The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-08-20

tn'n. blessed Dc GOD there is a full loaf
for every one that wants 1t. Bread enough
and to spare. No thin slices at the Lords
table. I remember when the Master Street
Hospital in Philadelphia was opened during
| the war, q telegram came saying, "There
will be three hundred wounded men to-night;
be ready to take care OF them;' and from
nv church there went in some twenty or
thirty men and women to look after these
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
wounded soldier and the only question was
how to take off the rags the most gently,
and put on the bandage, ana administer the
cordial. And when a soul comes to God, He
does not ask where you came from, or what
your ancestry was. Healing for all your
wounds. Pardon for ell your guilt. Com
| fort for all your troubles.
Then. also, 1 counsel you if you want to
get back to quit all your bad associations.
One unholy Intimacy will fill your soul with
moral distemper. In all the ages of the
church there has not been an instance where
a man kept one evil associate and was re-
| formed.
When man deliberately chooses bad as
ISOLATION because he likes it, that man has
started on the road down. Oh, do not care
what you call it, that association will des-
poll your soul. After you are destroyed.
! body, mind and soul, what will they do for
you? what will they do for your family? They
will not give one cent to support your chill
dren after you are dead. They will not Weep
one tear at your burial. They will chuckle
over your damnation.
had rare friend at the West He was
full Of welcome when I went there to live
He had splendid personal appearance. There
is not a grander looking person in this house
to-day than he was; and to this grand per-
sonal appearance he added all geniality and
all kindness Of soul-tender as child,
a beautiful and loving nature, and loved
him as a brother: but saw evil people COM
ing up around him, evil men coming up
from bad places Of amusement, and they
seized hold Of his social aud genial nature,
and they began to drag him down, and he
went further and further.
1 used to say to him. "Now, why don't you
stop these bad habits and become Chris
tian?" for 1 talked with him Just as would
talk with brother, and he understood me,
and understood him. I said, "Why don't
you give up these things and become Chris
tian?" "Oh," he said to me one day, lean
ing over his counter-iust after [ had asked
him for hundred dollars to help educate IL
young man for the ministry, and he had
given me the money before l had the story
half told-"if it will do the young man any
good, here is hundred dollars" Right
after that conversation 1 said, NOW. you
are a splendid fellow; why don't you give
up your bad habits and be a Christian?"
"Oh," he said, as the tears ran down his
cheeks, II can't I should like to be Chris
tian. You see, have got these habits on me
SO. sir. can't get rid of them. I have been
going wrong longer than you would think
for, and l can't stop"
Sometimes, in the moments of repentance,
he would 60 to his home and embrace his
little girl OF eight years convulsiyely to his
heart and he would cover her with adorn-
ments and streW toys and pictures all about
her, and then from her beautiful presence
the beautiful presence of his little child-he
would go to the intoxicating cup, and to the
house Of shame, as a fool to the correction
stocks; and there these bad men kept pus h.
ing him on, ship, full-winged, crashing
into the breakers.
l was called to his deathbed. ] fastened,
and when I got into the room l was sur
prised to find him in full everyday dress, ~
hand and he greeted me very cordially. He
said: "Now, Mr.. Talmage, sit down right
there" l sat down and he said: ''Last
night, just where you sit now. ! saw my
mother, though she has been dead twenty
years-yes, sir; just where you sit now she
sat. l couldn't have been mi2taken. I was
as wide awake as I am now. She sat lust
|
these strings off that they are weaving
around me; l wish you would take them off
they annoy me very mucn In this converse
ton" saw he was in deirium. His wife
, said: "There is nothing there, my dear; there
I is nothing there"
Then he resumed the conversation, and
, said: Eyes, my mother sat Just where you
sit now. I knew her. She had the same
} spectacles, and the same cap and the same
apron, and the same dress. 1t must have
, been her. just as she looked twenty year
agO-she has been dead now twenty ears
And sitting there she said to me, Roswell,
wish you would do BETTER and got up GU
t of bed. and 1 knelt beside her and said
Mother, wish could--I wish could d.
1 better; I would like to do better. Won't you
. help me? You used to help me. Why can
you help me now, mother?'" But soon
s said. "Now we will pray" knelt to pray
y He did not realize anything | said, sup
!, pose. Then l got up and said "Good-by
i good-5y! That night he went to God.
: Arrangements for the obsequies were be
5 ing made, and they said, ooh. it won't do t.
o bring him to the church; he has been SO dis
4 solute." l said, Bring him, bring him; h
o stood by me when he was alive. and II
| stand by him when he is dead Bring hir
:. intothe church." The Sabbath came. AS
+ stood In the pulpit and saw his body comm
s up the aisle, felt as if could weep tears Q
Il blOOu. $1,000 tDer9 tnat DAY and l said
+ ':This man had his virtues, and good man
t Ofthem: he had his faults, and good man
Y of them but let that man in this assembl
v who is without sin cast the first stone on thi
s coffin lid.''
On the one side of the pulpit sat the beau
+ tiful child, as radiant and sweet faced as an
g child that sat at your table this morning
d She knew not the SORROWS of an orpha
!. child; she was not old enough to realiz
II them. Sometimes when I think ofthat awfr
Il scene. her face haunts me like beautifU
Is face through a horrid dream. On the othf
It side Of the pulpit sat the man who had do
e stroyed him. They had put the wormwoo
i, and the gall into that orphans cup. The
st pushed him off the preclpice. stood thet
Is aud told them that there was God and
80 Judgment and a hell for those who destroye
IL their fellows. Did they weep? Oh, no. ne
t one tear. Did they sigh repentingly? Not on
If sigh. Did they say, "What pity that W
q destroyed hin?" Oh, no. They sat an
l. gazed at the coffin as vultures at the carca!
Of a lamb whose heart they had ripped on
e That night, though my friend lay in Oakwoo
n Cemetery, heard afterward that these me
d went right on with their iniquities, destro,
le ing themselves and destroying others.
7e Gather up all the energies Of body, min
h and soul, and appealing to God for success
re- declare this haV everlasting war AGAINST a