The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-18

close put off the disguise so a great many
pass their whole life in a mask, taking off
the mask at death. While the masque-
rade bail of life goes on they trip merrily
over the floor gemmed hand IS stretched
to gemmed hand, cleaning brow bends
to cleaning brow. On with the dancei
Flush and rustic and laughter of i'm
measure bic merry-making. But after
awhile the languor of death comes on the
limbs and blurs the eyesight. Lights
lower. Floor hollow with sepulchral echo.
Music saddened into a wall. Lights
lower. Now the maskers are only seen
in the dim light. Now the fragrance of
the flowers is like the sickening odor that
comes from garlands that have lain long
in the vaults of cemeteries. Lights lower
Mists gather in the room. Glasses shake
as though quaked by sudden thunder
Sight caught in the curtain. Scarf drops
from the shoulder of beauty shroud
Lights lower over the slippery boards
in dance Of death glide jeaousies, envies,
revenges, lust, despair, and death. Stencil
OF lamp-wicks almost eXtinguished. Torn
garlands will not half cover the liberated
feet. Choking damps, chilliness. Feet
still. Hands closed. Voices hushed
Eyes shut Lights out.
l invite you to quit all that and begin
new life. Roland went into battle. Char
lemagne's army had been driven back by
the three armies of the Saracens, and Ro-
land almost in despair took up the trum-
pet and blew three blasts in one of the
mountain passes and under the power of
those three blasts the Saracens recoiled
and fled in terror. But history SAYS that
when he had blown the third blast Ro-
lands trumpet broke. 1 take this trum-
pet of the gospel and I blow the first
blast: "WhosoeVer will" 1 blow the
second blast: Seek We the Lord while he
may be found" I blow the third blast:
Now is the accepted time" But the
trumpet does not break. It was handed
down by our fathers, 10 us, and we will
hand 1t down TO our children, that after
we are dead they may blow the trumpet,
telling the world that we have a pardoning
God, loving God, a sympathetic God, and
that more TO him than the throne on
which he sits is the joy of seeing a prod
igal putting his thumb on the latch of his
fathers house. l remember that there
were two vessels on the sea, and in a
storm. II was very, very dark, and the
two vessels were going straight for each
other, and the captains knew it not But
after awhile the man on the lookout saw
the approaching ship, and he shouted,
"hard-a-larboard" And from the other
vessel the cry went up, "hard-a-larboardv'
And they turned just enough to glance by
and passed in safety to their harbors
Some of you are in the storm of tempta-
ton and you are driving on and coming
toward fearful collisions unless YOU
change your course. "Hard-a-larboardp %
Turn We, turn We, for why will We die,
oh, house of Israeli"
Young man, as you cannot live life over
again, however you may long to do 50,
be sure to have your one life right There
is some young man who has gone away
from home, perhaps under some little spite
or evil persuasion of another and his pa
rents know not where he is. My son, 30
home! DO not go TO seal Don't go tonight
larn no tor t.
Your father win be glad to see you; and
your MOTHER need not tell you how she
feels. How / would like to make your pa
rents present of their hayward boy, re-
pentant and In his right mind. l would like
TO write them a letter, and you to carry
the letter saying: BY the blessing of God
on my sermon 1 introduce to you one whom
you have never seen before, for he han be-
come a new creature in Christ Jesus" My
boy, go home and put your tired head on
the bosom that nursed you so tendci ly in
your childhood years.
n young Scotchman was taken captive In
battle by band of Indians, and ne learn
ed their language and adopted their ma
bits. Years passed on but the old Indian
chieftain never forgot that he had in his
possession a young man who did not belong
to him. Well, one day this tribe of Indians
came in sight of the Scotch regiments from
whom this young man had been captured
and the old Indian chieftain said 81 lost
my son in battle, and / know how IA
Their feels at the loss of a son. DO you think
your father is yet allve?" The young nan
said: l am the only son of my father, ana
l hope he is still alive" Then said the III
dan chieftain: Because of the oss OF my
son this world is a desert. You go free. Re
turn to your couutrymen. Revisit your IA
thor, that he may rejoice when he secs
the sun rise in the morning and the trees
blossom in the spring" So / say to yuu.
yoUng man, captive of waywardness and
sin. Your father is waiting for you. Your
mother Is waiting for you. Your sisters are
waiting for you. God is waiting for you.
Co home! Go homel