South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1896-08-13

lot every one tE0t vaults n. Bread enough
aud TO spare No thif slices N the Lord
table. remember when the Mister street
hospital IN Philadelphia was opened dtfrinr
the war, q telegram came saving. nrhero
Will De three hundred wofsrded men Tonight,
oe ready to take care OF them" snd from
my church there went in some twenty OF
thirty men and woraer to look after thess
poor wounded fellows. As they came. some
FROM one part OF the land some from an
other, no one asked whether this man was
from Oregon, or from Massachusetts, or from
Minnesota, or from New York. There was a
wounfei soldier. and the only question was
how TO take on the rags the most gently
and put on the bandnge, ana administer the
cordial. Aud when n soul comes TO God, He
does not ask where you cane from, or what
your ancestry was Healing for all your
wounds. Pardon for all POUR guilt. Com
fort for all your troubles.
Thcns also, counsel you II you want 10
get back TO quit nil your bad associations.
One unhoiy intimacy will illl Your soul with
r1orai distemper. In all the ages OF the
church there has not been an instance whsrs
man kept one evil associate and was re-
formed.
When man deliberately chooses bsd as
ISOLATION Jscsuse he likes IL, that man has
started on the road down oh, ! do not care
what you call IL, that association will des-
poll your soul. After you are destroyed,
body, Mud -tsd soul. what will they do for
you? what will they do for your family? They
win not give one cent to support your chill
dfsri after you are dead. They win not weep
over your damnatiofi.
had a rare friend at the West He was
iuli OF welcome when vent there TO live.
he had Splendid personal appearance. There
Is not grandef LOOKING, person in this house
to-day than he was; and to this grand per-
sonai appearance he added all genIgfity and
all kindness OF soul--tender as child,
beautiful and loving nature, aud loved
him as brother; but saw evil people COM
ing up around him, evil men Coming up
from bad places of amusement, and they
seized hold OF bis social and genial nature,
aud they bsgan to drag him down, and he
went further and further.
1 used TO say to him. snow, why d6r't you
stop these bad habits and become n Chris
lian2" for talked with him just as would
lnlk with brother, aud he understood me,
and understood him. 1 said. "why don't
you give up these things and become a Chris
liam" "Ob." he said to me one day, lean
ing over his counier--just after / had asked
nm Tor a hundred dollars to help educate a
young man for the ministry, and he had
given me the money before i had ths story
half told-"if IL will do the young man any
good here IS hundred dollars Right
after that conversation said, Now, you
IRE splendid fellow; why don't Won give
up your bad habits and be Christian?"
"Oh," he said, as the tears ran down his
cheeks, II can't. / should like TO be Il Chris
tian- You see, have got these habits on ms
so. sir, can't get rid OF them. L have been
for, and can't stop"
Sometimes, in the moments of repentance.
he would go to hfs homo and embrace his
little girl OF eight years eonvulsively to his
heart. and he would cover her with adorn-
ments and strew toys aud pictures all about
her. and then from her beautiful presence
The beautiful presence OF his little child-he
would go TO the intoxicating cup. aud to the
house OF shame, as fool to the correction
stocks; aud there these BAD mon kept pus h
ing him ON, ship, full-winged, crashing
into the breakers.
l was called 10 his deathbel. 7 fastened.
and when 1 got into the room was sur
prised TO find him in full everyday dress, w.
inS On the top OF the couch. 1 put out my
hand aud he greeted me very cordially. He
said: Now, Mr.. Talmage, sit down right
there" 1 sat down and he saidi Last
night, just where you sit now. l saw my
mother, though she has been dead twenty
years-yes, siri Just where you sit now she
sat. couldn't have been mistaken. was
rs wide awake as am now. She sat Just
where you sit Wife, wish You would take
these strings of thar they are weaving
around me; wish you would take them of;
ton" saw he was in deirium. His wife
said: There Is nothing there, my dear, there
is nothing there"
Then he resumed the Conversation, and
said: "Yes, my mother sat just whers you
sit now. / knew her She had ths same
spectacles, and the same cap and the same
aoror, and the same dress. It must have
been her, just rs she looked twenty wears
ago--she has been dead now twenty ears.
And sitting there she said TO me, Roswell,
wish you would do better;' and got up out
OF bed, and knelt beside her and SAID
Mother, wish could-I wish could do
better; would like TO do better Won't Won
help me1 You used to help me. Why can't
you help me now, mother2'" But soon
said. NOW we Will pray" kneIt 10 pray
He did not reallzs anything | said, I sup
pose. Then got up and said "Good-byl
good-5yl" That night he went to God.
Arrangements for the obsequies were be-
ing made, and they said, ooh, IL won't do 10
bring him 10 the church; ne has been so dis
solute.' 1 said, Bring him, bring him; no
stood by me when he was alive. and III
stand by him when he Is dead. Bring him
intothe 5hurch. The Sabbath came. As
stood in the pulpit and saw hts body coming
up the aisle, felt rs II 1 could weep tears OF
blood. ] stood there that day and / said.
This man had his rtues, and n good many
oftbem. he had his faults, and a good many
OF them; bat let that man in this assembly
who is Without sin cast the first stone on this
CONN Hd."
On the one side Of The pulpit sat the beau
tifui child, as radiant and sweet faced rs any
Child that sat at your table this morning.
She knew not the sorrows OF an orphan
NhttHf nAo WIS not Ola enough 10 realize
them Sometimes WHOM / think ofthat awful
scene, her face haunts me like beautiful
face through a hOfrld dram. On the other
side 81 the pulpit sat the man who had do
slryyed him. They had put the NORWOOD
and the gall into that orphans cup. They
pushed him on the precIpice stood there
and told them that there was a God and n
judgment and hell for those who DESTROYED
their fellows. Did they weep7 on. no. not
one tear. Did they aigh rsDontfnniF? Not ons.
sigh. Did they say. What pity that We
DESTROYED himg" Oh, no. They sat and
gazed 90 the CONN as vnlfures af the cafcass
Of lamb whose heart they had ripped out
That night though my friend lay III OAK wood
Cemetery. i hcHrd nfferward that these men
went right on with their iniquitiea, destroy.
ing themselves and destroying others.
Gather up al tho energies Of body. mind
aud soul. and appealing 20 God for success,
decinrc this day everlasting war axainst al
drinking habits. ~ gaming practices. ail
houses 81 sin. Hali-aDd-haif work viii
amount to nothing. 10 must b. Waterloo.
Shrink back now, and You are lost PUSH
on, and you are saved Spartan General
fell AZ the very momont 81 victory. but he
dipped his finger in bic blood and wrote on
q rock near which he was dying. sarnrlf
has conquered" Though your stroRFsa to
get rid % sin may ssom q o Be almost q death
struggle, you can dip your finger in
your own blood aud write on tho Rock Of
Christi
Oh, what glorious news II would be for
some ~ these young mon 10 send bone to
their parents IN the countryl They 90 70
the pusioidce every day Or 70 zoe 10 there
are any lcfiors from you. How anxious
They are 20 hearl Nothing would please
them patti 80 mueh a. the news you might