The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-06-22

banked in keys, waiting for a musician s
manipulation, that would lead the con-
gregatiopal song as an archangel might
lead heaven. Glorious organ! When
it died down into the ashes of that fire,
perhaps its soul went up, where Handel
and Haydn began to play on it. The
most superb audience room that ever
Gazed on or ever expect to see until enter
., temple of the sun. On one memorial
al of that building, a stone which
had rolled down from, Mount Calvary,
where our Lord died, ind two tables of
stone that were sawed off from Mount
Sinai and brought ON camels across the
desert by my arrangement, and a part
of Paul's pulpit, which the queen of
Greece allowed me, from Mars hill.
Architecture so chaste, so grand, so ap-
propriate, SO suggestive, SO stupendous!
One of the doxologies of heaven alight-
ed. Well, perhaps we thought too much
of it. When we think too much of our
children, the Lord takes them, and
when we think too much of our church
the Lord summarily removes it.
l suppose another reason for the de-
parture Of that house was that it had
done its work. Church buildings, like
individuals, accomplish what they were
built for and then go. One person lives
80 years, another 40 years, another three
years, and when God takes an individ-
ual, whether at 90 or 40 or years,
his mission is ended This last church
stood three years, and any person who
knows what multitudes have there as
sembled, and what transactions for
eternity have there taken place, will
admit that it was well to build it, even
if we had known at the start that it
would only last from 1891 to 1894
Another reason why / think this last
church went down was to keep me
humble. The Lord had widened my
work through Christendom, and with
two receptions the week before the con-
fagration, the one a city reception pre-
sided over by our mayor, and the other
a national and international reception
presided over by one of the chief men
of the nation, who had recently stepped
from the presidential cabinet, and the
occasion honored by addresses and let
tiers and cablegrams from men of world
wide fame in church and state, and the
whole scene brilliant beyond descrip-
ton, and in compliment to myself, who
was brought up farmers boy, there
was danger that | might become pulled
up and my soul be weakened for future
work. l did not yet feel any STRINGS of
that sort, and had only felt humble
gratitude for what had been said and
done by friends transatlantic and cisat-
lantic, but | had ordered full reports of
the meeting laid aside for future perusal,
and had engaged the feetest stenog-
rapher | know of to take down every
word, from the opening doxology of the
irst reception to the benediction of the
asst reception, and some time, when
ess busy, | would take in all the elo- |
luence and kindness and splendor of |
hat memorable week. What might have |
,een the result upon myself know not. !
have seen upon others the whitening
effect of human praise. A cold chill of !
The worlds neglect is no more destruct-
We than the sunstroke from too much |
heat of popular approval. The disaster
nay have been needed, and it came so |
lose upon the adulation that it acted as |
IN everlasting prevention. In the light |
If that awful blaze of that Sabbath in |
May, 1894, no self sufficiency could |
stand a second.
Another reason for the fires, think, |
S that somehow, and in way that l |
Know not, my opportunities are to
widen. After each of the other fires new
loors were open. l prayerfully expect |
hat such will be the sequence of the last
Will the Brooklyn Tabernacle be re-
quilt? I know not What or when or
where shall be my work l cannot even
yuess, nor have l the least anxiety. Moth
ng but an inspired utterance of the
Bible could bear such repetition as l
lave for the last IL days given to the
words of the psalmist, 1.-The Lord reign
til; let the earth rejoice"
l have safely arrived on the Pacific
oast. A startling question was asked
ne just before reached here. was in
Ieep slumber in a section of a sleeping
ar when the curtain was pushed back,
nd a venerable lady seEed hold of me
nd shrieked, who are you, and what
re you doing here?" 1t was a sudden
alling of the roll of passengers, and |
id not feel like answering to my name.
he question was repeated in more
arnestness with louder voice. could
ot at first understand why the interro-
alton as to my identity, but after gath
ring my senses together mildly sug
ested that perhaps she had mistaken
ny place for her own. This was no
oubt the case, and she made quick
etreat. The fact is that the sections
nd berths of a sleeping car are very
luch alike. The new mode of hang
lg the number of the berth in large
CURES ON the outside of the drapery of
ne sleeping place is a great improve
tent, but midnight DECENTRALIZATION, even
nder the best of circumstances, is more
r less confusing. The mistake that the
lady made is mistake that
of people make, for they think
,me one else has their place. Most of
lie struggle in the world is in trying to
ct some one else's berth. Better go
lck contented and take the place as {