Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-05-06
LIFE IN RETROSPECT.
OR. TALMAGg CALLS TIE ROLL OF
STIRRING MEMO CRIES.

Drawt.n ur,pfat Lessons FROM Pas,
Experiences nnd Niri.sitrdcs.-Ad- /
vsnssa~s "t i;nrIy Howe Teachings /
and SURROUNDINGS.
fCopyrirht iseria Klcpseh 1874
WASHINGTON. May This sermon ri
DIR Talmngc calls the roll of man, stir
RING memories ard intcrprc,s the m, sning
II lifc's viciesltudcs The text Is Psalms
xSxiS. q. while I was musing the flrc
burned 4"
Here n David. the psalmist. with the
sorflnRcr ~ his right hand against his
temple and the door shut againHt the
world. engaged In contemplation. And IL !
would hc well for us TO take the sanre pos
turn often while We sit down In swe Q soil
tude % contemplate
In n small island oil the coast Of Nova
Scotia ! once passed n Sabbath In delight
full solitude. for I had resolved that I
would have one day Of entire quiet bcfore
] entered upon autumnai work. Thought
to have spent the day In laying out plans
for Christian work. but instead 81 that II
became day ~ tender rminiscercc.
reviewed my passionate: I shook hands
with nm old departed friend. whom shall
greet again when the curtains of life are
lifted Tho days Of my hoyhood came
hack. and was 10 years Of aye. and
was s. and was B. There was bat ono
house ON the island. and yet from sabbath
daybrcak. when the bird chant woke me,
until the evening melted into the hay Of
Tundy. from shore 60 shore there were ten
thousand memories. and the groves were
album with voices that had long ago
ceased.
Youth Is apt too much 20 spend all its
time In looking forward. Old rgv' Is apt
too much 90 spend all Its time In looking
backward People In midlifc and on the
arcx look both ways. II would he well
for us. think. however. to spend more
time In "Reminiscences by the constitution
Of our nature we spend most 81 the time
looking forward And the vast majority
Of people live not so much In the present
rs In the future. ind that you mean 20
make n reputation. you mean 90 establish
yourself and the advantages thnt you cx-
pect 90 achieve absorb great deal ~ your
time But SEQ no harm In this. n IL does
not make you discontinued with the pres
ent or disqualify you for existing duties. !
IL IL n useful thing sometimes to To- X back
and to sec the dangers we have escaped
and 60 sec the SORROWS we have suffered
and the trials and wanderings of our
earthly pilgrimage and to- sum MP our en-.
joyments ] mean. 50 far M tod NJ ny help
me. To stir mp your memory Of the past.
40 that In the review You may be encour
aged and humblcd and urged TO pray
There Il a chapel In Florence with
fresco by Guido IL was covered up with
two inches of stucco until our American
and European artists went there, aud after
long toll removed the covering and re-
traced tho frcsco. And nm aware that
the memory OF the past. with iaany Of
you. Is all covered up with oblite rations,
and now propose. ~ far a. the lIrd may
help me. 90 take away the covering, that
the old picture may shine out again.
want To bind In one shcaf all your past
advantages. and want 20 bind In another
shcaf all your past adyersities. IL Is n
precious harvest. and must be cautious
how ! swing the scytho
Our Early Associations.
Among the greatest advantages Of your
past life were an carly home and Its sur
roundings Tho bad men Of the day, for
tho most Part. dip their heated passions
out II the boiling spring 81 an unhappy
home. We are not surprised TO lind that
Byron's heart was concentration of sin
when we hear his mother was abandoned
and that she mn,lc sport Of his infirinity
and often called him the iama brat"
He who has vicious parents has to fight
every inch ~ his way II he would main
tain his integrity and nc last mach the
homo 81 the good In heaven. Perhaps
your early home was in city IL may
have been when Pennsylvania avenue,
u..kt.eass... a. a.
commercial. and Canal street. New York,
was far up town. That old hous' In the
city may have been demolished or changed
into stores. and 10 seemed like sanrilcgc to
you, for there was more meaning I'm that
small house than there Is In granite
mansion or a turreted cathedral. Looking
back. you see II as though II wcrr ycster.
day-the sitting room. where the loved
one sat by the plain lamp light, thc moth
er ne the evening stand. the brothers and
sisters. perhaps long ngo gathered into the
skies. then plotting mischief on the floor
or under the table. your father with firm
voice commanding a silence that lasted
half n minnie
oh. those were good days, II you had
your font hurt, your mother always
had n soothing galvc 60 heal Il II YOU
were wrongod In the street. your father
was always ready 10 protect you The
year wns one round IT frolic anI mitth
Your greatest trouble was nm April show
or, more sunshine than shower. The heart
had not been ransacked by trouble, nor
had sickness broken IL. and no lamb had
warmer sliccpfold than the rome in
which your childhood nestled.
Perhaps you were brought uu In the
country. You stand now today IN mem
ory under the old tree You cl1bbed 10
for fruit that was not quite ripe because
you couldn't wait any longer You hear
the brook rumhlinR along over the peb-
blcs. You step again into IN. furrow
where your fnther I'm his shirg sleeves
shouted 90 the lazy oxen. You brighten
the swallows from the rafters ~ the barn
and take just one egg and silence your
conscience by saying they will not miss Il.
You take drink again out Of rhe very
bucket that the old well fetched mp. You
40 for the cows nj night and flnd them
pushing their heads through the tars
Outlines In the dusty and busy ST rccts you
wish you were home again on that cool
grass or In the rng cnrpcted hail 81 the
farmhouse. through which there came the
breath ~ now mown hay OF the blossom
Of buckwhsat
Memories of Home.
You may have In your windows now
beautiful plants and flowers brought from
across the seas. but not one Of them stirs
IN your soul 80 much charm and memory
a. the old Ivy and the yellow sunflOwcr
that stood sentinel along the ganlen walk
and the forgctmcnots playing hide and
seek mid the long grass The father who
used 90 come In sunburncd from the field
and sit down ON the doorsill and wipe the
sweat from his brow may have gone TO
his everlasting rest The mo,hcr who
used 90 sit nj the door little lent over,
cap and spccinclcs on, her face ncllowing
with the yicissitudcs Of many ysars, may
have nut down her gray head on the pill
low In the valley, hut forget that home
You never will. Have you thanked God