The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-10-20

Death the Blessing OF Blessings TO the
Good Man-Che Chin OF the Erosss FOL
lowed by Giadness.
This sermon BY Dr. Talmageis peculiarly
seasonable at the present time, when the
teening harvests all over the land are await
ing the hus5andmao. His text IS JOB V. 70:
.sSs a shock of corn cometh in in his season
Going at the rate of 40 miles the hour &
few days ago l caught this sermon II yeO
have recently been IL the fields OF IennSyt-
vania or New jersey, or New
York, or New England. or any OF the couatTy
districts, you know that the corn Is nearly
sll cut. The sharp knife struck through the
stalks and lett them all along the fields until
s man came with a bun3ie Of straw and
twisted few OF these wispS Of straw into s
bsnd, and then gathering Up as much OF The
corn SIS ne could compass with his arms ae
bound It with the wiSp OF straw, and then
stood it in the field in what is called 8 shock.
1t is estimated that there are row severa.
billion bushels Of corn standing in the shock
waiting to be husked Some time during the
latter part OF next month the farmers viii
gather, one day on one farm, another Gay on
another farm, and they will put on their
rough husking apron, aud they will take the
husking peg, which is a piece otiro1 with
leather loop fastened TO tae hand, anu with
ituhsheath the corn from the musk and toss
it into the golden heap. Then the wagons
will come along aud take il to the corncrio.
How wildly to all those Of US who were
born in the country comes the remem5r2nce
of husking time, We waited for II as Tor a
gala day OF the year. 1t was called q iroI,
ic. The trees having for the most part she
their foliage, the farmers waded through the
fallen leaves and came through the keen
morning air to the gleeful company Inc
frosts, which had silvered everything during
the night, began to melt of Of the top OF the
corn shocks. While the farmers were wait
ing for others, they stood blowing their
breath through their fingers or thrashlng
their arms around their bodies to keep up
warmth of circulation.
Rosring mirth greeted the late farmer as
he crawled oyer the fence. Joke and repar-
tee and rustic salutation abounded. All
ready, now. The men take hold the shock
of corn and hurl it PROSTATE, while the
moles and mice which have secreted them
selves there for warmth attampt escape. The
withe of straw is unwound from the corn
shock, and the stalks, heavy with the wealth
Of grain, are rolled into two bundles, between
which the husker sits down. The husking
peg is thrust in until 1t strikes the corn, aud
then the fingers rip of the sheathins OF the
ear and there is 8 crack as the root OF the
corn is snapped of from the husk, and the
grain disimprisoned, IS hurled up into the
sunlight.
The ar is so tonic, the work is so very ex-
hiliarating, the company is so bithe, that
some laugh, and some shout, and some sing,
and some banter, and some tease neish5or
for 8 romsntic ride along the edge OF the
woods in an eventide, in q carriage that
holds but two, and some prophesy as TO the
number Of bushels to the field, and others
60 into competition as to which shall rifle the
most corn shocks before sundoTn.
After awhile the dinner horn sounds from
the farmhouse, and the table is surrounded
by group cfjolly and hungry men. From
all the pantries and the cellars and the
perches of fowl on the place the richest dain-
ties come, and there are carnival and neigh
borhood reunion and scene which fills our
memory, part with smiles, but more with
tears, IS we remember that the farm belongs
now to other owners, and other hands gath
er in the fields, and many Of those who min
gled in that merry husking scene have them
selves have been reaped t'llke as a shock OF
corr cometh in in his season.
There is difference of opinion as to wheth-
er the orientals knew anything about the
corn as it stands in our fields, but recent
discoveries have found out that the Hebrew
knew al about Indian maize. for there have
been grains ofthe corn picked up out Of an
cient crypts and exhuned from hiding places
where they were put down centuries ago, and
they have been planted in our time and have
come up Just such Indian maize as We raise
in New York and Ohio. So am right " hen
ssy that tiny text may refer to a shock OF
corn just as you and bound it, ust as you
and threw it, just as you and husked it..
There may come some practical and useful
and comforting lessons to all our souls while
We think Of coming in al last 'tike shock
Of corn coming in in his season.
It is high time thst the king of terrors
were thrown out of the Christian vocabulary.
a vast multitude of people talk Of death as
though it were the disaster Of disasters IN
stead Of being to good man the blessing OF
blessings. 1t is moving out Of q cold vesti-
bule into warm temple. 1t IS migrating
into groves Of redolence and perpetual fruit
age. It IS q change from bleak March to
roseste June. It's change OF nanacles for
garlands. It's the transmitting of the iron
handouts Of earthly Incarceration into the
diamond wristlets Of 8 bridal party, or, 10
use the suggestion Of NY text, It IS only
husking time. It IS the tearing OF OF
the rough sheath of the body that the
bright and the beautiful soul may go
free. Coming in s.ike shock Of
corn cometh in in his season" Christ broke
up funeral procession at the gate ofNain
by making resurrection day for q young
man and his mother. And would that
could break up your sadnesses and halt the
long funeral procession Of the world g ief
by some cheering and cheerful view Of the
last transition.
We an know that husking time was time
Of frost. Frost on the fence. Frost oc the
stubble. Frost on the ground. Frost on
the bare branches Of the trees. Frost IN the
air. Frost on the hands Of the huskeTs.
You remember we used TO hide behind the
corn stacks so as to keep off the wind, but
still you remember how shiyeIing was the
body and how painful was the cheeS anG now
benunbed were the hands. But after awhile
the sun was high up and all the frosts went
out ofthe air, and hilarties awakened the
echoes and JOY from one corn shock went up,
etAha, aha.'' and was answered By JOY from
another corn shock, s>Aha, aba!'
So we all realize that the death Of our
friends is the nipping of many expectations.
the freezing, the chilling, the frosting Of
many Of our hopes. 1t is far from being a
south wind. 1, comes from the frigid north,
and when they 60 away from US We stand
benumbed in body and benurnbed in soul
We stand among our dead neighoors, oar
dead families, and we say, ''Ni1 We ever
get over it9'' Yes, We Will get over 1t amid
the shoutings Of heavenly reunion, and we
will look back to all these distresses of be-
reayenent only as the temporary distresses
Of husking time. weeping may endure
fors night, but JOY coneth in the morning. -