Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-06-19

F'urCnermOre, let all refOrmerS, and
all Sabbath school teachers and all
Christian workers realize that, If they
would be effective for good, they must
make pictures, If not by chalk on
blackboards, or kindergarten designs,
or by pencil on canvas, then by words.
Arguments are soon forgotten, but pic
lures, whether in language or in colors,
are what produce strongest effects.
Christ was always telling what thing
was like, and his sermon on the mount
was great picture gallery, beginning
with a sketch of "city on a hill that
cannot be hid" and ending with q
tempest beating against two houses,
one on the rock and the other on the
sand. The parable Of the prodigal son,
a picture; parable of the sower who
went forth to SOW, picture; parable
of the unmerciful servant, a picture;
parable of the ten virgins, a picture;
parable of the talents, picture. The
world wants pictures, and the appe-
tite begins with the child, who con-
sents to go early to bed If the mother
will sit beside him and rehearse a sto-
ry, which is only a picture. When we
see how much has been accomplished
in secular directions by pictures
Shakespeare's tragedies, a picture; Vic
tor Hugo's writings, all pictures; John
Ruskin's and Tennyson's and Longfel-
lows works, all pictures-why not en-
list as far as possible for our churches
and schools and reformatory work and
evangelistic endeayor, the power of
thought that can be put into word pic
lures, il not pictures in color? Yea,
why not all young men draw for them
selves on paper with pen or pencil their
coming career, Of virtue if they prefer
that, of vice If they prefer that. After
making the picture put it on the wall
or paste it on the fly leaf Of some favor
tie book that you may have it before
you.
read of a man who had been exc
cuted for murder, and the jailor found
afterward picture made on the wall
of the cell by the assassin's own hand,
a picture of fight of stairs. On the
lowest step he had written: "Dis-
obedience to PARENTS" on the second,
sabbath breaking;;" on the third,
drunkenness and gambling;" on the
fourth, murder" and on the fifth and
top step, ga gallows." If that man had
made that picture before he took the
first step, he never would have taken
any of them! Oh, man, make another
picture, a bright picture, an evangelic-
al picture and L will help you make it!
[ suggest six steps for this fight of
stairs. On the first step write the
words, ga nature changed by the Holy
Ghost and washed in the blood Of the
lamb" on the second step, Industry
and good companionship;;" on the third
step, ga Christian home with a family
ALTAR" on the fourth step, Ever wild
ening usefulness" on the fifth step, "a
glorious departure from this world"
on the sixth step. Heaven. heaven,
heavenp' Write it three times, and let
the letters Of the one word be made
up of banners, the second of coronetS
and the third of thrones! Promise me
that you will do that, and L will prom
Use to meet you on the sixth step, if the
Lord will, through his pardoning
grace, bring me there too.
And here 1 am going to say n word
Of cheer to people who have never had
q word of consolation on that subject.
There are men and women in this
world by hundreds of thousands who
have a fine natural taste and yet all
their lives that taste has been sup
pressed, and although they could APP
preciate the galleries Of Dresden and
Vienna and Naples far more than 900
people out Of 1000 who visit them,
they may never go for they must sup
port their households, and bread and
schooling for their children are of
more Importance than pictures.
Though fond of music they are COM
PEELED to live amid discord; and though
fond of architecture they dwell in
clumsy abodes, and though appreciative
Of all that engravings and paintings
can do they are in perpetual depriva-
ton. You are going, after you get on
the sixth step of that stairs just spok-
en- of, to find yourselves in the royal
gallery of the universe, the concenter-
ed splendors of all worlds before your
vision. In some way all
the thrilling scenes through which
we and the church Of God have passed
n our earthly state will be pictured
,r brought to mind.
At a cyclorama of Gettysburg a
blind man who lost his sight in battle
vas with his child heard talking while
standing before that picture. The
blind man said to the daughter, "Are
here at the right Of the picture some
marching up hill?' eyes,"
she said. "Well," said the blind man,
SIS there a general on horseback lead
ng them on?'' eyes," she said. "Well, |
s there rushing down on these men
cavalry charger" eyes," was the re-
,ly. "And do there seem to be many |
lying and deadw EYES," was the an
wer. "Well, now, do you see shell |
rom the woods bursting near the |