The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-06-21


some men, whose death was the abate-
ment of nuisance, have pile Of Aber-
deem granite high enough for a king
and eulogies enough to embarrass a
seraph. Oh, man of large wealth, in
stead of leavi2g to the whim Of others
your monumental commemoration and
epitaphology, to be looked at when peo-
pie are going to and fro at the burial of
others, build right down in the heart of
our great city, or the city where you
live, an immense free reading-room, or
a free musical conservatory, or free
art gallery, the inches for sculpture and
the walls abloom with the rise and fall
of nations, and lessons Of courage for
the disheartened, and rest for the
weary, and life for the dead; and $50
years from now you will be welding
influence in this world for good. How
much better than white marble, that
chills you if you put your hand on it
when you touch it in the cemetery,
would be a monument in colors, in
beaming eyes, in living possession, in
splendors which under the chandelier
would be glowing and warm, and
looked at by strolling groups with cata-
logue in hand on the January night
when the metropolis where the body
sleeps is all showed under!
The tower of David was hung with
1000 dented shields of battle; but you,
oh man of wealth, may have grander
tower named after you, one that shall
be hung not with the symbols Of car
mage, but with the victories of that art
which was so long ago recognized in my
text as pleasant pictures" Oh, the
power of pictures! l cannot deride,
as some have done, Cardinal MazariD,
who, when told that he must die, took
his last walk through the art gallery
of his palace, saying: "Must quit all
this? Look at that Titan! Look at
that Corregio! Look at that deluge of
Caracci Farewell, dear pictures!"
As the day of the lord of hosts, ac-
eording to this text, will scrutnize the
pictures, implore all parents to see
that in their households they have
neither in book nor newspaper nor on
canvas anything that will deprave.
Pictures are no longer the exclusive
possession of the affluent. There is not
a respectable home in these cities that
has not specimens of woodcut or steel
engraving, if not of painting, and your
whole family will feel the moral uplift-
ing or depression. Have nothing on
your wall or in books that will familiar
ize the young with scenes of cruelty and
wassail; have only those sketches made
| by artists in elevated moods and none
of those scenes that seem the product
of artistic delirium tremens. Pictures
are not only strong but universal
language. The human race is divided
into almost as many languages as there
are nations, but the pictures may speak
to people of all tongues. Volapuk many
have hoped, with little reason. would
become a worldwide language; but the
pictorial is always worldwide Ian
guage, and printers types have no en-
phasis compared with it. We say that
children are fond of pictures; but no.
tice any man when he takes up book,
and you will see that the first thing he
looks at is the pictures. Have only
those in your house that appeal to the
better nature. One engraving has some
times decided an eternal destiny. IN
der the title of fine arts there have come
here from France class of pictures
which elaborate argument has tried to
prove irreproachable. They would dis
grace barroom, and they need to be
confiscated. Your children will carry
the pictures of their fathers house with
them clear on to the grave, and, passing
that marble pillar, will take them
through eternity.
Furthermore, let all reformers and
all Sabbath school teachers and all
Christian workers realize that, il they
would be effective for good, they must
make pictures, if not by chalk or black
boards or kindergarten designs or by
pencil on canvas, then by words. Ar
guments are soon forgotten, but pic
lures, whether in language or in col
ors, are what produce stronger effects.
Christ was always telling what thing
was like, and his sermon on the mount
was a great picture gallery, beginning
with sketch of "city on hill that
cannot be hid" and ending with tenn
pest beating against two houses, one on
the rock and the other on the sand.
The parable of the prodigal son, pic
ture; parable of the sower, who went
forth to sow, picture; parable of the
unmerciful servant, picture; parable
of the ten virgins, picture; parable
of the talents, a picture. The world
wants pictures, and the appetite begins
with the child, who consents to go early
to bed if the mother will sit beside him
and rehearse a story, which is only a
picture.
When we see how much has been ac-
complished in secular objections by pic
tures-Shakespeare's tragedies, a pic
ture; Victor Hugo's writings, all pic
lures; John Ruskin's and Tennyson's
and Longfellow's works, all pictures
why not enlist, as far as possible, for
our churches and schools and reforma-
tory work and evangelistic endeavor
the power of thought that can be put
into word pictures, if not in pictures of
color? Yea, why not all young men
draw for themselves on paper, with pen
or pencil, their coming career, of vir-
tue 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 favorite book, that you
may have it before you. 1 read of a
man who had been executed for muir
der, and the jaiier found afterward a
picture made on the wall of the cell by
the assassin's own hand, picture of a
fight of stairs. On the lowest step he
had written: "Disobedience to par
ents;" on the second, sabbath break