Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-01

Recently Key. owen r. tItzslmons has preached two unusually unique and in- structive sermons comparing the book of Job with the two great epics of human sorrow, Shakespeare's :Hamlet'' and Go. the's "Faust.o These sermons were so full of critical analysis I wish 1t were possible to give them in full, but in lieu of this an outline will prove agreeable and instructive. Just now the world should hear every form of testimony in favor of the truth and beauty of the teachings of the Bible, when Mir. Ingersoll and his ad- mirers are attacking this glorious book from every standpoint. The following is condensed form of Rev. MT. Fitzsimons' eloquent pleading: "Smooth insin nations and bold assertions are enemies to truth. Before large audience Mir. Ingersoll said 'that the Bible had no literary merit.' A cursory study of the book of Job would suf- flee to convince any one that the high esti- mate put upon the inspired epic is based upon something more than uncritical devo- tion. Comparison with Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' and Goethe's Faust dis closes pleasing analogies and instructive antitheses. In 'Hamlet' we contemplate a proud, warm hearted prince struggling with adyersities dire and subtle. The death of a father, the loss of a throne, the
 
 of a mother and the impossibility of an affection forces the mind to consider sui eide as the only means of escape. Were it not fear of future punishment the recourse would be desirable. Hemmed in by sea of troubles, Hamlet goes mad, and at last with the others dies a violent death. This is the practical judgment of the Anglo Saxon mind upon the possibilities of soul without God. h Goethe's Faust, the student (Faust), wearied with fruitless ornt taly fI,ap of md apause dashes it to the ground in obedience to the plea of early memories and Easter bells chiming the resurrection song. Faust now makes a pact with the devil Mephistopheles-to surrender his soul after he shall have gTatified every human wish. His will and soul are subverted un- til he finds the object of his unhallowed affections imprisoned and himself fugi- tive. He afterward meets Helen, the type of Grecian beauty, and in their union Faust finds proper channel for his souls effort. When he dies the angels rescue his immortal part. His creed was: First, love of the beautiful; second, unremit- ting pursuit of the truth; third, the mercy of God. This the ultimate solution of life by the ratonalism of Germany. In the book of Job the trials of the hero are extreme, and his poor wife advises him to take his life.e Job scorns to consider the question, defends his innocency, talks with
 
 balance of his life in peace and afluence. II the sacred epic Job resists every tempta- tion, readjusts his relations to God, lives happily and stands to the end believing in God and saying: T know that my Re- deemer liveth.' For strength and purity of diction, grace and rhetorical merit, philosophical acumen and inspired concep- tion the book of Job has no equal. The comparison teaches us that the soul with out God leans upon broken reed, which xCound that amid fha storms of life Gods words alone can com fort.'
 Mrs. Julian Parks of Selma is in the city visiting different relatives and friends on the South Highlands.
 Miss Augusta Sharpe left yesterday for New York, where she will enter the cele- brated Van Norman institute. At this school there is already a group of very number being Misses Mamie Pearson, Emma Leedy and Maggie Smith.
 MT. and Mrs. l.. A. May have moved into the pretty Bradshaw cottage, formerly occupied by Dr. George s. Brown, on Highland avenue.
 nounce that telegrams are now delivered on the South Highlands for 15 cents for deliv- cry. This is being done by both telegraph companies, the Western Union and Postal, and they should be commended by our cit izens for the prompt reduction made by them for delivery.
 Have any Highlanders, North or South, had package delivered at their doors by the express company yet? Surely this wide-awake company will not be behind the telegraph companies in giving us the odxyov ,forro of nf hal
 The Tuesday Afternoon Whist club was entertained by Mrs. Thomas Ashford, and the prize was carried off by Mrs. Florence Throckmorton. The fual prize of the series of games was won by Mrs. Harry Jones at the meeting at Mrs. Ashford's.
 
 The beginning of our social season sug- gests an important matter that needs only to be brought to the atten ton of our young people in order to insure its proper consid eration. At all the social functions given by the clubs of our town the members of these organizations are always particular to select suitable chaperones. As we all know, this has been most carefully done, and it is essential that it should be, in order to make success of any german or other function given by a club. Now, it is necessary for every member of an organiza- tion and every guest to remember that for the time being the chaperones occupy the same position that a host and hostess do at private entertainment, and that it Is the height of bad form-to use no stronger term-for any club member or guest to take part in the evenings enjoy ment without first speaking with the chap erones as you would were they in their own homes and you were accepting their pri- vate hospitality. Then they should be bade goodbye by the guests and members when the evenings pleasure is over with the same particularity as you would ob- serve in their homes, This seems small