The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-03-07

L
| No phosphorescence In the wake Of that ship,
! but behind it two souls struggling in the
waye-two young men destroyed by reckless
skepticism, an unillumined ocean beneath
and on all sides of them. Blackness OF dark
| ness.
You know what a gloriously good man
| Rev. John Newton was the most Of his life,
| but before his conversion he was q very
| wicked sailor, and on board the ship Har-
wich instilled inhdelity and vice into the
| mind of young man-prlnciples which de-
| stroyed him. Afterward the two met, and
| Newton tried to undo his bad work. but IN
vain. The young man became worse and
worse and died proflgate, horrifytng those
Better look out what bad influence you
start, for you may not be able to stop It. It
does not require very great force to ruin
others. Why WIS It that many years ago q
great food nearly destroyed New Orleans?
A crawfsh had burrowed into the banks OF
theriver until the ground was saturated and
the banks weakened until the food burst.
But find here man who starts out In
life with the determination that he will
never see suffering but he gill try to al
leviate II, and never see dlscoufagement
but he will try to cheer It, and never meet
with anybody but he will try to do him
good. Getting his strength from God, he
starts from home with high purpose Of doing
all the good he can possibly do In one day.
whether standing behind the counter, or
talking in the business Office with pen be-
hind his ear, or making bargain with fell
low trader, or out in the field discussing
with his next neighbor the wlsest rotation OF
the CROPS, or in the shoemaker's shop pound
ing sole leather, there is something In his
face, and In his phraseology and In his man
ner, that demonstrates the grace OF God IN
his heart. He can talk on religion without
avkwardly dragging 1t In by the ears. he
loves God and loves the souls Of all whom he
meets and is interested In their present and
eternal destiny.
For fifty or sixty years he lives that life,
and then gets through with It and goes into
heaven a ransomed soul. But am not going
to describe the port into which that ship has
entered.
lam not going to describe the Pilot who
met him outside at the slightship." T am
not going to say anything about the crowds
of friends who met him on the crystalline
wharves up which he goes on steps or
chrysoprases For God in Hts words to JOB
calls me to look at the path Of foam In the
wake OF that ship, and tell you it Is all
a-eleam with spiendors Of kindness done,
and rolling with illumined tears that were
wiped away, and a-dash with congratula-
lions, and clear out to the horizon In all d.
rections Is the sparkling, flashing, btllowinS
phosphorescence Of Christian life. "He
,maketh path to shine after him."
And here correct one OF the mean no.
lions which at some time takes possession OF
all OF Us, and that Is as to the brevity OF hu:
man life. When bury some very useful
man, clerical or lay, In his thtrtieth or Tor
tieth year, say: "Whst waste OF ener-
gies! It was hardly worth while for him to
get ready for Christian work, for he had so
soon to quit it." But the fact Is that may
insure any man or woman who does any
good on large or small scale for LIE on
earth as long as the world lasts. Sickness,
trolley car accidents, death itself, can no
more destroy his life than they can tear
down one Of the rings Of Saturn. You can
start one good word, one kiEd act, one
cheerful smile, on a mission that will last
until the world becomes a bonfire, and out
Of that blaze It will pass into the heavens,
never to halt as long as God lives.
There were IN theseyenteenth century men
and women whose names you never heard
Of who are to-day influencing schools, col
leges, churches, Nations. You can no more
measure the gracious results OF tnen NE,
time than you could measure the length and
breadth and depth Of the phosphorescence
last night following the ship OF the White
Star line 1900 miles out at sea. How the
courage and conservation OF others inspire
US to follow, as 8 general In the American
army. ccol amid the flying bullets, inspired
trembling soldier, who said atterward, "l
was nearly scared to death, but saw the
old mans white mustache over his shoulder
and went on" Aye, we are all following
somebody, either In right or wrong d1rec'
lions.
A few days ago I stood beside the gar
landed casket OF gospel minister, ana ~
NV remarks had occasion to recall q snowy
night in farmhouse when I was boy and
an evangelist spending night at my fathers
house. who said something 80 tender and
beautiful and impressive that It led me Into
the kingdom Of God and decided my destiny
for This world and the next. You will. be-
fore twenty-four hours go by, meet some mar
or woman with a big pack OF care and trou'
BILE, and you may say something to MIN OF
her that will endure until this world shall
have been 80 far lost In the past that nothing
but the stretch Of angelic memory will oe
| able to realize that II ever existed at all.
am not talking Of remarkable men and
women. but of what ordinary folks can do.
| I am not speaking OF the phosphorescence
| I'm the track Of Newfoundland fishing
smack. God makes thunderbolts out o
| sparks, and out Of the small words and deeds
OF a small life He can launch power tna'
will fash and burn and thunder through the
eternities.
How do YOU like this prolongation Of you,
earthly life by deathless influence? Many a
babe that died at six months OF age by the
| anxiety created In the parents heart to meet
| that child In realms seraphic Is living yet In
the transformed heart and life OF those
parents and will live on forever In the bis
! tory OF that family. II this be the opportu'
nifty of ordinary souls, what Is the opoor
tunity OF those who have especial 1ntellectu-
or social or monetary equipment?
Have you any arithmetic capable Of esti
mating the influence OF our good and gra
cious friend who few days ago went up tc
rest-George W. Chllds, OF Philadelphia
thirty years without one word OF defama
tion or scurrility or scandal, and putting
chief emphasis on virtue and charity
and clean intelligence, he reaped fortun'
for himself ard then distributed vas
amount OF it among the poor and struggling
putting his invalid and aged reporters Of
pensions, until his name stands everywher
for large heartedness and sympathy ant
help and highest style Of Christian gentle
man.
In an era which had in the chairs OF It
journalism Horace Greeley, and Henry
Raymond, and James Gordon Bennett, an
an Erastus Brooks, and 3 George William
Curtis, and an Irenaeus Prime, none otthen
will be- longer remembered than George W
Childs. Staying away from the unveilinS @
the monument he had reared at large ex
pense In our Greenwood in memory Of Pro
fessor Proctor, the astronomer, lest 1shoul
say something in praise OF the man who ha
paid for the monument. By all acknowl
edged a representative Of the highest Ameri
can journalism.
| nron would calculate his influence 70
good, YOU must count how many sheets O