The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-12-05
TALMAGE's SERMON.
THANKSGIVING" THE SUBJECT ON
LAST SUNDAY.

THANKSGIVING" THE SUBJECT ON
LAST SUNDAY.
The Victories of Peace-Gold Not the
Best Product-Rellgion tho Tree of
Life-6rowth of National Industry
Advance In Literature.
Copyright. 1901, by Louis Klopsch. N. W
Washington, Nov. 24.-This dis
course of DR.. Talmage is a national
congratulation over the achievements
of brain and hand during the past
twelve months The texts are: Cor
inthians tx, 10, "He that ploweth
should pillow in hope;" Isaiah xii, Z,
HE that smootheth with the ham,
mer;" Judges v, IA, They that handle
the pen of the writer
There is table being spread across
the top OF the two great ranges of
mountains which ridge this continent,
table which reaches from the Allan
tic to the Pacific sea. 1t is the Thanks
giving table of the nation. They will
come from the east and the west and
the north and the south and sit at it.
On it are smoking the products of all
lands, birds Of every aviary. cattle
i from every pasture, fish from every
lake, feathered spoils from every
farm. The fruit baskets bend down
under the products plucked from the
peachfields Of Maryland, the apple
orchards of western New York, the
orange groves Of Florida, the vine
yards of Ohio and the nuts threshed
from New England woods. The bread
Is white from the wheat fields Of ILL
nois and Michigan, the banqueters are
adorned with California gold, and the
table Is agleafn with Nevada silver,
and the feast is warmed with the fire
CRATES heaped up with Pennsylvania
COAL The hall is spread with carpets
from Lowell mills, and at night the
lights will flash from bronzed brackets
of Philadelphia manufacture. The fin
gers of Massachusetts girls have hung
the embroidery, the music is the
drumming of ten thousand mills, ac-
| eompanied by the shout of children let
loose for play, and the gladness Of the
harvesters driving barnward the loads
of sheaves. and the thanksgiving Of
the nation which crowd the celestial
gates with doxologies until the Oldest
harper of heaven cannot tell where
the terrestrial song ends and the celes-
tial song begins.
The Victories of Peach.
For two years and half this nation
has been celebrating the triumph of
sword and gun and battery. We have
sung martial airs and cheered return
ing heroes and sounded the requiem
for the slain in battle. Methinks 1t
will be healthful change if on this
years Thanksgiving in church and
homestead we celebrate the victories
Of the plow, the hammer, and the pen;
for nothing was done at Santiago o,
Manila that was Of more Importance
than that which in the last year has
been done in farmers field and me.
chanic's shop and authors study by
those who never wore an epaulet or
shot a Spaniard or went a hundred
miles from their own doorsill. Come
up farmers, and mechanics and literary
men, and get your dues as far as /
can pay them.
Things have marvelously changed.
Time was when the stern edict Of gov
eminent forbade religious assemblages.
Those who dared to be so unloyal to
their king as to acknowledge loyalty
to the Head Of the Universe were pun
ished- Churches awfully silent in
worship suddenly heard their doors
swung open and down upon the church
aisle score Of muskets thumped as
the leaders babe them Ground arms!"
This custom Of having the fathers, the
husbands, the sons and brothers at
the entrance of the pew is custom
which came down from olden time,
when it was absolutely necessary that
the father or brother should sit at the
end of the church pew fully armed to
defend the helpless portion of the fam
lily. But now, how changed! Severe
penalties are threatened against any
one who shall interrupt religious SER
vices, and annually, at the command of
the highest official in the United
States, we gather together for thanks
giving and holy worship. Today I
would stir your souls to joyful thanks
giving while / speak of the mercies of
God and in unconventional way re-
count the conquests of the plow, the
hammer and the pen.
Gold Not the Best Product.
| Piltheus, the king, found some rich
gold mines in his province, SO he
turned all the population to digging
the mines. Tillage was neglected, and
there came great famine. One day
the wife Of the king invited him to a
great banquet, and he came in and sat
down, and there were pieces of gold
in the shape of bread, and pieces
Of gold in the shape of biscuits,
and pieces of gold in shape Of joints of
meat, and the king was Disguised, and
! he said, II cannot eat this" Neither