The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-03-23
WEARY WAYFARERS.
WELLS OF COMFORT in UNEXPECTED
PLACES.

Or. TalmHge Draws Some stirring LessopS
From the Story of Hagar ard lshmael
In the Desert-Findins and Keeping Our
Proper Stations In Life.
Copyright 1895, by American Press ASso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, March 20.-This dis
course of Dr.. Ialmage draws from an
oriental scene some stirring lessons and
points to wells of comfort III unexpected
places; text, Genesis xxi, 19, "And God
coaned her eyes and she saw we'll OF
water, and sho went and filled the bot
tie with water and gave the lad drink.
Morning breaks upon Beersheba.
There is an carly stir III the house Of
old Abraham. There has been trouble
among the domestics. Hagar, an assist
ant in the household, and her Son. a
brisk lad of I6 years, have become i'm
pudent and insoleut, and Sarah, the
mistress of the household, puts her foot
down very hard and says that they will
have to leave the premises. They are
hacking up now. Abraham, knowing
that tho Journey before his servant and
her son will be very long and across
desolate places, in the kindness of his
heart sets about putting up some bread
and bottle with water in it. 1t is
very plain lunch that Abraham pro-
vides, but warrant you there would
have been enough of it had they not lost
their way. "God be with You, ;" SAID
old Abraham as he gave the lunch to
Hagar and good many charges as to
how she should conduct the journey.
Ishnael, the boy, I suppose, bounded
away in the morning light. Boys al
ways like change. Poor 1shmacl! He
has no idea of tho disasters that are
ahead of him. Hagar gives one long,
lingering look on the familiar place
where she had spent SO many happy
days, each scene associated with the
pride and JOY of her heart, young Ish-
nael.
The searching noon comes on. The air
is sitting and moves across the desert
with insuferable sufTocation. Ishniael,
the boy, begins to complain aud lies
down, but Hagar rouses him up, saying
nothing about her own weariness or the
sweltering beat, for motherscan endure
anything. Trudge, trudge, trpdee.
Crossing the dead level of the desert.
how wearily and slowly the miles slip!
A tamarind that seemed hours ago to
stand only just little ahead, inviting
the travellers to come under its shadow,
now is as far off as ever, Or seemingly
SO. Night drops upon the desert, and
the travellers are pillowless. Ishmael,
very weary, I suppose, instantly falls
asleep. Hagar as the shadows of the
night begin to lap over each other
Hagar hugs her weary boy to her bosom
and thinks of tho fact that it is her
fault that they are in the desert. A star
looks out, and every falling tear il
kisses with q sparkle, \ wing Of wind
comes ovsr the bot earth and lifts tho
locks from the fevcred brow cf the boy.
Hagar sleeps ftfully and ia her dreams
travels over the weary day and balf
awakes her son by crying cut in her
sleep: "Ishmael! lslGael!'
Lost In the Desert.
And so they so on day after day and
night after night, fer they have lost
their way. No path in the shifting
sands, no sign in tho burning sky. The
sack empty of the -four. the water gone
from the bottle. What shall she do: A.
she puts her fainting Isbpael under a
stunted shrub Of the arid plain sho sees
the bloodshot eye and feels the hot
hand and watches the blood bursting
from the cracked tongue, aud there is a
shriek in the desert of EeersheEa: eve
shall die! We shall die Now, no
mother was ever made strong cn0ngh
to hear her son CRY in vain for drink,
Heretofore she had chcered her boy by
promising speedy end Of the journey
and even smiled upon bim when she
felt desperately enough. Now there is
nothing to do but place him under &
shrub and let him die, She had thought
that she would sit there and watch un-
til the spirit of her boy would so away
forever, and then she would breathe out
her own life on his silent heart. Hut as
the boy begins to claw his tongue III
agony of thirst and struggle III distor-
ton and begs his mother to slay him
she cannot endure the spectacle. She
puts him under shrub aud GOES oft Il
bowshot and begins TO weep until all
the desert seems sohbinC, aud her CRY
strikes clear through the heavens, and
an angel of God comes out on Il cloud
and looks down upon the appalling
grief and cries, "Hagar, what aile'h
thee:" She looks up and she sees tho
angel pointing to we'll Of water, where
she fills the bottle for tho lad Thank
GodI Thank God!
I learn from this oriental scene, III
the first place, what a sad thing it is
when people do not knew their place
and get too proud for their business.
Hagar was an assistant in that house
hold. but she wanted to rule there. She
ridiculed and jeered until her SON l>h-
mael got the same tricks. She dashed
out her own happiness and threw Sarah
into great fret, and if she had staid
much longer il that household She
would have upset calm Abraham $
equilibrium. My friends, one-half Of
the trouble in the world today comes
from the fact that people do not know
their place, or, finding their place, will
not stay in it. When we come into the
world, there is always place ready for
u.s. a place fer Abraham. \ place for
Sarah. a place for Hagar. y place for
Ishmael. a place for you and place
for me.
Find Your Sphere.
Our first DUTY is TO find our sphere
our second is to keep it, We may be
born in sphere far off from the one
for which God finally intends rs. Six
tus V was born on the low ground and
was swinehcrd; cod called him up 10
wave scepter. Ferguson spent his
early days in looking after sheep; Gcd
called him up to lcok after stars and be
a shepherd watching the focks OF lights
o~ 8La h,ns;doS If bcoren H0caTfo b6.