The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-02
SPRINGS OF WATER
CALEB,S WEDDING PRESENT TO
HIS DAUGHTER

Rev. Dr. nm Draws Insraration
From an Old Story-Wealta without
Religion il Worthless-God<s Gift to
Mankind
{Copyright, 1898, by American Press
Association.0
Taking for his text an oriental scene
seldom noticed, DIR, Talmage discusses
the supernal advantages of religion for
this world and the next; text, Joshua
XIV. 10: Thou hast giren me a south
land: give me also springs OF water
And ne gave her the upper springs an
the neither springs"
The city Of Debir vyas the Boston of
antiouity-a great place for brain and
books. Caleb wanted it, n he offered
his daughter Achash as a prize 10 any
one who would capture that city. 1t
was a strange thing for CALEB 70 90
and vet the man that could take the
city would have, at any rate, two ele-
ments of manhood-bravery and patr1-
otism. Besides, / do not think that
Caleb was as foolish in offering his
daughte to the conqueror OF Debir as
thousands in this day who seek ain
ances for their children with those VINO
have large mean without any REFER
ence to moral or mental requirements.
of two evils / would rather measure
banpiness by the length OF the SWORD
than by the length of the p~ocketbook.
In one case there is sure 10 De one
good element of character In the oln-
er there may be none at all. WIN
Caleb's daughter as a prize 10 HBnl
for General Othniel rode into the pat-
tie. The gates of Debier were thun-
dered into the dust, and the city OF
hooks Law at the feet Of the conquer
ors. The work done, Othniel comes
back to claim his bride. HAVING con-
ouered the city, it is no great Jop Tor
him to conquer the girls heart, LOT,
hoWeve faint hearted a woman her-
self may be, she always loves courage
in a man. | never saw an exception 10
that.
The wedding festivity having gone
nv Othniel and Achsah are about to
90 TO their new home. However loudly
the cymbals may clash and the laugh
ter ring, parents are always SAD Wnen
a. fondly cherished daughter goes OH 10
STAY, and AchSah, the OF "a
leb, knows that now Is the time TO ask
almost anything she wants OF her
father. 1t seems that Caleb, the good
old man, a given as a wedding
present to his daughter a piece OF land
that was mountainous and Sloplng
southwark toward the deserts or Ara
bia, swept with some very hot WINDS.
1t was called "a south land but Ach-
sab wants an addition of property.
She wants a piece of land that IS well
watered and fertile. Now, it is no Won
der that Caleb, standing amid the bri-
DIAL party, his eyes so full Of tears be
cause she was going away that he
could hardly see her at all, gives her
more than she asks. She said to him:
Thou hast given me a south land.
Give me also springs OF water. And
he gave her the upper springs and the
neither springs"
A WORTHLESS PORTION.
The fact is, that as Caleb, the faith
er, gave Achsah, the daughter, a south
land, so God gives to us his world. l
am very thankful he has given 1T to
us, but | am like Achsah in the fact
that / am not satisfied with the por-
ton. Trees and flowers and grass and
blue skies are very well in their places
. but he who has nothing but this world
for a portion has no portion at all. IL
is q mountainous land, slopihg off to-
ward the desert of sorrow, swept by
fiery siroccos. 1t is "a south land, a
poor portion for any man that tries to
put his trust in it. What has been
your experience? What has been the
experience of every man., of every Wo-
man that has tried this world for a
portion? Queen Elizabeth, amid the
surroundings of pOmp, is unhappy pc
cause the painter sketches too minute
1y the wrinkle on her face, and she
Indignantly cries out, You must strike
off my Likeness without any shadows"
Hogarth, at the very height of his ar
tistic triumph, is stung Almost to death
with chagrin because the painting ne
had dedicated to the king does not
seem to be acceptable, for George II
cries out: who is this Hogarth? Take
his trumpery out of my presence!"
Brinsley Sheridan thrilled the earth
with his eloquence, but had for his
last words, II am absolutely undone.'
Walter Scott, fumbling around the ink
stand, trying to write, says to his
daughter: oh, take me back to my
room, There ia no rest for SIR walter
but in the gravel" Stephen Girard, the
wealthiest man in his a or time, at
any rate, only second in wealth, says:
II live the life of a galley slave. When
I arise in the morning, my one effort is
to work so hard that / can sleep when
f. gets to be night" Charles Lamb, ap-
,plauded of all the world, in the very
midst of his literary triumph, says:
DO you remember. Bridget. when We
used TO laugh from the SlliliIS gar
lery at the play? There are now no
good plays to laugh at from the
boxes" But why go so far as that? 1
need to go no farther tlan your street
to find an illustration of what 1 am
saying.
NO JOY IN WEALTH.
Pick me out ten successful world
1ings-and you know what l mean by
thoroughly successful worldllngs-pfck
me out ten successful worldlings, and
you cannot find more than one that
looks happy. Care dr him to bus1-
ness: care drags him back. Take your
stand at 2 O'Clock at the corner OF the
streets and see the agonizeo physios-
Monies. Your high officials, your bank
erS, your insurance men, your import
ers, your wholesalers and your retail
ers, as a clasS-as a class, are they
happy? NO. Care dogs their steps, ana,
making no appeal to- Goo for help or
comfort. many of them are tossed eV-
erywhitter. How has it been with
you, my nearer! Are you more con-
tented iii the houSe of fourteen rooms
than you We're in the w rooms you
had in q house when you started!