The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-26
PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES
OF THE LATE DR., TALMAGE
Church WeddingsTh
Brooklyn Ralroading Through Blizzard
By WILL CARLETON.

way, or cold winter morning, while ne
yet fingered in his warm bed. The dear
sweet woman looks like picked canary,
she would say, upon returning from some
mnistration Of love and charity. he
pours the oil of gladness into leather bot.
ties. and then seals them up too tightly.
she remarked, Of dull preacher.
But wherever he procured MS genius
whether from father or mother, or ootn
he was one OF the mental and heart- !
phenomena of the nineteenth, century,
in two thirds of which he lived, and nall
Of which he kept aglow with his oratory.
Although one might not be regular at
tendant at his church, 1t was an un-
measured luxury to have him so near by.
II you asked an out-of-town visitor what
he or she wanted most to see or hear, the
first answer was generally. "Oh, Beecher
and Talmage: Of course! land Beecher's
name was not always mentioned first.
Took Advantage of Circumstances.
II there was any particular event that
occupied the public mind, his quick per-
ception always enabled him to take ad-
vantage of it, One morning | happened
into his church during severe storm.
| 1t was such sturdy mixing-up OF the
! elements that many of his flock mad
STAYED in their home folds, and the great
| shoals Of transient curiosity seekers
were constrained to keep away; but the
| service went on with, if possible, more
| elaborate care than ever. / stayed that
. morning only during the public perusal
! of Bible verses, being really on my way
| to another church: but what | heard was
| charac teristtc He had gone through the
| sacred book, found about everything tnat
related to storms, and drawn from 1t
every lesson he could, and gave the result
| to his audience 1t was a novelty to see.
| e. clergyman thus take advantage of even
an adverse circumstance, and talk OF the
weather through the Bible.
| On one Thanksgiving Day, he had his
| great church trimmed with agricultural
produce, from all over the country. till
| 1t looked like a palatial barn. His pulpit
was made into miniature wheat stack,
| and fine basketful Of potatoes, enough
of them just now to command goodly
sum, lay near his feet. 1t was produc-
tive year, and among its products was a
] great sermon. He always drew some OF
his best illustrations from flowers and
fruits, and on this day he had them in
evidence all about him.
| do not recall very much hu1nor, either
of matter or manner, in connection with
the many score times l have heard him.
! Unlike Beecher, he generally kept preach
ing and Joking entirely separate. At
| public dinners, however, he was the pat
tern Of humor, and many others as well
as myself will remember the ludicrous
i stories he could tell on such occasions,
such as that of the man who so stingy
4 that he used wart on the back Of his
neck as collar button.
TnlnlaGe as n Neigbbor.
AS reighbor, he was coy and COM
| panionab]e as so busy a man could be.
Unlike most brilliant men, he was fine
lsterer--even to the most commonplace
-,
to acquire than to give out information.
Much of his advice to newer men in the
world was worth an every day remember
ing. Don't be in too much haste to fight
enemies, my boy he would say. Ten to
one they are doing YOU good, and you
ought to pay them salary. for the help
they give you, Some Of my best adver-
tisemerts have been written by my foe
men. Even from the stand point of policy
it is best to turn the other cheek also.
especially il the attacking force is
nothing but the wind Of an enemy's words
Not only ON account OF the right, but
f from nolicv ALSO l am never in haste to
$ demolish my enemies. They are doing
i me coed, in a variety of ways"
There are reasons, however, to believe
: that he was not a complete adept in the
4 matter of forgiving 9ou must forgive
o your enemies, my good friend" he said tc
a lady who was consulting him, but he
:. added with a twinkle in his eye II think
it's entirely right that you should take
= your time for it,
q . In his own house. or in the home of {
= friend, he vas IS gay and cosby as If ht
= were an ordinary man, instead of the mos
> popular preacher in the world. His goot
nature and liberality were proverbia
!, among those who lived near HIM H
- used to relate, with great glee, the stor,
. If an inebriated son of a Virginia famil
, who called one evening and insisted upol
II financial help, on the grounds, first. tina
IS he needed it," and, second, that he live
J in the same city as did a married daughte
le Of DR.. Talmage. AS his breath and man
: ner did not indicate that he would spen