Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-05-10

ltoPS i'Ni'l
WASHINGTON, d. C.-Tn new way and
from a peculiar text Dr. Talmage dis
courses Of good influences brought to bear
for the worlds improvement. The text Is
Ezekiel tx, ., And one man among them
was clothed with linen, with writer S
inlyhorn by his side"
The poem from which my text is taken
is epic, lyric, dramatic, weird and over
powering 1t is more than Homeric or
DantesQue. No one ever had such d.
vine dreams as Ezekiel. In vision this
prophet had seen wrathful angels, destroy
ing angels, each with a sword, but in my
text he sees a merciful angel with an ink
horn. The receptacle for the ink in olden
time was made out of the horn of COW
or ram or a roebuck, as now 1t Is MADE
out of metal or glass, and therefore was
called the inkhorn,. as now we say INK
stand. We have all spoken of the power
of the sword, of the power of wealth, OF
the power of Office, of the power OF social
influence, but to-day | speak of the power
for good or evil in the inkstand. 1T is
upon YOUR tables, holding a black or blue
or red liquid 1t is fortress, an armory,
n gateway, a ransom or demolition.
''You mistake" says some one. 1t Is the
pen that has the power" No, my friend.
What is the influence of dry pen? Pass
it up and down a sheet of paper, and 1t
leaves no mark 1t expresses no opinion.
1t gives no warning. 1t spreads no intelli-
gence. 1t is the liquid which the pen dips
out of the inkstand that does the work
Here and there a celebrated pen, with
which Declaration of Independence or
Magma Charta or treaty was signed has
been kept in literary museum or national
archives, but for the most part the pens,
whether, as of old, made out of reed or
later of wing of bird or still later of me-
talic substance, have disappeared, while
the liquid which the pens took from the
inkstand remains in SCROLL which, If put
together, would be large enough to en-
wrap the round world. For practical, for
moral, for religious, for eternal purposes,
! speak of the mission OF ''the writer's
inllhorn."
First, l mention that which is purely
domestic. The inllstand is in every hoase-
hold. 1t awaits the opportunity to eX-
press affection or coincidence or advice.
Father uses it; mother uses 1T; the sons
and daughters use it, 1t tells the home
news; it announces ~he marriage, the
birth, the departure, the accident, the last
sickness, the death. That home inkstand
what a mission it has already executed,
and what other missions will it yet full
fill! May it stand OFF from all lnslncerlty
and all querulousness. Let it tell only that
which it would be well to read after the
hand that wrote it and the hand that re.
ceived it can write no more: Dip out OF
that inkstand only that which is paternal,
maternals filial ssterly, brotherly Sacred
let it be, not to what are sometimes called
the household gods" but to the one and
the only God who ''setteth the solitary in
families" Dip out of it solace for par,
ents on the descending grade OF years and
announcement lor thoSe WIZ arc oiiiioins
The carvers and glass blowers are ever
busy making more ornate and slSillful
bowls for The ink, but not one OF them will
De SO sacred as the olu Iashloiieu ihhetallu ~
OUT OF whlch was alpPea CnS 4lqutI I1I ny
making OF the iamly record Oh ny ne, pi"nl; ;
leaves IN the blpe between tne Wy anu anu
the New Iestanents, not SO many leaves
now plank as peiore recent years I, I,laue
bmthday or morCuary lhseTtiohs; FROM
that home lnkstand the Ghlla aips ouV
material LOT thpse ldIse anu, anu NNh"1l.t @ ,.: ~
ters that one always makes Wheh leatAlnS
70 WrIte, ana from 1t are tahen the IleInl IlI
pHhS ietCers thaC snow the hl!lN'eu manu-
10 gIadualy forgetting iIs cunning.
oh' !e VINO nave WIN FeISn1 years @ eeo
n9iheS ol youl oWn' ouC Vi the ~ ~ NJ io"S e
Inhst9hu wTlIc often W @ tile olu loiNs, ~ Il
tHeN pe sum hFins' - lMet.ei M me- nlCLia il'oie
TO tnem than 10 US VINO are anhiu 'ne ,,c az
uNtles Oh lile ana 70 Wholl l'os'dl l.e eoile
sPohaence Is lhore thal w 'Iu h,"'ii1fS
hey await the c1nilns VI sIie iI{i itSVei az,
uSrtake no great ghiiig III lIIe Wlehou. ' ViieI'
a1Nlce' olu peoPie lol SoulScA ouilI PJIo
PIE lor aGlloh. hTeh though t Inroush '. ue,
cadence they may pe lilcotlileeer i 70 NV ''
Naludnie oplIlohs On ,HhPoIsuu "u"l p
compliment tnem py ASKING TheIr couIsei t;,
~ WI w tnIll s2'ui ~ VI H. -. -
last Gays eNnilaraat. MAKE VhaC nome INK lnh
stand source OF ieJuVeneseehte e. 10 thp5c
VINO are near Ihe terminus ol tle c:'lIhIy
Journey, Domestic Correspondence Is no. lloI
attended 70 &t once. Inc heWS9papeir'
Joining WIN the te,Ggraph, pears Vne M tlu-
lngs OF all the nelghnofnood, Dut swllIest 't
revolving wheel OF moaefh pruning pres pres
ana qulckeSt nash aIons tne electllc Hires les
can never 40 Ihe syihpaVhetic W9iH Sl Vi Vne e
nome lhkstahu, as @ @tne Hnsleilul t i @Lsei VI VI
my teHt appeared pel9!e the 9Ia1En aiIpr
Mltn 'he ihkhq[n nat tE aG ms sus Sni "a ;n5os %eel
@ aSio, % So +be iee aIters I4e ~ tbo Old %nmesfaad
appear at the altGrs or the olu noIies'eau: ai e
furtherh3ore' the ilEsIahu ot ,, tne p'sl, h,,,
ness ma man mas rs nm, ,sSiIn, -5~eem NOW
ah9 Ihe H39r ol SoGl agillse, , I.a 1I
ciai man ~ PrGIessloIni @ man, 'aGne a.; vii WI,
not pe day when you canmGT .l.t, up rom
the lhkhorn inessage tnas WIN r,io L,l,uGnce !,
temporal anu eter.lai ues'lny, LII ihSre rs. rs !"
fash young man man running inep Wilu speeu, aai
Iation' ana win as mucn INK as you can can
put on the pen az one .iille you may aaNG