The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-08-13

"cut the slices thin" said tho wife to the
husband, "or there will not be enough to
go all around for the children; cut the slices
thin." Blessed be God there is n full loaf
TOR every one that wants IT, Bread enough
and TO spare. No thin slices at the Lords
table. remember when tho Master Street
Hospital In Philadelphia was opened during
the war, telegram came saying, There
will be three hundred wounded men Tonight,
be ready to take care OF them;" aud from
my 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 wns
from Oregon, or from sa,huse.ts. or from
Minnesota, or from New York. There was a
wounded soldier. and the only question was
how to take on the rags the most gently,
and put on the bandage. anu administer the
cordial And when soul comes TO God. He
does not ask where you came from, or what
your ancestry was. Healing for all your
wounds. Pardon for all your guilt. Com
fort for oil your troubles
Then. also, i counsel you II you want to
get back TO quit all your bad associations.
One unholy intimacy will I'LL your soul with
moral distemper. In all the ages OF the
church there has not been an instance where
man kept one evil associate and was re-
formed.
When man deliberately chooses bad as
started on the road down. oh, do not care
what you call II, that association will des-
poll your soul. After you are DESTROYED,
body, mind and soul, what will they do for
you2 what will they do for your family2 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 vent there TO live.
He had splendid personal appearance. There
Is not 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 a. child,
beautiful and loving nature, aud loved
him rs brother; but l 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. aud he
went further and further.
used 20 say 20 him. snow, why don't you
stop these bad habits and become Chris
tianp" for talked with him just as 1 would
talk with brother. and ho understood me-
and understood him. said, "Why don't
you give up these things and become Chris
tianY' ooh, he said TO me one day, lean
ing over his counter-just after had asked
him for hundred dollars TO help educate n
young man for the ministry, and he had
given me the money before 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 splendid fellow; why don't you give
up your bad habits and be Christian?"
"Oh,' he said, rs the tears ran down his
cheeks, ~ can't. l should like to be q Chris
tian. You see, have got these habits on me
so. sir. can't get rid OF them. have been
going wrong longer than you would think
for, and can't stop"
Sometimes. inthe moments OF repentance,
he would 90 to his home and embrace his
little girl Of eight years convulsively 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 Ia the
house OF shame, rs a fool TO the correction
stocks; and there these bad men kept pus h.
ing him on, ship, iull-wnge1, crashing
into the breakers.
was called to his dcathbed. ] fastened,
and when.1 got into the room / was sur
prlsed to find him in full everyday dress. iy-
ing 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" / 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 whore you sit now she
sat. l couidnt have been mistaken. / was
as wide awake as / am now. She sat Just
where you sit. Wife. 1 wish you would take
these strings OF that they are weaving
around me; wish you would take them on;
they annoy n very mucn in this converse
tion." saw he was in delirium. 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 where YOU
sit now. | knew her. She had the same
spectacles, and the same cap and the same
apron, and the same dress. II must have
been her, just as she looked twenty years
ago-she has been dead now twenty years
And sitting there she said TO me, Roswell /
wish you would do better and got up out
OF bed, and l knelt beside her and said.
Mother, wish j could-I wish could do
better; | would like to do better. Won't you
help me? You used to help me. Why can't
you help me now, mother2'" But soon /
said, "Now we will pray" l knelt TO pray.
He did not realize anything | said, ] sup
pose. Then l got up and said "Good-byl
good-by" That night he went TO God.
Arrangements for the obsequics were be-
ing made, and they said, "oh. ii won't do to
bring him TO the church; he has been so dis
solute." i said, bring him, bring him; he
stood by me when he was alive. and I'll
stand by him when he Is dead. Bring him
into the church" The Sabbath came. A.
stood in the pulpit and saw his body coming
up the aisle, felt rs II | could weep tears Of
blood. stood there that day and / said,
"This man had his virtues, and q good many
ofthem: he had his faults, and q good many
OF them but let that man in this assembly
who is without sin cast the first stone on this
CONN lid"
On the one side of the pulpit sat the beau
tiful child, rs radiant and sweet faced as any
child that sat at your table this morning
She knew not the SORROWS Of an orphan
child; she was not old enough TO realize
them. Sometimes when l think ofthat awful
scene, her face haunts me like beautiful
face through horrid dream. On the other
side OF the pulpit sat the man who had de-
stroyed him. They had put the wormwood
and the gall into that orphans cup. They
pushed him of the precIpice. / stood there
and told them that there was n God and Il
judgment and hell for those who destroyed
their fellows, Did they weep2 Oh, no. not
one tear Did they sigh repentinglyY Not one
sigh. Did they say, "What u pity that we
DESTROYED himY" oh, no. They sat and
gazed at the coffin as vultures AT the carcass
OF lamb whose heart they had ripped out.