Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-03-24
LIFE IN GREAT CITIES
DR.. TALMAGE TELLS OF ITS SPLEN-
DOR AND ITS WOE.
The Pulpit Orator Draws Some Use
full and Helpful Lessons From His
own observations - The Voice of
the Streets.

copyright 1899. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON. March 10.-In this dis
course DR. Talmage. who has lived the
most of his life in cities. draws prac-
tical lessons from his own observations
text. Proverbs l. 90 "Wisdom crieth
without; she uttereth her voice in the
streets.
We are all ready TO listen TO the
voices of nature-the voices Of the
mountain. the voices of the sea, the
voices of the storm, the voices Of the
rtar. AS in some of the cathedrals in
Europe there is an organ at either end
of the building. and the one instrument
responds musically to the other, so in the
great cathedral Of nature day responds
to day and night to night and flower to
flower and star to star in the great har-
monies of the universe The springtime
is an evangelist in blossoms preaching Of
Gods love. and the winter is prophet
white bearded - denouncing woe
against our sins. We are ali ready to
listen to the voices of nature. but how
few of us learn anything from the
voices of the noisy and dusty street ?
You go to your mechanism and to your
work and to your merchandise. and You
come back again. and often with how
different a heart you pass through the
streets. Are there no things for us to
learn from these pavements over which
we passl Are there no tufts Of truth
growing up between these cobblestones
beaten with the feet Of toll and pain
and pleasure. the slow tread Of old age
and the quick step Of childhoody Aye
there are great haryests to be reaped
and now thrust in the sickle because
the harvest is ripe. Wisdom crieth
without. she uttereth her voice in the
streets.
In the first place, the street impreeses
me with the fact that this life is scene
Of toll and struggle. By 10 o'clock ey
cry day the city is jarring with wheels.
and shutting with feet. and hummins
with voices. and covered with the breath
Of smokestacks. and arush with trattick'
ers Once in awhile you find a man 90
ing along with folded arms and with
leisurely step. as though he had nothing
10 do; but for the most part, rs you
find men going down these streets on
the way TO business. there is anxiety in
their faces. as though they had some
errand which must be executed at the
first possible moment You are JOstled
by those who have bargains TO make
and notes to sell Up this ladder with
a hod Of bricks, out Of this bank with
a roll of bills on this dray with load
Of goods. digging cellar. or shingline
a roof. or shOeing a horse. or building
a wall. or mending a watch, or bind.
ing a book. Industry. with her thou
sand arms and thousand eyes and thou
sand feet goes on singing her song OF
work. work. work, while the mills
drum it and the steam whistles fife it
All this not because men love toll.
Some one remarked. Every man is as
lazy as he can afford to be. But 1t Il
because necessity with stern brow ano
with uplifted whip stands over you
ready whenever you relax your toll tC
make your shoulders sting with the lash
The Worlds Toll and Anxiety.
Can it be that passing up and dowr
these streets on your way to work anc
business that you do not learn anything
of the worlds toll and anxiety anC
struggleY Oh. how many dropping
hearts. how many eyes on the watch
how many miles Travelled. how many
burdens carried, how many losses sut
fered. how many battles fought. how
many victories gained, how many de
feats suffered. how many evaporation
endured; what losses, what hunger
what wretchedness. what pallor wha
disease, what agony, what despair
Sometimes have stopped at the corne
of the street as the multitudes wen
hither and yon. and it has seemed to b
great pantomime, and as l looke'
upon it my heart broke. This great It'd
of human life that goes down the stree
is a rapid. tossed and turned aside an'
dashed ahead, and driven back-beau
tiful in its confusion. and confused Il
its beauty. In the carpeted aisles Of tn
forest. in the woods from which tn
eternal shadow is never lifted. on tn
) sbore of the sea over whose iron coas
tosses the tangled foam sprinkling tn
cracked cliffs with baptism Of whir
wind and tempest. is the best place t
: study God. but in the rushing. swarm
r ing. raving street is the best place
study man.
Going down to your place of buslne'
and coming home again. | charge 20
to look about-see these signs Of poyel
D ty. of wretchedness, of hunger OF sir
Of bereavement-and as You 80 throug
the streets. and come back through tn
streets. gather up in the arms OF you
PRAYER all the sorrow, all the losses a
the sufTerings. all the bereayements
those whom you pass. and present thel
in prayer before an all sympathetic Coo
= In the great day of eternity there WI
be thousands Of persons with whom yo
in this world never exchanged one wore
t will rise up and call you blessed, an
I there will be thousand fingers polnte
AZ YOU in heaven. saying THAT Is II
man. that is the woman. who helpt
; me when was hungry and sick an
2 wandering and lost and heartbrokel
That is the man. that is the woman
!, and the blessing will come down upo
Won as Christ shall say 81 was hungr'
Z, and ye fed me: was naked, and
E clothed me; was sick and in prisol
and We visited me; inasmuch as ye d
1t to these poor waits Of the streets
Q did il to me.
G Again. the street impresses me WI
the fact that all classes and condition
u of society must commingle We som
s times culture wicked exclusivenes
= Intellect 6esPises ignorance Rehn
ment will have nothing to do WI
U boorishnesa Gloves hate the sunburn'
hand. and the high forehead despls
Il the fat head. and the trim hedgero
n will have nothing to do with the WI
copsewood. and Athens hates Nazaret
< This oaght not so to be. The astrcnom
}, must come down from his starry reyel
ord holm us in our navigation. The su