The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-06-15
EXCITED GOVERNOR.
SUBJECT OF DR.. TALMACE'S
TALK THROUGH THE PRESS.
Acts "a: xxv-Fellx m and An
swercd: Go Thy Way for This Time,
When i Have a Convenient S eason /
VIII Call for You."

temples of marble. This being the
ordinary architecture of the place,
you may imagine something of the
splendor of Gov. Felix's residence. In
a room of that palace. floor tesselated,
windows c~urtained. ceiling fretted,
the whole scene affiuent with Tyrian
purple, and statues, and pictures, and
carvings, sat a very dark-complexioned
man by the name of Felix, and beside
him a woman of extraordinary beauty,
whom he had stolen by breaking up
another domestic circle. She was only
lsyears of age. a princess by birth,
and unwittingly waiting for her doom
that of being buried alive in the
ashes and scoria of Mount Vesuvius,
which in sudden eruption, one day,
put an end to her denominations. Well,
one afternoon Drusil1a, seated in the
palace, weary with the magnificent
stupidities of the place, says to Felix:
You have a very distinguished pris-
oner. I believe, by the name of Paul.
Do you know he. is one of my country
men? should very much like to see
him, and 1 should very much like to
hear him speak, for have heard so
much about his ~eloquence. Be-
sides that, the other day, when
he was being tried in another
room of this palace, and the windows
were open, l heard the applause that
greeted the speech of Lawyer Ter
tullus, as he denounced Paul Now, l
very much wish I could near Paul
speak. Won't you let me hear him
speak?" Yes" said Felix, ~ will. l
will order him up now from the
guard-room." Clank, clank, comes a
chain up the marble stairway and
there is a shuttle at the door, and in
comes Paul, a little old man, prema-
turely old through exposure-only 90
years of age. but looking as though he
were so. He bows very courteously
before the governor and the beautiful
woman by his side. They say: Paul,
we have heard a great deal about your
speaking; give us % a specimen of
your eloquence." Oh! if there ever
was a chance for a man to show eff,
Paul had a chance there. He might
have harangued them about Grecian
art, about the wonderful water works
he had seen at Corinth, about the
Acropolis by moonlight, about prison
life in Philippi, about what | saw in
Thessalonica," about the old mytholo-
gies; but s.No!' Paul said to himself:
Il am now on the way to martyrdom,
and this man and woman will soon be
dead, and this is my only oppor-
turity to talk to them about the
things of eternity" And just there
and then, there broke in upon the scene
a peal of thunder. 1t was the voice
of a judgment day speaking through
the words of the decrepit apostle. AS
that grand old missionary proceeded
with his remarks, the stoop begins to
go out of his shoulders, and he rises
up, and his countenance is illumined
with the glories of a future life, and
his shackles rattle and grind as he
lifts his fettered arm, and with it
hurls upon his abashed auditors the
bolts of Gods indignation. Felix
grew very white about the lips. His
heart beat %unevenly. He put his hand
to his brow, as though to stop the
quickness and violence of his thoughts.
He drew his robe tighter about him,
as under a sudden chill His eyes
! glare and his knees shake, and, as he
clutches the side of his chair in a very
paroxysm of terror, he orders the
sheriff to take Paul back to the guard
room. Felix trembled. and said, Go
thy way for this time; when l have a
convenient season, l will call for
thee" A young man came mi night
to our services, with pencil in hand,
to caricature the whole scene, and
make mirth of those who should ex-
press any anxiety about their souls;
but l met him at the door, his face
very white, tears running down his
cheek, as he said, ''Do you think there
is any chance for me?' Felix trem-
bled, and SO may God grant it may be
so with others.
1 propose to give you two or three
reasons why l think Felix SEN Paul
back to the guard and adjourned
this whole subject of religion. The
first reason was, he did not want to
give up his sins. He looked around;
there was Drusilla. He knew that
when he became a Christian, he must
send her back to Azizus, her lawful
husband, and he said to himself, 81
will risk the destruction of my immor-
tai soul, sooner than l will do that"
How many there are now who can not
! get to be Christians, because they will
not abandon their sins! In vain all
their prayers and all their church 60
ing. You car not keep these darling
sins and win heaven; and now some OF
you will have to decide between the
wine cup, and unlawful amusements,
and lascivious qualifications on one
hand and eternal salvation on the
other. Delilah sheared the locks OF
Samson; Salome danced Herod into
the pit; Drusilla blocked up the way
to heaven for Felix. Yet when l pre-
sent the subject now, l fear that some
of You will say. Not quite yet. Don't
be SO precipitate in your demands. ]
nave a few tickets yet hat / have &c