The times., 1897-07-26
DIR. Talmage and His Enemies.

4 rumor, once started, is The most un-
firing and elusive thing on earth, except
a mesquite. IT is no rcspecter of per-
any place where it is not likely 10 be.
Some days ago Tumor was started that
the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, of Brook
lyn, Washington and the earth, would
leave his church in this city on account
of non-payment of salary. When the
rumor hit DR. Talmage ia the ear that
gentleman Commenced to hop around. He
did not do this in the ordinary, every
day style of the average man; this would
have been impossible to him. He hoped
aTtistically, he hoped grandly, with an
eye to effect. If it was the purpose of
the onginators of this rumor TO make
DR. Ta,mage hop, they have succeeded
far beyond their widest anticipations
DR. Talnages special mission on earth,
as all the world knows is to show what
can be done with language, He could, If
he chose, take text out of The Hunting
of the snark,'' or Little Red Riding Hood
and weave such a shimmering mystery Of
kaleidoscopic, polychromatic, exegetical.
evanseiIstic homiletics around aud about it
that it would bring tears to the eyes Of
the people who read his syndicated sermons
aloud on Sunday afternoons, and they
would get the concordance and hunt until
praycr-meeting time for that beautiful text
which proved such fountain of wisdom
for the DR.. Cumming Of the American peo-
pie. he has been known to draw beautiful
and affecting lessons from the text, Sin
as 1t were with cart-rope," proving that
sin OF that description is likely to end in a
necktie festival, at which all the best citi-
zens participate; and there is strong sus-
plcion that he was the original cler gyman
who demolished false hair by his powerful
sermon preached from the command, Top
not come down" he has drawn pictures of
| heaven, in which hehas described celestial
trumpeters sitting at feast,and stopping 10
wipe their mouths occasionally that they
might express their JOY by one celestial
toot-oa tire trumpets-of course. This
description may be found by any inquiIing
mind in a volume of Dr. Talmage' sermons,
but al this is not an advertising column. the
writer refrains from stating just which one.
Tie has written out for the benefit of the
heather his opinion OF them andtheir social
customs gathered on the fly in his famous
tour round the world, and his great book,
| ''Talmage on Jerusalem" is to be found
under the youngest child at the table all
over the country
But all these previous gyrations of his
in the way OF language are nothing
TO this latest. intensest hop of the good
doctor on discovering that some wicked,
malicious enemy said he was going to leave
washington because his con gregation didn't
love him well enough TO come to time with
his salary. He could look on with calm
ness while reports came by every mail of
the slaughter and outrage of Cuban women
and children, he could smile atthe gigantic
steal of the Sugar Trust, and sing the
praises of freedom undisturbed in coun-
try where, as Cornish miners wife said
| starve; you can do what you want to il
you're rich enough All these things
didn't trouble DR.. Talmage. He is rich
enough TO do as he likes, and he has faith
20 believe that every single syndcated
sermon that he sends flying over the coun-
| try 10 embroider his name on the rural
districts will also serve as title to
corner lot in heaven. He believes in cor
ner lots in heaven, and he is laying up
stocks and bonds there just as fast as
ever he can. lie resents a rumor of this
| kind as ffercely as a Wall street bull re-
sents q rumor which will send his partic-
ular pet stock flying down to the bot
tomless pit. What would become OF the
chances of salvation of the American peo-
PIE If the Talmage stock should go flying
that way? This mean. bad rumor injured
| his business.
| The Doctor was at Spirit Lake when the
story was mentioned to him. He immedi-
ately started for the telegraph office and
sent this defiant and well-peppered mes
sage hurtling over the wires:
1 denounce the lying scoundrel who
| started the report that / am dissatisfied
| with my Washington church and that
| viii not return TO it. My congregation
and myself are In complete accord They
have met all their obligations TO me. My
! vacation over, will preach in my pulpit,
| second Sabbath in September The last
years attendance was larger than any
previous year, and many more desired to
! worship with us than could be accommo-
| dated. Everything is satisfactory. That
| evil report was born In the very malice
of he'll and is one of a hundred falsehoods
| manufactured against me during the past
| thirty years. all OF which falsehoods have
| only enlarged my work, as this viii
T. DEWITT TALMAGE.
Now, this message is as hot and lively