Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-10-24

~ ~ oet scrinturaI passage in answer, said
n one NJ these poor lads, cast out and
wrefched. when your father and your
mother forsake you, who, then, Will take
YOU up?" And the boy said, The per-
| lice!"
rejoice before God that never are
svmna athletic words uttered, never prayer
| o47ore1 never A Christian almsglylng IN
JTIred in but it is blessed. There is a
place in Switzerland, ] have been, told;
where the utterance OF one word VIII
hrirc hack score Of echoes, and | have
~ b,lt +e,, oF Won that sympathetic word.
l,ird word. a generous word. helpful
word uttered in the dark places Of the
town will bring back 10000 echoes from
heaven.
7 could civ. you the history III minute
Of one OF the best friends L ever had
Outside of my own family l never had
better friend He welcomed me to my
/ home AZ the West. He was of splendid
personal apnearance. but he had an ardor
/ of souI and a warmth of affection that
made me love him ike a brother. saw
men coming out OF the saloons and eamb-
| ling bells, and they surrounded my. TREND,
and thew took him at the weak point-hls
and / had a fair talk with him, tor
never vet saw man YOU could not talk
with on the subject Of his habits II yon
talked with him in the right way. L
said to him. "Why don't YOU give up YOUR
bad habits and become a CHRISTIAN" L
remember now just how he looked, leaning
over his counter, IS lie replied, Il wish
] could. Oh. sir, I should like to be
Christian, but I have gone so far astray
/ can't get back!' So the time went on:
After awhile the dav Of sickness came. [
was summoned to his sickbed. | fastened.
it took me but very few moments to
get there. ! was surprised AS | went IN.
] saw him in his ordinary dress fully
dressed. lying on top Of the bed. l gave
him my hand, and he seized it convuislve-
" and said: ooh, how glad I am to see
YOU! Sit down there ! sat down, and
! he said: Mr.. Talmage, just where YOU
sit now my mother sat last night: She
! has been dead twenty wears. Now, don't
want YOU to think / am out of nv mind
G. that [ am superstitiOus. but, sir. she
sat there last night and she said. 'Ros-
well, I wish YOU would do better. I wish
YOU would do better l said: Mother,
I wish I could do better. I try to, do
better, but | can't. Mother. You used to
helm me; why can't Won heID me now"
reality, and ] went to her and threw my
arms around her neck, and / said: Moth
er, | viii do better, but you must help
me. I can't DO this alone" I knelt
and prayed, That night his soul went
! to the Lord who made it,
duies The question was raised whether
! they should bring him to the church.
Somebody said, "You cannot bring such
dissOiute man as that into the church,
J said; You will bring him in church:
| He stood nv ne when he was alive, and !
will stand by him when he is dead. Bring
him" As | stood in the pulpit and saw
them CARRYING the body up the aisle [
felt as if / could weep tears of blood. On
one side of the pulpit sat his little child
Of eight years, d sweet. beautiful little
girl. that I had seen him hug convu!sive!y
in his better moments. He put on her
all Jewels and gave her all pictures and
toys, and then he would go away. as If
bounded by an evil spirit, to his cups and
the house of iniQ'lity, fool to the cor
recton Of the stocks. She looked I'D Won
dcringty; she knew not what it all meant:
she was not Old enough to understood
the sorrow of an orphan. On the other
side sat the men who ruined him. They
were the men who had poured the worm
wood into the orphans cup; they were
the men who had bound him hand and
foot. I knew them. How did they seem
to feel? Did they weep? No. Did they
say, ',,Wh3t a pity th3tt ), 50 generous
sigh repentingly over what they had done?
No; they sat there, looking as vu'tures
look at the carcass of lamb whose heart
they have ripped out So they sat and
looked at the coffin lid, and I tod them
the Judgment Of God upon those who
reform? I was told they were in the
places Of ininuity that night after my
friend was laid in Oakwood cemetery, and
they blasphemed and they drank. Oh,
how merciless men are, especially after
they have destroyed you! Do not look
to men for comfort or help.
But there is a man who will not re-
form He says, Il won't reform" We'll,
then, how many acts are there in
tragedy? | believe there are five acts in
tragedy.
Act the first Of the tragedy: A young
.7an starring off from home; parents and
sisters weeping to have him 90: wagon
rising over the hill: farewell kiss flung
back. Ring the bell and let the curtain
fail.
Act the second: The marriage altar:
full organ, bright lights; long white veil
trailing through the aisle; PRAYER and con.
gratulation and exclamation of How we'll
She l0oks,'
Act the third A woman waiting for
staggering steps; old garments struck into
the broken window pane: marks of hard
ship on the face; the biting of the nails
OF b'oodiess fingers; neglect and cruelty
and despair Ring the bell and let the
curtain drop.
Act the fourth: Three graves in a dark
piace-grave of the child that died for
lack of medicine, grave of the wife that
died of a broken heart, grave of the
man that died of dissipation. Oh. what
blasted heath with three graves! Plenty
of weeds. but no flowers. Ring the bell
and let the curtain drop.
Act the fifth: y destroyed souls etern-
ity; 40 light, 10 music; biackness OF dark
ness forever. But [ cannot look any long
CT Woe! woe! [ close my eyes to this
last act OF the tragedy. Quick, quick!
Ring the bell and let the curtain drop
'Reioice. o young man, in thy youth. ard
things God will bring YOU into Judgment"
There is a way that seemeth right to a
man. but the end thereof IS Death