Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-11-01

the rocks when God intended 1t fo'
great and everlasting uplifting.
You know as well as ! do that the
designations of social life are destroy
ing thousands and tens of thousands OF
people, and it is time that the pulpits
lift their voices against them, for | now
prophesy the eternal misfortune of all
those who enter the rivalry. When
did the white, glistening boards of a
dissipated ball room ever become the
road to heaven? When was torch for
eternity ever lighted at the chandelier
of dissipated scene? From table
spread after such an excited and desc
Grated scene who ever went home to
pray?
la my parish of Philadelphia there
was a young woman brilliant as a
spring morning. She gave her life to
the world. She would come to religious
meetings and under conviction would
for little while begin to pray, and
then to rush oil again into the disci-
pleship OF the world. She had all
the world could offer of brilliant so
cial position. One day a flushed and
excited mes 5enger asked me to hasten
to her house, for she was dying. ] en-
tered the room. There were the physi-
clans. there was the mother, there lay
this disciple Of the world. / asked her
some questions in regard to the soul.
She made no answer. / knelt down to
pray. l rose again, and desiring to get
some expression in regard to her eter-
nal interests, | said Have you any
hope" and then for the first time her
lips moved in a whisper as she said:
No hopem Then She died. The world,
she served it, and the world helped her
not IN the last. And tell the hundreds
and thousands of young people who
may read this sermon. the world will
laugh with you when you laugh, and
romp with You when you roInp, but
they will not weep with you when you
die. wish from my heart that
could marshal all the young people il
this land To an appreciation of the fact
that you have an earnest work in life
and your amusements are only to help
you along in that work At the time
OF religious awakening a Christian
young woman spoke to man in regard
10 his souls salvation. He fioated out
into the world. After a while she be.
came worldly in her Christian profes
sion. The man said one day: "Well
am as safe as She is. | was a Chris.
tian, She said she was Christian. She
talked with me about my soul; if She is
safe | am safe. Then sudden acct.
dent took him off without an oppor
tunity to utter one word of prayer
Do you realize, have you not noticed
young men and old-have you not
noticed that the designations of social
life are blasting and destroying
a vast multitudeP With many
life IS a masquerade ball, and as at
such entertainments gentlemen and
ladies put on the garb Of kings and
queens or mounte banks or clowns and
at the close put OFF the disguise, so q
great many pass their whole life in Q
mask, taking off the mask at death.
While the masquerade ball OF life goes
on, they trip merrily over the floor
gemmed hand is stretched to gemmed
hand. and cleaning brow bends tc
brow. On with the dance
Flush and rustic and laughter of inn.
measurable merry-making. But after
awhile the languor Of death comes on
the limbs and blurs the eyesight
Lights lower. Floor hollow with sepul
chral echo Music saddened into
wall. Lights lower. Now the maskers
are only seen in the dim light. Now
the fragrance of the flowers is like the
odor that comes from gar
lands that have lain long in the vault,
Of cemeteries Lights lower. AIists |
gather in the room. Glasses shake as
though quaked by sullen thunder
Sigh caught in the curtain. Scarf |
drops from the shoulder of beauty, Q |
STROUD. Lights lower Over the Slip |
perry boards in dance of death glide
iealousies, envies, revenges; lust, de
spair and death. Stencil the lamp
vieks almost eXtinguished. Torn gar
ands will not half cover the liberated
ieet. Choking damps. Chillness. Feet
still. Hands closed. Voices hushed
Eyes shut Lights out
Oh, how many of you have foated
ar away from God through social dis.
ipations, and it is time you turned
FOR | remember that there were two
Tessels on the sea. and in storm. II
vas very, very dark. and the two YES
els were going straight for each other
nd the captains knew it not. But
fter awhile the man on the lookout
aw the approaching ship, and he
houted: Hard larboard.' and from
he other vessel the cry went up
Hard a-larboardr' and they turned
ust enough to glance by and passed il
afety to their herbors. Some of yor
re in the storm of temptation and yor
re driving on and coming toward fear
III collisions unless you change your
curse. Hard a-larbOardl Turn We,
urn We, for why will We die, oh, house
{ Israeli"
MADE LIFE a BURDEN.