Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-01-11
REV DIR. TALMAGE
THE BROuKLNN DiviNE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject "PaIaees In India"

/ this nhN. Mutn Nt-l sum. VI hAonN1
are being given for the redemption OF In
dia. / hope TO increase tho interest in that
great country and at the same time draw
for all classes OF our people practical les
sons, and so present this nth sermon in
the round the world series. We step into
the ancient capital of India, the mere pro-
nunciation of its name sending a thrill
through the body, mind and soul OF all
those who have ever read its stories OF
splendor and disaster and prowess-Delhi.
Before the first historian impressed his
first word in clay, or cut his first word on
marble, or wrote his first word on papyrus,
Delhi stood in India, a contemporary OF
Babylon and Nineveh. We know that Delhi
existed longer before Christ's time than we
live after His time. Delhi is built on the
ruins OF seven cities, which ruins cover forty
miles, with wrecked temples, broken
fortresses, split tombs, tumble down palaces
and the debris OF centuries. An archRologist
could probably spend his life here talking
with the past through its lips OF venerable
masonry.
There are hundred things here you
ought to see in this city OF Delhi, but three
things YOU must see. The first thing want
ed to see was the Cashmere gate, for that
was the point at which the most wonderful
deed of daring which the world has ever
seen was done. That was the turning point
OF the mutiny OF 1857. A lady at Delhi put
into my hand an oil painting Of about eight
cen inches square, a picture well executed.
but chiefly valuable for what 1t repre-
scented. 1t was scene from the time OF
mutiny; two horses at full run. har.
messed 10 carriage in which were four
persons. She said: ''Those persons on
the front side are my father and mother.
The young lady on the back seat hold
ing in her arms a baby OF year was
my older sister, and the baby was my
SELF My mother, who is down with
fever in the next room, painted that
years ago. The horses are in full run
because we are fleeing for our lives. Ny
mother is driving, for the reason that iaiher.
standing up in the front Of his carriage, had
to defend US with his gun, as you there see.
He fought our way out and on for many
mile, shooting down the sepoys as we went.
We had somewhat suspected trouble and
had be( -me suspicious OF our servants.
prince had requested private interview
with my father, who was editor OF the
Delhi Gazette. The prince proposed 10
come yelled, so that no one might recog-
nize him, but my mother insisted on being
present, and the interview did not take
place. A large fish had been sent 10 our
family and four other families, the present
an Offering of thanks for the Kings recovery
poison and did not eat the fish.
"0ne day all our servants came up and said
they must go and see what was the matter.
We saw what was intended and knew that IL
the servants returned they would murder all
OF us. Things grew worse and worse until
this scene OF flight shown you In the picture
took place. You see, the horses were wild
with fright. This was not only because OF
the discharge of guns, but the horses were
struck and pounded by sepoys, and ropes
were tied across the way, and the savage
halloo and the shout OF revenge made all the
way OF our flight horror"
The books have fully recorded the hero
ism displayed at Delhi and approximate
regions, but made no mention OF this fam
lily OF Wagentreibers whose flight | am mem
tioning. But the Madras Atheneum printed
this
"And now Are not the deeds OF the Wag-
entreibers, though he wore round hat and
she crinoline, as worthy OF imperishable
verse as those of the heroic pair whose nup-
tials graced the court OF Charlemagne2 A
more touching picture than that OF the
brave man contending with well nerved
arm against the black and threatening fate
impending over his wife and child We
have never seen. Here was no strife for the
glory OF physical prowess or the spoil OF
shining arms, but conquest OF the human
mind, an assertion of the powers OF intellect
over the most appalling array OF circum-
stances that could assail human being.
Men have become gray in front OF sudden and
unexpected peril, and in ancient days so
much was courage a matter OF heroic
and mere instinct that We read in i'm
mortal verse OF heroes struck with panic
and fleeing before the enemy. But the saw
age sepoys, with their hoarse warcry and
ap la WuyaD-
triebers, struck no terror into the brave
mans heart. His heroism was not the mere
ebullition OF despair, but, like that OF his
vile, calm and wlse-standing upright that
he might use his arms better"
AS an incident will sometimes more i'm
press one than generality OF statement, |
present the flight OF this one family from
Delhi merely to Illustrate the desperation OF
the times. The fact was that the sepoys had
taken possession Of the city OF Delhi, and
they were. with all their artillery, fighting
back the Europeans who were on the out
side and numbering all the Europeans who
were inside. The city OF Delhi has a
circulated wall on three sides, wall
fveanda halfmiles long, andt the fourth side OF
the city Is defended by the River Jumna. In
addition to these two defenses OF wall and
water there were 10000 sepoys, all armed.
Twelve hundred British soldiers were to
take that city. Nicholson, the immortal
General, commanded them, and you must
visit his grave before you leave Delhi He
fell leading his troops. He commanded
them even after being mortally wounded
You will read this inscription on his tomb
"John Nicholson, who led the assault oil
Delhi, but fell In the hour OF victory,
mortally wounded, and died 23d September,
1857, aged thirty-flve years"
With what guns and men General Nichol-
son could muster he had laid siege to this
walled city filled with devils. What fearful
odds Twelve hundred British troops I'M
covered by any military works, to take a
city surrounded by firm and high masonry,
IN the top OF which were ia guns and de-
Tended by 40, 600 foaming sepoys. A larger
percentage OF troops fell here than in
any great battle happen to know OF. The
Crimean percentage OF the fallen was IL. AZ
but the percentage Of Delhi was 1913. YET
that city must be taken, and 1t can only b.
taken by such courage rs had never been re
corded in all the annals OF bloodshed. Every
charge Of the British regiments against thu
walls and gates had been beaten back. The
hyenas of Hindooism and Mohammedanlsu
howled over the walls, and the English
army could do nothing but bury their owr
dead. But at this gate stand and watch
an exploit that makes the page OF history
tremble with agitation.
This city has ten gates, but the most fam
Gus is the one before which we now stand,
and 1t is called Cashmere gate. Write thu
words in red ink because OF the carnage.
Write them in letters of light for the illus
trious deeds. Write them in letters Of blacl
for the bereft and the dead. Will the worlC
ever forget that Cashmere gate? Lieuten
ants Salkeld and Home and Sergeants Bur
CESS, Carmichael and Smith offered to tax
bags OF powder to the foot OF that gate an
set them on fire, blowing open the gate, al
though they must die in doing it. Their
they go just after sunrise, each one carrying
sack containing twenty-four pounds Q
powder, and doing this under the fire of thu
enemy.
Lieutenant Home was the first to jun
into the ditch, which still remains befor
the gate. AS they go, one by one falls unde
the shot and shell. One of the mortal
wounded as he falls hands his sack of pow
der with box OF lucfer matches to al
other, telling him to fire the sack, wher
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