep-
herds wardrobe could afford. He got
into the wagon, and though the aged
are cautious and like to ride slow the
wagon did not get along fast enough for
this old man, and when the wagon with
the old man met Joseph's chariot COM
ing down to meet him, and Joseph got
out Of the chariot and got into the wag-
on and threw his arms around his IA
theirs neck, it was an antithesis Of
royalty and rusticity, Of simplicity and
pomD. Of filial affection and paternal
love. which leaves US so much in doubt
about whether we had better laugh or
CRY that we do both. So Jacob kept
the resolution Of the text, Twill 60 and
see him before l die.