Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-11-21
GARRISON DUTY.
Faithful Service win Surely Do
Rewarded.
We Must DO Our Full Duty Where God
Has Placed Us-The Heroes Of
the Home VIII Not be
Forgotten.

Rev. DR.. Talmage preached his latest
sermon to an immense audience in
Washington. His subject, Ordinary
Duties in Ordinary Places was full of
encouragement for all who are faith
fully trying to do their duty. His text
can be found in |. Samuel xxx. "a:
"As his part is that goeth down to the
battle, SO shall his part be that tarrieth
by the stuff"
II you have never seen an army
change quarters, you have no idea OF
the amount of baggage twenty loads,
fifty loads, a hundred loads of baggage.
David and his army were about to
start on double-quick march for the
recovery of their captured families
from the Amalekites. So they left by
the brook Besor their blankets, their
knapsacks, their baggage, and their
carriages Who shall be detailed to
watch this stuff? There are sick SOL
diers, and wounded soldiers, and aged
soldiers who are not able to go on
swift military expedition, but who are
able to do some work, and so they are
detailed to watch the baggage There
is many soldier who is not strong
enough to march thirty miles in a day
and then plunge into ten hours fight,
who is able with drawn sword lifted
against his shoulder to pace up and
down as a sentinel to keep off an enc
my who might put the torch to the
baggage. There are two hundred of
those crippled and aged and wounded
soldiers detailed to watch the baggage.
Some of them, suppose, had bandages
across the brow, and some of them had
their arm in sling. and some of them
walked on crutches. They were not
towards Sinking duty. They had
fought in many fierce battle for their
country and their God. They are now
part Of the time in hospital, and part
Of the time on garrison duty. They
almost cry because they cannot gowith
the other troops to the front. While
these sentinels watch the baggage, the
Lord watches the sentinels.
There is quite different scene being
enacted in the distance The Amale-
kites, having ravaged and ransacked
and robbed whole countries, are cele-
brating their success in q roaring
carousal. Some of them are dancing
ON the lawn with wonderful gyration
Of heel and toe, and some of them are
examining the spoils Of victory-the
finger rings and ear rings, the neck
laces, the wristlets, the headbands,
diamond-starred, and the Golfers with
coronets, and carnelains, and pearls,
and sapphires, and emeralds, and all
the wealth OF plate, and jewels, and
decanters, and the silver and the gold
banked up on the earth in princely
profusion, and the embroideries, and
the robes, and the turbans, and the
cloaks of an imperial wardrobe. The
banquet has gone on until the ban
queters are maudlin and weak and in
sipid and indecent and loathsonely
drunk. What time it is now for
David and his men to swoop on them.
So the English lost the battle Of Ban
nockburn, because the night before
they were in wassail and bibulous cele-
bration, while the Scotch were in
prayer. So the Syrians were over
thrown in their carousal by the Israel
ties. So Chedorlaomer and his army
were overthrown in their carousal bv
Abraham and his men. So, in our civi
war, more than once the battle was
lost because one of the generals was
drunk. Now is the time for David and |
his men to swoop upon these carousing
Amalekites. Some Of the Amalekites |
are hacked to pieces on the spot, some
of them are just able to go staggering
and hiccoughing off the field, some of |
them crawl on canels and speed off in
the distance. David and his men
gather together the wardrobes, the
jewels, and put them upon the back OF
camels, and into wagons, and they
gather together the sheep and cattle
that had been stolen, and start back |
toward the garrison. Yonder they
come, yonder they come. The limping
men of the garrison come out and greet |
them with wild huzza. The Bible says
David saluted them. That is, he asked |
them how they all were. How is |
your broken arm?' How is your
fractured jaw?" Has the stiffened |
limb been unlimbered?' Have yon
had another chill?" Are you getting
better?" He saluted them.
But now came very difficult thing
the distribution of the spoils of vic
tory. Drive up those laden camels
now Who shall have the spoils? Well,
some selfish soul suggests that these
treasures ought all to belong to those
who had been out in active service,
1--WE did all the fighting while these
men stayed at home in the garrison
and we ought to have all the treasure
But David looked into the worn faces
of these veterans who had stayed in
garrison, and he looked around and !
saw how clearly everything had been
kept, and he saw that the baggage was
all safe, and he knew that these
wounded and crippled men would
gladly enough have been at the front
If they had been able, and the little
general looks up from under his helmet
and says: mo, no, let us have fair
play" and he PUSHES up to one OF these
men and he says: "Holdy your hands to-
gether," and the hands are held to-
gether, and he fills them with silver.
q