Connecticut western news., 1899-03-02
TALMAGE ON HOME.
1as PLACE FOR IRE DEVELOPMENT
 OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.


 rAe PLACE FOR IRE DEVELOPMENT
 OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. Tender Reeolleetio~s stirred by the
 Recall of Scenes of Boyhoed and
 G,r,AeoA-show Piety First Ut the
 Firesiae.
 tCopyriEht, isse. by American Press Asso-
 eiatfon.l
 WASHINGTON, Feb. a6.-Many tender recollections are stirred by Dr. Tal- mage's discourse and scenes of boyhood and girlhood days will be lived over again text. I Timothy V, f. ''Let them learn first to show piety at home.
 During the summer months the tend ency is to the fields. to visitation, to foreign travel and the watering places, and the ocean steamers are thronged, but in the winter it is rather to gather in domestic circles. and during these months we spend many of the hours within doors, and the apostle comes to ua and says that we ought to exercise Christian behavior amid all such cir cumstances. "Let them learn first to show piety at home
 There arc . great many people long ing for some grand sphere in which to servo God. They admire Luther at the diet of Worms. and only wish that they had some such great opportunity in which to display their Christian prowess. They admire Paul making Felix tremble. and they only wish that they had some such grand occasion in which to preach righteousness. temper ance and judgment to come. All they want Is m opportunity to exhibit their. Christian heroism. Now, the apostle practically says: 'I will show you plaoeI where you can exhibit all that is grand and beautiful and glorious in CAxistian character and that is the do- mestic circle Let them learn first to chow piety at home. If one is not faithful in an insignificant sphere, he will not be faithful in 8 resounding sphere If Peter will not help the crip- ple at the gate of the temple. he will nevss he able to preach 5000 into the kingdom at the Pentecost. If Paul will not taks gains to instruct in the way of salvation the jailer of the Philippian dungeon. he win never make Felix txemble. He who is not faithful in a skirmish would not be faithful in an Armageddon. The fact is. we are all placed in just the position in which we can most grandly serve God. and we ought not to be chiefly thoughtful about some sphere of usefulness which we may after awhile gain. but the all ab- surhing question with you and with me ought to be. stLord. what wilt thou have me now and here to dol"
 There Is one word in St Paufs ad- juraticn around which the most of our thoughts will revolve That word is .shome. Ask ten different men the meaning of that word and they will aive you ten different definitions To ono it means love at the hearth. plenty at the table. industry at the work stand, intelligence 1t the books. devotion at the altar. In that household discord nevsr sounds it's warwhoop, and de- caption never tricks with it's false face. To him it means greeting at the door and smile at the chair. peace hover ing like wings joy clapping it's hands with laughter. Life is tranquil lake. P1lowed on the nipples sleep the shad- ows Ask another man what home is and he will tell you it is want looking out of cheerlees fire grate. kneading hunger in an empty bread tray. The damp air shivering with curses No Bible on tho shelf. Children robbers and murderers in embryo. Obscene songs their lullaby. Every face a picture of ruin Want in the background and sin staring from the front. No Sabbath wave rolling over that doorsin vesti bule of tho pit Shadow of internal walla Furnace for forging everlasting chains Fagots for an intending funeral pile. Awful word It is spelled with curses. it weeps with ruin. it chokes with woo. 1t sweats with the death agony of despair. The word ''home" in tho one case means everything bright. The word ''home'' in the other case means everything terrific.
 AS . rsst of Character.
 shah speak now of home as a test Of character. home as refuge. home as . political safeguard. home as school. and home as type of heaven. And In the first place. home is a power ful test of character. The disposition in public may be in gay costume. while h private it is dishabille. As play ac- torn may appear in one way on the stage and may appear in another way behind the scenes. % private character may be very different from public character. Private character is often public char acter turned wrong side out A man may receive you into his parlor as tA0ugh he was distillation of smiles, and yet his heart may be swamp of ncttles. There are business men who all day long are mild and courteous, and genial and good natured in com mercial life. damming back their irrita- bility and their petulance and their discontent. but at nightfall the dam breaks. and scolding pours forth in floods and freshets-
 Reputation is only the shadow of character. and . very small house some times will cast . very long shadow. The lips may seem to drop with myrrh and cassia and the disposition ~to be as bright and warm as sheath of sun- beams, and yet they may only be magnificent show window for wretch ed stock of goods. There is many man who is affable in public life and amid commercial spheres who in cow ardly way takes his anger and his petu- lance home and drops them in the do- mestic circle. The reason men do not display their bad temper in public is becnuee they do not want to be knocked down There are men who hide their petulance and their irritability just for the same reason that they do not let their notes go to protest-it does not pay-or for the same reason that they do not want a man in their stock com pany to sell his stock below par lest it Appreciate the value.
 As at sunset sometimes the wind rises, 90 after . sunshiny day there may h. a tenneatuoua nipht There arc r,oo-