Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-01-02


him TO solve the problem OF that story.
'But." said he 81 am just as much In
doubt how that book should end as
any OF my readers. Ii was because 1
could not decide whether the young
girl was willing to destroy or save her
lover that l ceased writing"
Fictitious stories are often unfinished,
but the human tales about which the
psalmist wrote are always ultimately
finished tales. These biographies may
lead many OF ms through the school
room TO the marriage altar. They may
lead us 10 great honors In life. but
they will always lead every one of us
TO the grave. When the epitaphs have
been inscribed upon our tombstones,
what has been done VIII be done for
ever. what has been lett undoue will
be left undoDe forever. The story of
mortal life will then be ended. The
earthly covers OF the volume will be
forever closed. We have often heard
OF aged authors recastiug and rewrit-
ing the stories they had written In
their youth. The publishers of the
"Reyerias OF a Bachelor" asked its au-
thor TO rewrite bis most famous book.
They asked him TO rewrite Ii long after
Tx Marvel had ceased to be bachelor
and when he had a wife and crowded
nursery of his own. But the tale of
human life after il has once been fin
ished can never be recast. We have
heard how one Of the sweetest and
purest poets of the west at great ex-
pense gathered up some vicious and
Impure stories which he had written
when he was college boy. He gath
cred them up TO destroy them. But
when the human tale OF life has been
once told II can never be silenced. 1t
shall be told and retold again and
again as II was last told ut the grave.
Dives In the parable begged Father
Abraham to send back to earth the re-
deemed Lazarus to warn his five sinful
brethren. Abraham would not may.
nay. nay" he answered In substance,
Lazarus earthly tale OF life has been
forever finished" Another word could
not be added thereto.
A Spoken Story.
But there is yet one overwhelming
thought we must not overlook. The
tale Of life Is spoken story. We may
read "The Tales From the Egean,"
THE Tales OF Wayside Inn," ''The
Tales Out OF School," "Taies Of New
England" and ''Twioe-told Tales" but,
after oil, the true definition OF a tale IL
story spoken by human being into
the ears of one or more listeners. Some
times those ancient story tellers were
able to excite their hearers to a mad
frenzy. 1t has been recorded that when
the Greeks used to listen to the recital
OF the Adventures of Ulysses or the
story of Helen OF Troy" they would
weep and cry and shout as they climb
ed from the lowest depths of grief to
the highest plnnacles OF Joy. What
would be the effect on the hearers il
the tale of our lives was told? Would
1t excite them to a frenzy OF sin or
would 1t draw from them triumphant
and holy calculations?
But this was not the chief thought
which 1 desired to impress upon you.
When our tales of life are told, they are
not only spoken into human ears. but
also into the all hearing ear OF God. 1t
used TO be terrible thought for me to
feel that In heaven there was a record
Ing angel, 10 know that every time
opened my mouth my words were being
recorded as human voice spoken into
the photograph makes its indentations
upon revolving cylinder Months aft
er my fathers death can now hear
his voice repeating the Lords Prayer
as he once did I'm one of those instru-
ments ut the national capital. But. oh.
how much more overwhelming the
thought that every word we utter is
spoken directly into the ear OF our Di-
vine FatherI How much more tremen-
dous to know that when 1--WE spend our
years as q tale that is told" we can new
er get beyond the reach OF Gods ear,
Ought not this nearness to God to make
us strive by divine grace to live better
and purer lives?
once read how great king OF old
used TO confine his prisoners within n
chain OF dungeons. Every one OF those
cells was connected by n Whispering
gallery with the kings own bedcham-
Der. Thus the slightest word these state
prisoners might utter during their con-
hnement was Immediately echoed to
the kings ear. and IL the prisoners said
anything against their king he heard
II and these prisoners were Immediate
ly taken out and executed. Shall not
you and be more careful to live the
right kind OF lives when we fully re-
alize that each word we utter Is heard
by our Divine Father? Shall we not
be more careful-not because we fear
the anger OF n tyrant. but because we
do not want to wound Gods loving
heart any more than we would say a
harsh or sinful word before a loving
earthly parent
The Passing Year.
1--WE spend our years as a tale that
Is told" That means, In the story of
HE. that we are about to pass from
one book to another. The year OF 1902
Is nearly finished. The year of 1903
Is just about to begin.
The passing year has been a sad one
Tor many Of us. During the past
twelve months two OF my family have
finished their earthly lives, as a tale
that Is told. AS sit writing this dis
course, I hold in my hand one of the
last letters my father ever wrote to me.
1t goes something like this: Dear
Frank-My last birthday tells me that
1 have reached the psalmist's limit
threescore years and ten. My earthly
pilgrimage OF life will not continue
very much longer" Within a few
months that journey ended. How soon
1t was to end he little thought. Within