Evening star., 1895-10-19

abreast of the times. read the news
papers, of course, and the current maga-
zines I read the new books. too. when
I can"
When asked him to tell me how he
chose his vocation, he said:
My ambition was to be a lawyer. From
my boyhood the court room had had
fascination for me. 1t has still. I never
pass a court room without the inclination
to enter 1t, whether the court is in session
or not 1 studied law until was almost
ready to take out license. In six months
more would have completed my studies.
Now: my father and mother were deeply
religious. But there was nothing lachry-
NOSE OF depressing about their religion.
was brought up to feel that religion was
pleasantness and Sunday the happiest
day in the week. Well, all the time that
I was studying law and preparing for the
bar my parents were hoping that would
enter the ministry-never: saying anything
about it. but hoping that I would.
My brothers were all preachers, and my
Uncle there"-Dr. Taimage's eyes wandered
to vacant space on the wall Its vacancy
startled him for moment. His picture
has gone down to Washington he said.
THAT is the first time in twenty years that
I have looked at that face on the wall
without seeing it. He was one of the lead
ing preachers of the south. All of my
uncles were preachers and my sisters mar
ried preachers. So you see the influence
about me was very strong. Well, 1 came
in time to see that l could be of more use
in the pulpit than could at the bar, SO 1
gave up my studies and began to prepare
for the ministry.
The World Needs sympathy.
Il saw then the work that was before
me-" said DIR. Talmage impressively. hold
ing his right hand aloft and his left arm
at right angles with his body and bringing
his hands together as he continued. Here
was the wound of the world-here the plas-
for 70 hri ha
was the problem. The wound of the world
was its sin and sorrow-a wound as deep
as it's heart. The plaster was helpfulness
and sympathy. What this world needs
most Is sympathy. Every person needs it
and every person who is not fool wants
it. When 1 look cut over an audience,
know that every man and woman there
needs it; and the more smiling and happy
man may be the one who is carrying the
heaviest burden. The clerk in the store
needs sympathy; the administrator needs
IT, but most of all women need it.
And not one man in a thousand gives
sympathy where it is needed. Instead he
is too often impatient and fault-finding.
There are, plenty ST cuffs and kicks for
every one. but very few to say: This was
well done When I have inspected the
public institutions of city l have some-
times come to the insane asylum and I
have asked them from what class the
greatest number of their patients came
the answer always has been. From the
women--from the housekeepers.' The wo-
rams life in most homes is nothing but
a round Of breakfast. dinner tea; with the
fires to make perhaps and the children's
clothes to mend and their training to at
tend to: and all the time confined within
four walls.
THE man goes to his Office or his shop
where he has the fresh air and the sun
shine and where he meets other men and
has many interests. And with these other
men he does not dare show what he really
Is: He Is all sweetness with them. But
no GOT tvx-ty ism n aie- INttf
ton on and this thing is wrong and that
thing is wrong; and then the household ex-
penses are too heavy. AS If the woman did
not have enough to worry her without
being scolded because with all her econ
omy she has not been able to keep the
expenses of the house any lower. No won
der that the insane asylums are full of
women.
His Duties Here.
but to return to what 1 was saying"
said DIR. Talmage, with a start, interrupt
ing his train of thought What the
world needs is sympathy, and that is what
all of us--preachers and Newspaper men
and all the rest-ought to try to give it,"
DIR. Talmase spoke in terms of high
praise of DIR. Sunderland the pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church at WASHINGTON
He spoke of him as a man of splendid mind
and OF great scholarly attainments. Il
want him to stand right at his post where
he has been for so many years" he said.
lie gave me the choice of speaking in the
morning or in the evening, and | chose the
evening for my sermons. I have always
had prefer ence for the evening, anyway
why, l do not know"
l asked DR.. Talmage if he expected to
give his attention to Congress while it was
in session and preach sermons on its sins
of omission or commission. He replied
that he had not thought what he would do
that he never made plans, but always did
what seemed to him at the time best to do
Il accepted the call to Washington he
cause the finger of Providence seemed to
point that way" he said. Besides ! have
always thought I would like to live in
washington l look forward to my work
there with the greatest interest"
GEORGE GRANTHAM BAIN