Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-07

BRooKLgN, Jan. G.--In continuing his
kerles OF round the world sermons
through the press Rev. DR. Talmage today
chose for his subject Tomb md Temple"
having reference to that most famous and
beautiful o; mausoleums the Tai Mahal
Tho text selected was, From India even
unto Ethiopia" Esther !, ~.
In nil the Bible this is the only book in
which the word India occurs, but 1t stands
for h realm Of vast interest in the time OF
E6thcr, as in our time It yielded then, as
now. spices and silks and cotton and rico
and indigo and ores Of all richness and
prthious stones OF all sparkle and had
cty{iizntion of its own as marked as Egyp-
tlRn or Greoinn or Roman civilization. 1t
ho1ds tho costlest tomb ever built and tho
most unique and wonderful idoIatrous
temple ever opened For practical lessons
In this my sixth discourse In round the
world series show you that tomb and
temple N India.
In journey around the world It may
not be easy to tell the exact point which
diyides the pilgrimage into halves. But
there was ono structure toward which we
were nll tho time travelling, and having
seen that we felt that II We saw nothing
moro our expedition would DO success.
din. 1t is the crown Of the whole earth
Thcsplrits OF architecture met TO inthrone
king, and the spirit OF the Parthenon OF
Athcns was there, and tho spirit of St
Sophia of Constantinople was there, and
tho spirit Of st. IzGak of ST. Petersburg
was thero, and the spirit Of tho Buptistry
of Pisa was there and the spirits of the
great pyramid, and Of Luxor Obclisk,
and OF the Porcelain tower of Nankin,
and OF st. Marks OF Venice, and tho
spirits Of all the great towers great catho.
drnls, great mnusOleums great sarcophagi,
great capltols for the living md Of great
nccropolises for the dead were there. And
the prcsidh genius Of the throng with
Gayol Of Pan AN marble smoto the table of
Russian malachite and called the throng
Of spirits to order and called for vote as
TO which spirit should wear tho chief
crown and mount the chief throne and
wave the chief scepter and by unanimous
acclaim tho cry was Long live tho spirit
ofthe Tai king of all tho spirits of nrchl-
tetturel Thine is the Tai Mnhal OF In
dial"
The Tai nrahai.
Tho building is about six miles from
Agra, and as We rode out in the early
dawn we heard nothing but the hoofs and
wheels that pulled and turned us along
! the road, Mt every yard Of which our ex-
pectation rose until we had some thought
that We might be disappointed ut the first
glimpse, rs some say thoy were disnppoint-
ed. But how can any one be disappointed
with the Tnj Is almost as great wonder
TO me as the Tai itself. There arc some
people always disappointed, and who
knows but that having entered heaven
they may criticisc the architecture OF the
temple and the cut Of the white robes and
say that the river Of life is not quite up to
their expectations, and that tho white
horses on which the conquerors ride seem
4 little springhalt or spavinedS
Il Ny son said, "TLere IL is" / said,
|. 'WhereW For that which he saw to be
/ she building seemed 10 me to DO moro like
she morning cloud blusbing under tho
KItare of the rising sun. 1t seemed not so
much built up from earth ms let down from
|-ienven. Fortunately you stop ut an elab-
4rntcf gateway Of red sandstone one
Iighth OF mile from the Tai an ontr0nce
10 high, SO arched, SO graceful, so four
pomed, so painted and chiseled and
lcrolled that you come very gradually
6Spon the Tnj, which structure is enough
o intoxicato the eye and stun tho imngi-
nation and entrance tho soul. We go up
he winding stairs OF this majestic en-
|, rance OF the gateway and buy u fow pic
| nrcs and examine few curios, and from
RI look of upon the Tai aud descend to
\ he pavement o, the garden that raptures
between tho gateway and the
Icstasy Of marble and precious stones
| ,Yuit pas long deep stream of water in
TFhich all manner OF brilliant ans swirl
aid loHt. There are 81 fountains that
|ypout and bend and arch themselves to fall
nlt % -
Efhitcncss Beds of all imaginable fora
Fgreet the nostril before they do the eye
Fsnd seem 70 roll in waves of color AS you
l,Jidynnce toward the vision you IRE soon to
ENavo Of what human genius did when it
|iid Its best. Moon flowers, lluos, mari
|uolds, tulips and almost everywhere tho
|'sotus; thickets OF bewildering bloom; on
'ither Side trees from many lands bend
Irheir aborescence over your head, or seem
|Tith convouted branches to reach out
(.hcif nrns toward you In welcome. On
/ md on You go amid tAmarind and cypress
I'D poplar and oeander and ycw and sy-
|samoro and banyan and palm and trees OF
f"lch novel branch and leaf and girth you
r,nsc TO ask their name or nativity
IL As You approach tho door OF tho Tai
|aane Experiences a strange sensation Of awe
md Tenderness and humility and worship.
IN No pollulhg IS only grave, but what
rayoi Built for queen, who, according
y tome, was very good, and according to
|''hcrs vas very bad. choose to think sbo
as very good. At any rate, 1t makes mo
ei hefter to think that this commemora-
yc pile was set up for tho immortaliGa-
on Of virtue rather than vice The Tai
a mountain Of white marble, but never
ioh walls faced each other with exquis-
ennss; never such tomb was cut from
ock Of alabaster; never such congrega-
III Of precious stones frightened and |
onmed and blazed and chastened and |
drilled building since soulptor's chisel |
|Alt It's lrst curve, or painters pencil I
:. sced Its first 1gurs, or mnsons plumb I
4, ,a MEASURED its first wall, or architects |
:. mpass swept its first circle,
q A Costly Structure.
Tho TAI has 10 great arohod windows,
ar Ateaoh corner; also at each OF the four |
% rnuss Of the Taj stands a minaret 1877 |
+ - kiah; also at each side Of this build /
= gsa splendid mosque OF rcd sandstone.
Z, sohundrcd and fifty years has tho Tai /
E>,ol and yet hot wall is cracked, not
~ 3saie loosened, nor an arch sagged, nor |
/ 'niasldulled. Tho storms Of $50 winters /
"a MOI marred, nor the heats Of $50 /
miners disintegrated marble There |