The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-27

= 10 % CIf1T
doing nothing, said: IF had not been
deprived OF my sight 1 should not have
received SO good an education, nor
have been abe to DO good to so many
have been able to do good to sd many
people"
SO long as Christians live and wor-
ship i'm song, Fannie Crosby's Bless
ed Assurance" will live; and, until we
die and realize the depth and vastness
of the thought each OF us VIII de-
light IN singing the Stanza:
LET me love Thee more and more
Till this fleeing, tleetIng nfe Is 0 en-
Till my soul is lost in love
In brighter, brighter world above"
"Evry day, every hour
Let me feel thy cleansing power;
May thy tender love to me
Dmd lne closer, Closer Lord to
Thee
Solomon was a kings son, and be-
gan his reign under the most rcSplen-
dent and soul-Inspiring auspices; but
if he ever formed a purpose he failed
of carrying it out in life, for ] hear
him saying in old age Il hate the
works OF my hands" " Vanity of
vanities, all is vanity"
Saul of TarGus, the servant of Je-
SuS Christ the deSpiscd Nazarene, had
purpose from which neither whip
ping. nor scourging nor shipwreck
could drive him. He said none OF
these things move me- He did not say
as KOSsuth did II am prepared to die
Ny hands are empty, but clean" but
he said more: "rhe time of my depart
ure is at hand. | have fought a good
fight, have finished my course, l nave
kept the faith. Henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteous
ness
| did not intend to run into so Sc
rious a vein when starting out but,
what's written is written, and I'll let
the readers have it as it is.
| have noticed that people whether
wise or otherwise. like a little humor
after listening to or reading something
more serious. [ guess it has always
been and will ever be SO. and, it is
very natural that this is so. Sunshine
is sweet and very cheering after a
storm Of cloudy days.
l knew an old lady who could never
remember any portion of sermon but
tho simple, hOmHly illu traitors or
anecdotes. She went to hear tenn
pCr2nce speaker on one occasion. The
speaker dealt largely in anecdotes,
though, it should be caid to his credit
that he made a strong, logical argu-
ment. She told me Of the speech in
about these words:
"-cs. it was Il great speech. and I'll
never forget it, but somehow l can't
remember hardly anything about it.
But he told some anecdotes that III
remember is long as | live
That's queer" said |. You can't
remember the speech but can rcmem-
Der the anecdotes"
We'll, I'll tell you how it is When
he was going on telling about how
many drunkards die every year, and
how much whiskey is drank every
wear. and how many become drunk
ards every year, and how much
money is spent for whiskey every year
| just knew / couldn't remember all
them figures, and, ! didn't try. But
when he told lis about man who
kept a bad dog that bit children going
to school, and how the people got
mad and made that man chain his
dog inside of his yard; and how, after
the dog had been chained inside OF
the mans own yard, one little boy,
Just to see the bad dog, climbed upon
the fence, fell over and was killed by
that bad dog, ] got so excited /
couldn't help saying right out in-meet-
ing, that dog ought to have been
killed." That's what l think said
the speaker and that's what say
about the dog that's chained by law
in these bar-rooms They say, IF
PEOPLE will keep out of the bar-room5
they won't get bit. But some people
like that little boy, haven't got any
better sense than to so into bar-rOoms
and get killed. O, l never shall for
get that part of the speech. The
speaker said, and l agree with him,
that the owner of that bad dog muir
dered that boy and he said also, that
a, oh, it1r- h.g6
bar-rooms murders all the men who
are killed by drink in those bar-roOms
and | said just as loud as If I'd been
talking to my old man, .WhOse'S mighty
nigh as deaf as post: THAT'S SOL
Yes, an anecdote sets off 2 speech.
if it be we'll told and Ciinches an ar
gument, oftentimes, as nothing else
could
Speaking of anecdotes, am remind
ed to say that some people can't tell
them. [ heard a preacher try to tell
one, before a large body of preachers;
but, as funny as he thought it was, to
his great surprise its narration did
not raise a grin. He was greatly dis
appointed, for he expected to bring
down the house. And what added to
his discontinue, a waggish brother,
in his hearing. complained of a broken
rib, fractured, he said, by that joke
which nobody saw any fun IN.
People who can't hear we'll lose a
great deal, but if they keep then
eyes on the speaker they can supply
words which are not spoken very dis
tinctIy. | know a lady deaf as a post,
who can enjoy a sermon as we'll as
anybody IF the preacher grows red
in the face, hits the Bible with his
fist, swings his arms and Jars the
house when he stamps, she just knows
he's saying something good and she
boils over quite as soon as anybody
else. On the contrary, [ knew of
man who was quite deaf, and depended
when a man was preaching, upon ask
ing the one who sat near him every
now and then. what did he say ?"
Once when he saw a new man preach
ing. he asked his nearest neighbor,
who is that mani" I1is friend. Wits
perng as loud as he safely could, not
to be herd by the preacher told him.
In moment or two he asked again:
who is that man q Again the
friend told him. Wheroupon he
blurted out: II hain't heard word
you or the preacher has said, but /
know from the way the preacher reara
and pitches he's giving somebody