Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-06-23

ouiCAAo VI OANdtf OAA fVhf Va H@-'@f ~
wealth, may have a grander tower
named after You. one that shall be
! hung not with the symbols OF carnage.
but with the victories Of that art
which was so long ago recognized in
my text as pleasant pictures" Oh.
the power OF pictures. cannot de-
ride, as some have done. Cardinal Ma
zarin, who, when told that he must die,
took his last walk through the art gal
lery OF his palace. saying; Must quit
all this? Look at that Titan, Look
at that Correggiol Look at that del
uge Of Caraccl Farewell dear pic
turesw
A universal Language.
AS the day OF the Lord Of hosts. ac-
cording to this text. will scrutinize the
pictures. ! implore all parents 10 seq
that 10 their households they have
neither In book nor newspaper nor oil
canvas anything that will deprave.
Pictures are no longer the exclusive
possession Of the afiiuent. There is
not a respectable home in these cities
that has not specimens Of woodcut or
steel engraving, II not Of painting.
and your whole family will feel the
moral uplifting or depression. Have
nothing on your wall or in books that
will familiarize the young with scenes
OF cruelty and wassail. Have only
those sketches made by artists in ele-
waited moods and none OF those scenes
that seem the product Of artistic de-
lIrium tremens. Pictures are not only
q strong but a universal language.
The human race Is divided into almost
as many languages as there are na-
tions. but the pictures may speak to
people OF all tongues. yOlapuk many
have hoped, with little reason, would
become a worldwide language. But
the pictorial is always a worldwide
language, and printers types have no
emphasis compared with il. We say
that children are fond Of pictures; but
notice any man when be takes up a
book and you will see that the first
thing that he looks at is the pictures.
Have only those in your house that ap-
peal to the better nature. One en-
craving has sometimes decided an
eternal destiny. Under the title Of
fine arts there have come here from
France a class Of pictures which
elaborate argument has tried to prove
irreproachable. They would disgrace
barroom and they need to be conis-
Gated. Your children will carry the
pictures Of their fathers house with
them clear on to the grave. and. pass
lg that marble pillar, will take them
through eternity.
Furthermore, 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, II not by chalk on
bfnckpoarcs, or kindergarten designs,
or by pencil on canvas. then by words.
Arguments are soon forgOt,?n, out pic
lures, whether In language or in colors,
are what produce strongest effects.
Christ was always telling what a thing
was like, and his sermon on the mount
was q great picture gallery, beginning
with a sketch Of "city on a hill that
cannot be hid" and ending with a
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, a picture; parable
of the unmerciful servant, a picture;
parable OF the ten virgins. picture;
parable OF the talents, a picture. The
world wants pictures, and the appe-
tite begins with the child, who con-
sents to 60 early to bed II the mother
will sit beside him and rehearse sto-
~, 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 Hugos 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 ana
evangelistic endeayOr the power OF
thought that can be put into WORD PIC
lures. II 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 II they prefer that AFTER
making the picture put It on the wall
or paste 1t on the fly leaf OF some favor
tie book that you may have 1t before
you.
read OF a man who had been exc
cuted for murder, and the jailor found
afterward a picture made on the wal
Of the cell by the assassln's own hand,
q picture Of a hight Of stairs. On the
lowest step be 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. "a gallows." II that man had
made that picture before he took the
first step. he never would have taken
any of theml Oh, man, make another
picture. a bright picture, an eyangelie-
al picture and will help you make II!
I suggest six steps for this flight OF
stairs. On the first step write the
words. "A nature changed by the Holy
Ghost and washed In the blood of the
lamb" on the second step. Industry
and good companionsbip;" on the laird
step, "a Christian home with 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,
heaven? Write II three times. and let
the letters Of the one word be made
ND OF banners, the second Of coronets
and the third Of thronesl Promise me
that you will do that. and | will prom
ise to meet you on the sixth step. II the
Lord win, through his pardoning
greece, bring me there too.
And here | am going to say word
OF cheer to people who have never had
a word Of consolation on that subject
There are men and women In this
world by hundreds OF thousands who
have a ine natural taste aud yet all
49, H.. sho& toofa has haon eun-