The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-22

traveller after shutdown than before
You may stand by daylight amid the
monastlc ruins Of Melrose Abbey. ana
study shafted oriel. and rosetted stone
and mullion. but they throw Their |
strongest witehery by moonlight some |
Of you remember what the enehanter
Of Scotland said in the Lay OF the
Last MINSTREL"
wouldst thou view fair Melrose Alright
Go visit It by the pale moonlight
Washington Irving describes the
AndaluElan moonlight upon the Al
hambra ruins as amounting 20 an en-
chantment- Ny text presents you
Jerusalem IN rulns The tower down
Tho gates down. The walls down.
Everything down. Nehemiah on horse
back. by moonlight looking upon the
rulna While he rides. there are some
friends on foot going with him. Tor
they do not want the many horses 20
disturb the suspicious Of the people.
These people DO not know tho secret oil
Nchomlah's heart. but they are going
a. a sort OF body-guard. ] hear the
clicking hoofs Of the horse on which
Nehemiah rides. az he guides Il this
way and that. into this gate and out OF
that. winding through that gate amid
the debris OF once great Jerusalem.
Now the horse comes 20 dead halt at
the tumbled masonry where he cannot
pau. Now be shlos on AZ the charred
timbera Nov he comes along where
the water under the moonlight flashes
from the mouth OF the brazen dragon
after which the gate was named.
Heavy-hearted Nehemiah Riding In
and out. now by his old home desc
lated. now by the defaced Temple. now
amid tie scars OF the city that had
gone down under battering-ram and
connagration. The escorting party
knows not what Nehemiah means Is
he getting crazyi Have his own per
Eonal sorrows. added 20 the sorrows OF
the nation. unbalanced his intellect
still the midnight exploration goes on.
Nehemiah on horseback rides through
the ash gate. by the tower Of the
furnaces. b. the kings pool. by the
dragon we'll. IN and out. In and out.
until the midnight ride Is completed.
and Nehemiah dlsmounts from his
horse, and 20 the amazed and con-
founded and incredulous body-guard,
declares the dead secret OF his hear,
when he says; Come now. let "a build
Jerusalem" what. Nehemiah. have
you any money!" NO" "IIavo you
any kingly authority" mo" "Hay,
you any eloquencef" mo" Yet that
midnight, moonlight ride Of Nehemiah
resulted IN the glorious rebuilding OF
the city Of Jerusalem. The people knew
not how the thing was 10 be done. but
with great enthusiasm they cried out
let us rise up now and build the city"
Some people laughed and said Il could
not b. done. Some people we're infurl'
ate and offered physical violence. say
ing the thing should not be done. Blu
the workmen went right on. standing
on the wall. trowel In one hand. sWoF'
In the other. until the work was glorl
ously completed. At that very time Il
Greece. Xenophon was writing a his
tory, and Plato was making philosophy
and Domosthenes was ratiling hi
rhetorical thundor but all OF them to
gether did not DO 80 much for the worl
az this midnight. moonlight ride O
praying, courageous. homcaick. close
mouthed Nehemiah.
Ny subject arst impresscs me Wit
The Idea " hat an intense thing Is churc
affection. Seize the bride Of tina
horse and stop Nehemiah. Why ar
you rlsklng your life here In the might
Your horse will stumble over thes
ruins and fan on you. Stop this uselo,
exposure OF your life. No; Nehemia
will not stop He at last tells us n
whole story. lie lets rs know he vi
an exile In far distant land: he W,
servant. a cup-bearer In the pala,
OF ArtAxerxes Longlmanus. and OF
day. while he was handing the cup
wine 20 the king the king said 10 hlr
what Is the matter with your W
are not sick. know you must ha'
some great trouble What Il the ma
ter with YOU" Then he told the Kin
how that beloved Jerusalem vi
broken down. how that his father
tomb had been desocrated; how IN
the Temple had been dishonored AZ
dcfaccd; how that the walls were sea
tered aud broken. We'll" says Kil
Artaxorxes, what DO you want
well" said the cup-bcarcr Nchcmio
Il want 20 60 home. ! waat 10 OK
the grave OF my father. ! want 20 .
store the beauty OF the Temple wa
20 rebuild the masonry OF the city va
Besides. I want passports so that sh
not De hlndcrcd IN my Journey a
besides that" as YOU win find In
context. Il want an order 1u thc On
who keeps your forest Cor Just BOZ ma
timber as ! may need Cor tho rebuild
of the city" Glow long shall you
gomez" said the king Tho time ot
Fonce Is arranged. ln hot haste q
seeming adventuror comes 10 JCru
lem. and IN my text we ma him
horseback. IN the midnight ridi
around the ruins. Il h through
epcctaoles OF this scene that We q
cover the ardent attachment Of Mel
miah for sacred Jerusalem, which
All aFes has been the type OF
Church OF God. our Jerusalem. WI
Ne love Just as much as Neheml
loved his Jerusalem. The fact u q
YOU love the Church o. God 90 m'
that there Is no spot on earth 80 saer
unless It be your own hreslde. !
church has been 10 you 90 much GO
fort and illumination that there
nothing that makes you 30 ira'e rs
have Il talked against II there h'
hem times when you have been carr
into oaptivlty by sickness. you ions