The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1902-01-17


In this. DIR. Talmage's first di.
course for the new year, he speak
words of encouragement TO all tn
timid and doubling. The text is Exc
dus 1872: This month shall be unit,
you the beginning of months; it shal
be the first month of the year t,
you"
The last month Of the old year hai
passed out of sight, and the frs
month Of the new year has arrived
The midnight gate last Wednesday
opened, and January entered. She
deserves better name, for she Is
called after Janus, the heather deity
who, they supposed. presided over
doors, and so might be expected to
preside at the opening Of the year.
This month was Of old called the wolf
month because, through the severity
OF its weather, the hungry wolves
came down seeking food and deyour-
ing human life. In the missals Of the
middle ages January was represented
as attired in white, suggestive of the
snow, and blowing the fingers. as
though suffering from the cold, and
having bundle OF wood under the
arm, suggestive of the warmth that
must be kindled.
Yes, January is the open door of
the year, and through that door will
come what long professions, some of
them bearing palm leaves and some
myrtle, others with garlands Of
wheat and others with cypress and
mistletoe. They are coming, and
nothing can keep them back-the
events of a twelvemonth. 1t will.
think, be one Of the greatest years Of
all time. 1t will abound with bless
ing and disaster. National and inter
national controversies Of momentous
import will be settled. Year of cor
onation and dethronement, year that
will settle Cuban and Porto Rican and
Philippine and South African and Chi
nese destinies. The tamest year for
many a decade past has dug its mil
lions Of graves and reared its millions
OF marriage affairs.
We can expect greater events in
this year than ever before, for the
worlds population has so vastly in /
creased there are so many more than /
in any other year TO laugh and weep |
and triumph and perish. The /
mightier wheels Of mechanism have
such wider sweep. The fires are
kindled in furnaces not seven times
but 70 times heated. The yelocities
whirling through the air and sailing
the seas and tunneling the noun
tains will make unprecedented dem
onstration. Would to God that be-
fore the now opening year has closed
the earth might cease to tremble
With the last cannonade and the
heavens cease to be lighted up with
my more confagration OF home
iteads and the foundries that make
words be turned into blacksmith
hops for making plowshares.
The front door of a stupendous
ear has opened. Before many of you
here will be 12 months of oppor-
unity for making the world better
IT worse, happier or more miserable.
Let us pray that 1t may be a year
hat will indicate the speedy redemp-
ion Of the hemisphere. Would to
iod that this might be the year in
which the three great instruments
ow chiefly used for secular purposes
night be put to their mightiest use
D the worlds evangelization-the
elegraph, the telephone, the phono- {
raphl Electricity has such potent I
ongue, such strong arm, such swift I
ing, such lightning foot, that il oc- {
urs to me that il may be the angel 1
hat st. John saw and heard in apoc- c
lyptic vision when he started back u
nd cried out: II saw another angel S
ying in the midst of Heaven having u
ne everlasting Gospel TO preach un- S
} them that dwell on the earth and u
} every nation and kindred and o
'ngue and people" They were i
'ngues Of fire that sat on the heads ii
the disciples at the Pentecost, and d
hy not the world called to God by e
ngue of electric fire? Prepare your d
Itteries and make ready to put up c.
the wires the world wide message &
whatsoever will" in
Furthermore, this month of Janu- Il
y has the greatest height and depth W
cold. The rivers are bounded in lc
ystal chains. The fountains that d
ade highest leap in the summer al
rks now toss not one jet, for every VI
op would be a frozen tear. The J'
'ds craunch through the hard snow. CT
srmest attire the wardrobe can af-
rd is put on that we may defend ID
rselves against the fury of the ele- W
,nts. Hardest of all the months th
r the poor, let it be the season OF an
eatest generosity on the part OF vi
: prosperous. How much a scuttle fr
coal or pair of shoes or coat gl
a shawl may do in assuagement of Gu
fering between the first of Janu- sn
7 and the first of February God ID
y knows. Seated by our warm tn
listers or wrapped in furs which ar
Ike us independent of the cutting fr'
iuary blast, let us not forget the an
less January blast, let us not for WI
the freless hearth and the thin se'
ments and the hacking cough and at
rheumatic twinge of those who sec
ough destitution find life in win pa