St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-07-25
TAIMAGE's SERMON.

TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Lessons o6 Patriotism Drawn From
Decoration Day.
Leve u Christianity sAe.la ~ Issparsd
~ the Graves ~ - Naslea's Dead
"A Blessed Hepe u Ne
Nero War.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered
the following Decoration day sermon
before his Washington congregation,
taking for his text:
The tower Of David builded for an armory.
whereon there hang : thousand bucklers. all
shields OF mighty naA-Solomon' SONG, w.. 4
The church IS here compared to IN
armory, the walls hung with trophies
of dead heroes. Walk all abou. this
tower of David, and see the dented
shields and the twisted swords, and
the rusted helmets Of terrible battle.
So at this season, . month earlier at
the south, = month later 1t the north,
the American churches are turned into
armor1es adorned with memories Of
departed braves. Blossom and bloom,
0 walls, with stories Of self-sacriflcc,
and patriotism, and prowess!
BY unanimous decree of the people
OF the United States of America, the
graves Of all the northern and south
ern dead are every year decorated.
All acerbity and bitterness have gone
out of the national solemnity, and rs
the men and women Of the south one
month ago fioralized the cemeteries
and Rraveyards. % yesterday We, tho
men and women Of the north, put
upon the tombs Of our dead the kiss of
patriotic affection. Bravery always
appreciates bravery, though 1t fights
on the otherside; and il soldier of
the federal army had been month
ago at Savannah, he would not have
been ashamed to march In the floral
procession to the cemetery. And II
yesterday q confederate soldier was at
Arlington. he was glad to put . sprig
of hearts-ease on the silent heart Of
our dead.
In . battle during our last war the
confederates were driving back the
federals, who were in swift retreat,
when federal officer dropped wound
ed. One of his men stopped, at the
risk Of his life. and put his arms
around the officer to carry him from
the field. Fifty confederate muskets
were aimed at the young man who was
picking up the officer. But the con-
federate captain shouted: Hold
don't fire! That fellow is too brave to
shoot" And rs the federal officer, held
mp by his private soldier, went limping
slowly on the field. the confederates
gave three cheers for the brave pri-
vate; and just before the two disap-
peared behind barn, both the wound
ed officer and the brave private lifted
their caps in gratitude to the confcd-
crate captain.
Shall the Gospel be less generous
than the world? We stack arms, the
bayonet of our northern gun facing
this way, the bayonet of the southern
gun facing the other way, and rs tho
gray of the morning melts into the
blue Of noon, so the typical gray and
blue Of old war times have blended It
of King James translation without
any revision: '.Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace. good will
to men," Now, what do we mean by
this great observance?
First, we mean instruction to one
whole generation. Subtract 1855,
when the war ended, from our 1894,
and you will realize what vast num-
Der of people were born since the war.
or were SO young as to have no vivid
appreciation. No one under II years
Of age has any adequate memory Of
that prolonged horror. Do you re-
member it? ''Well," you say, Il only
remember that mother swoon away
while she was reading the newspaper.
and that they brought my father home
wrapped In the flag, and that q good
many people came into the house to
pray, and mother faded away after
that until again there were many peo-
pie in the house and they told me that
abe was dead"
There are others who can not re-
member the roll of = drum VI the
tramp of regiment, or . sigh or .
tear of that tornado of woe that swept
the nation again and again until there
was one dead in each house. Now It
is the religious duty Of those who do
remember it to tell those who do not.
My young friends, there were such
partings at rail-car windows and
Of comfortable homes rs / pray God
you may never witness. Oh, what
time it was, when fathers and mothers
gave up their sons, never expecting to
see them again, and never did see them
again until they came back mutilated,
and crushed, and dead!
Four years Of blood. Four years Of
hostile experiences. Four years of
ghastlinesa Four years Of grave
digging. Four years of funerals, cof-
fms, shrouds, hearses, dirges. Mourn
ing! mourning! mourning! It was
hell let loose. What q time of wait
ing for news! Morning paper and
evening paper scrutinized for intelli-
gence from the boys ut the front.
First, announcement that the battle
must occur the next day. Then the
news of the battles going on. On the
following day still going on. Then
news Of &c. 600 slain. and OF the names
Of the great generals who had fallen,
but no news about the private soldiers.
Waiting for news! After many days =
load Of wounded going through the
town or city, but no news from our
boy. Then . long list Of wounded and
. long list Of the dead, and long list
Of the missing. And among the last
list, our boy.
When missing? How missing7 Who
saw him last? Missing! Missing! Was
he IN the woods or by the stream?
How was he hurt? Missing! missing!
WHIST burning prayers that he may yet
be heard from In that awful waiting
for news many life perished. The
strain of anxietry was too great The
wife's brain gave way that hrst week
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