Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-01-19
WONDERS OF CEYLON.
RE,. DR.. TALMAaE AT THE ISLE OF
PALMS.

NEt. DIX. iAlRA1E Al iftG IDLE Or
PALMS.
The Show Place of the unSerse--The Great
preaeher at the Harbor of Colombo--A
Glowing Picture of Remarkable Coun-
tFy--The Lesson.
BRooKLYN, Jan. 13.--In continuing
his series Of round tho world sermons
through the press Rev. DIR. Talmage
teday chose for his subject "Ceylon,
Tho Isle Of Palms," the text selected be-
ing '.The ships Of Tarshish first Elsa
iah TX, %.
The Tarshish Of my text by many
commentators is supposed to be the is.
land Of Coylon, upon which the seventh
sermon of the round the world series
lands us. Ceylon was called by the
Romans Tapobrane John Milton called
it Golden Chersonese. Moderns have
called Ceylon ''the isle of palms, y the
isle of flowers, the pearl drop on "the
brow of India, " 'the isle of jewels, +"
"the island of spice, " "the show place
of che universe, y the land Of hyacinth
and ruby I" In my eyes, for scenery
it appeared to be mixture of Yosemite
and Yellowstone park. All Christian
people want to know more of Ceylon,
for they have long while been con-
tribating for its evangelization. As onr
ship from Australia approached this is
land there lowered over it clouds thick
and black as the superstitions which
have lowered here for centuries, but the
morning sun was breaking through like
the gospel light which is to scatter the
last cloud of moral gloom. The sea lay
along the coast calm as the eternal pur-
poses of God toward all islands and con-
tinents. We swing into the harbor of
Colombo, which is made by breakwa-
ter built at vast expense. As we fioated
into it tho water is black with boats of
all sizes and manned by people of all
colors, bnt chiefly Tamils aud Cingalese.
Two Remarkable Sights.
There are two things | want most to
sea on this island: A heather temple
with its devotees in idolatrous worship
and an audience of Cingalese addressed
by a Christian missionary The en-
tolnologiss may have his capture of bril-
liant insects. and the sportsman his tent
adorned with antler of red deer and
tooth Of wild boar, and the painter his
portfolio CT gorge 5000 feet down and
of days dying OF evening pillows of pur-
pie cloud etched with fire, and tho bo-
tanist his campfull of orchids and crow
foots and gentiaHs and valerian and To-
tGs. want most to find out the moral
and religious triumphs, how many
wounds have been healed, how many
sorrows comforted, how many entombed
nations resuIrected. Sir William Baker,
the famous explorer and geographer, did
well for Ceylon after his eight years
residence in this island, and Professor
Ernst Heckel, the professor from Jena,
did well when he swept these waters
and rummaged these hills and took home
for future inspection the insects of this
tropical air And forever honored be
such work, but let all that is sweet in
rhythm and graphic on canvas and i'm
posing in monument and immortal in
memory be brought to tell the deeds of
those who were heroes and heroines for
Christ's sake.
Many scholars have supposed that this
island Of Coylon was the original garden
of Eden where the snake first appeared
or reptilian mission. There are reasons
for belief that this was the site where
the first homestead was opened and de-
stroyod. 1t is so near the equator that
there are not more than ~ degrees of
Fahrenheit difference all the year round
Perpetual foliage, perpetual fruit and
all styles CT animal life prosper What
luxuriance and abundance and super
abundance Of life What styles Of plu-
mage do not the birds sportl Whatstyles
Of scale do not the fishes reveal! What
styles OF song do not the groves have in
their librettoi
Here on the roadside and clear out On
the beach Of the sea stands the cocoanut
tree saying; Take my leaves for shade
Take the juice of my fruit for dolecta-
BILE drigk. Take my saechariuc for srg-
ar. Take ray fiber for the cordage of
your ships. T,:&o my oil to kindle your
lamps. Take my wood to fashion your
cups and pitchers. Take my leaves to
tllatch your roofs. Take my smooth sur
face GA which to print your books Take
my 30, coo, 600 trees covering 500, coo
acres and with tie expectation enrich
the weird. will wave in your fans
and spread abroad III your umbrellas.
| will yibrato in your musical instru-
ments. will be the scrubbing brushes
on your lcors "
Miracles of Nature.
Here also stands the palm tree saying:
81 am at your disposal With these arms
fed your ancestors $50 years ago, and
with these same arms will feed your
descendants $50 years from now Idefy
the centuriesH'
Here also stands the nutmeg tree say
ing, 81 am ready to spice your bower.
ages and enrich your buildings and with
my sweet dust make insipid things pal
atablo
Here also stands tho coffee plant say
ing, with the liquid boiled from my
berry | stimulate tie nations morning
by morning.
Here stands the tea plant saying,
with the liquid boiled from my leaf
sootho the worlds nerves and stimu-
late the world conversation evening by
evening.
Here stands the cinchona eaying: 81
am the fee of malaria. In all climates
my bitterness is the slaughter of fovers. "
What miracles of productiveness on
these islands, Enough sugar to sweeten
all the worlds beverages, enough ba-
nanas to pile all the worlds fruit bas-
kets, enough rice to mix all the worlds
puddings, enough cccoanut to powder
all the worlds cakes, enough flowers to
garland all the worlds beauty.
But in the evening, riding through
cinnamon grove. first tasted the leaves
ana bark Of that condiment so valuable
and delicate that transported ON ships
the aroma Of the cinnamon is dispelled
if placed near a rival bark OF such
great value is the cinnamon shrub that