Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-03-23

tons. Sometimes they call them cha
rades, sometimes they call them magi,
lantern exhibitions entertainments
for which you pay fifty cents. the fifty
cents TO go to the support Of some
charitable institution. An extempo
riZed stage is put up in the church or
in the lecture room and there you GO
and see David and the giant and Jo-
seph sold into Egypt and the little
Samuel awoke, the chief difference be
tween the exhibition in the church
and the exhibition in the theater be-
ing that the exhibition in the theater
is more skiliful.
Now let us have a new institution.
with expurgated drama and with the
surroundings | have spoken of-an
institution which we can without So
phistry and without self deception
so uncompromisingly good that We
support and p3tronize-an institution
can attend it without any shock to our
religious sensibilities. though the Sab
bath before we sat at the holy Sacra-
m6nt
The amuscments OF life are beautiful
and they are valuable. but they can
rot pay you FOR the loss OF your soul.
could not tell your character. | could
not tell Your prospects FOR this worli
or the next by the particular church
you attend. but Il you will tell RE
whore you were last night. and where
niyh hpfn NJ W
You have been the nights of the last
month. think can guess where you
viii spend eternity.
As 10 the drama or your life and
mine. /; will soon end There will be
no encore 10 bring us back. At the
beginning OF that drama OF life stood
a cradle. a; the end Of it will stand a
grave. The first act, welcome. Tae
las. act. farewell! The intermediate
acts banquet and battle professions
bridal and funeral. songs and tears.
laughter and grCanS
IL was not original with Shakespeare
when he said. All the worlds a stage
and all the men and women merely
players" He got IL from 81. Paul. who
fifteen centuries before that had writ
ten. We are made u spectacle unto
the world and 10 angels and to men.
A spectacle in a coliseum fighting with
wild beasts in an amphitheater, the
galleries full. looking down. Here We
destroy a Ion. Here We grapple with
a gladiator. When We fail devils
shout. When we rise. angels sing 4
spectacle before gallery above gallery,
gallery above gallery Gallery OF our
departed kindred, looking down 70 see
If We are faithful! and worthy of our
Christian ancestry. hoping for our vic
tory. wanting to throw us a garlanl.
glOrifed children and parents, with
cheer and cheer urging MS on. Gal
!ery OF the martyrs looking down
the Polycarps and the Ridleys and the
Mckails. and the Theban legion AMI
the Scotch Covenanters and they OF
the Brussels market place and OF Pied
mont-crying down from the galleries.
God gave US the victory, and he will
give 1t you" Gallery of angels look
Ing down-cherubic seraphlc. arch
angelic-clapping their wings at every
advantage We gain. Gallery OF the
King from which there waves a
SCARED hand and from which there
comes a sympathetic voice saying.
BE thou faithful unto death. and
will give thee a crown OF life" On. the
spectacle In which you and are the
actors. Oh the piled up galleries look
ing down!
Scene: The last day Stage: The
rocking earth. Enter: Dukes, lords,
kings, .beggars. clowns. No sword
No tinsel. No crown. For footlights:
The kindling flames of world. For
orchestra: The trumpets that wake
the dead. For applause: The clapping
floods OF the sea- For curtain: The
heavens rolled together as scroll.
For tragedy: The Doom OF the
Profiigate.' For the last scene OF the
fifth act: The tramp Of nations across
the stage. SEINE to the right. others TO
the left. Then the bell of the last thun-
der will ring. and the curtain will
drop,