Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-10-15
THE CORN HARVEST.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE DISCUSSES 4
SEASoNABLe TOPIC.
His Graphic Word Pictures of Rural Life
In Autumn - The Heavenly Harvest.
"Cometh M a Shock of Corn In His Sea-

His Graphic Word Pictures of Rural Life
In Autumn - The Heavenly Harvest.
"Cometh as a Shock of Corn In His Sea-
son."
copyright, 1897, by American Press Asso-
ciatlon.l
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10.-This sermon
by Dr. Talmage is peculiarly seasonable
at the present time, when the teeming
haryests all over the land are awaiting
the husbandman. His text is Job V, 26,
"As a shock of corn cometh in in his
season
Going at the rate of 40 miles the
hour a few days ago, caught this ser
mon. If you have recently been in the
fields of Pennsylvania or New Jersey or
New York or New England or any Of
the country districts, you know that the
corn is nearly all cut The sharp knife
struck through the stalks and left them
all along the fields until man came
with bundle of straw and twisted a
few Of these wisps of straw into band,
and then, gathering up as much Of the
corn as he could compass with his arms,
he bound it with this wisp Of straw and
then stood it in the field in what is call
ed a shock.
1t is estimated that there are now
several billion bushels Of corn standing
in the shock, waiting to be husked-
Some time during the latter part Of next
month the farmers will gather, one day
on one farm, another day on another
farm, and they will put on their rough
husking apron, and they will take the
huskiDg peg, which is a piece Of iron
with a leather loop fastened to the
hand, and with it unsheath the corn
from the husk and toss it into the gold
en- heap. Then the wagons will come
along and take it to the corncrib
How vividly to all those Of us who
were born in the country comes the re
membrance of husking time. We waited
for it as for a gala day Of the year. Ii
was called frolio The trees having
for the most part shed their foliage, the
farmers waded through the fallen leaves
and came through the keen morning air
to the gleeful company. The frosts,
which had silvered everything during
the night, began to melt off Of the top
of the corn shocks While the farmers
were waiting for others they stood blow
ing their breath through their fingers OF
thrashing their arms around their bodies
to keep up warmth Of circulation.
The Cornfield.
Roaring mirth greeted the late farmer
as he crawled over the fence Joke and
repartee and rustic salutation abounded.
All ready nowl The men take hold the
shock Of corn and hurl it prostrate,
while the moles and mice which have
secreted themselves there for warmth
attempt 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 husk-
ing peg is thrust in until it strikes the
corn. and then the fingers rip of the
sheathing of the ear, and there IS a
crack as the root OF the corn is snapped
of from the husk. and the grain, disim-
prisoned,- is hurled up into the sunlight.
The air is so tonic. the work is so
very exhilarating, the company Is SO
blithe, that some laugh and some shout
and some sing and some banter and
some tease a neighbor for romantic
ride along the edge of the woods in an
eventide in a carriage that holds but
two and some prophesy as to the NUM-
ber of bushels to the field, and Others &c
into competition as TO which shall rifle
the most corn shocks before sundown
After awhile the dinner horn sounds
from the farmhouse, and the table Il
surrounded by group Of jolly ano
hungry men. From all the pantries anc
tie cellars and the perches Of fowl OIL
the place the richest dainties come, anc
there are carnival and neighborhood re
union and scene which fills our mem
ory. part with smiles, but more witt
tears. as we remember that the farm be
longs now to other owners, and othel
hands gather in the fields, and many o
those who mingled in that merry husk
ing scene have themselves been reapeC
like as a shock of corn cometh III IL
his season
There is a difference Of opinion as t
whether the orientals knew anything
about the corn as it stands in our fields
hut recent discoveries have found ou
that the Hebrew knew all about lndial
maize. for there have been grains OF tn
corn picked up out of ancient crypts AM
exhumed from hiding places wher
they were put down many centurle
ago, and they have been planted i'll ou
time and have come up just such mdi
an maize as we raise in New York an
Ohio. so | am right when | say that IN
text may refer to a shock Of corn Jus
az you and bound it, just as you an
threw it. Just as you and husked II
There may come some practical an
useful and comforting lessons to all ou
sonIs while we think of coming in a
last like a shock Of corn coming in
his season
1t is high time that the king OF tel
rors were thrown out Of the Christia
vocabulary A LAST multitude OF peopl
talk of death as though it were the di
aster of disasters instead of being to
good man the blessing Of blessings
J. is moving out of cold vestibule into
warm tempe. 1t is migrating I'M
r. groves of redolence and perpetual frul
age. 1t is a change from bleak March
roseate June 1t is change OF man'
cles for garlands 1t is the transmutir
of the iron handouts Of earthly inca
ceration into the diamonded wristle
of bridal party, or, TO use the sugge
:. tion of my text. it is only huskir
;" time 1t is the tearing off of the rout
sheath of the body that the bright al
Z the beautiful soul may go free. Cor
ing in like a shock of corn cometh
in his season Christ broke up
20 neral procession at the gate OF Nam