The Leon reporter., 1900-03-22

Il e
lantern exhibitions entertainment,
for which you pay fifty cents, the fifty
cents to so to the support Of some
charitable institution. An extempo-
rized stage is put up III the church OF
In the lecture room and there you &c
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 skillful. .
Now let us have a new institution,
with expurgated drama and with the
surroundings l have spoken of-an
institution which we can without So
phistry and without self deception
SO uncompromisingl good that we
support and patronlze-an institution
can attend 1t without any shock to our
religious sensibilities, though the Sab
bath before we sat at the holy sacra-
ment.
The amusements of life are beautiful
and they are valuable, but they can
not pay you for the loss of your soul.
could not tell your character, l could
not tell your prospects for this world
or the next by the particular church
you attend, but If you will tell me
where you were last night, and where
you were the night before and where
you have been the nights of the last
msnth, think l can guess where you
will spend eternity.
AS to the drama OF your life and
mine, it will soon end. There will be
no encore to bring us back. At the
beginning of that drama of life stood
cradle, at the end of it will stand a
grave. The first act, welcome. The
last act, farewell. The intermediate
acts, banquet and battle, professions
bridal, and funeral, songs and tears,
laughter and groans.
1t was net original with Shakespeare
when he said. Gall the worlds stage
and all the men and women merely
players" He got 1t from st. Paul, who
fifteen centuries before that had writ
ten, We are made a spectacle unto
the world and to angels and to men,"
A spectacle in coliseum fighting with
wild beasts in an amphitheater, the
galleries full, looking down. Here we
destroy lion. Here we grapple with
gladiator. When we fall, devils
shout. When we rise, angels sing. A
spectacle before gallery above gallery,
gallery above gallery. Gallery of our
departed kindred, looking down to see
if we are faithful and worthy of our
Christian ancestry, hoping for our VIC
tory, wanting to throw us a garland,
glorified children and parents, with
cheer and cheer urging US on. Gal
lery of the martyrs looking down
the Polycarps and the Ridleys and the
McKails and the Theban legion and
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, seraphic. arch
angelic-clapping their wings at every
advantage we gain. Gallery of the
King from which there waves
Scared hand and from which there
comes sympathetic voice saying,
BE thou faithful unto death, and l
will give thee crown Of life.'' Oh, 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
Profligate.' For the last scene of the
fifth act: The tramp of nations across
the stage, some to the right, others to
the left. Then the bell of the last thun-
der will ring. and the curtain will
drop!