Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-02-16

WOrR0lpeO tuc T1VCE INlIC UcCuuS0 AZ" l
rise or fall meant TO them food or fam.
inc, clothing or nakedness, prosperity
or poverty, health or disease, the rivers |
Of our land are the source OF fertility |
10 the soil and prosperity 10 our people. |
II the peace Of our hearts is 10 be like |
n river It must give help temporal and
spiritual TO all around us.
Are we temporal and spiritual "riv-
crs OF life'' to our fellow men? Some
Of us are truly "rivcrs Of death" or
"riycrs of scclusion." our lives nre like
the stygian stream in the great Man,
moth cave of Kentucky. We are sur
rounded by grn ndeurs and beauties on
every side. but we have walled our
selves in by solid rock. where We can
do no good to others and whore others
cannot do any good to us.
Like 1urny Cave.
Or our lives, II they are not like the
Styx Of Mammoth cave. supporting
only few blind fish swimming hun
dreds Of feet below the surface Of the
earth, may be like the wonderfully
suggestive beauties of Luray cave OF
old Virginia, which likewise are doing
no good to any one. That Luray cave
Is marvellous place. Though its beau
ties were buried for centuries. yet I'm
der the fash of light 1t looks as though
its walls had been erected only yester-
day and. like the TAI Mahal Of 1ndin,
are n glittcring mass of dead precious
stones. Yonder stand the columns OK
stalngmite as statuary IN vcstal gar
ments Of purest white. Here are the
drippings of n cataract, AS though the
mad rush Of Niagara had been in
stantly halted and, like an open mouth
ed lion, dared not utter one grOwl. al
though even now we seem to hear the
echo of its last wild. mad roar. Ycnder
II the "ballroom.' where our imagina-
ton tells MS the nymphs and the fairies
used 10 sport and dance and make mer-
nv. Near to this "bnll hail. is the Gem
ctcry ridge where those nymphs and
fairies were buried ages on ages ago.
Here are tn, changing wells Of the god
dcsses." SO thin that through them
flashes the light Of our guides lamps.
so red that they seem to have been
dipped in the blood Of the soldiers who
over this very mountain once followed
Stonewall Jackson. in his last raid or
into the blOOt. Of those soldiers who re-
coilc', before the cavalr~ charge Of
"I.ightnnr Horse Phil Sheridan.
From yondcr cathedral. with its domes
and spires and stceples and minarets
and strange carvings. there come echo
ing up the solemn notes Of an organ
which roll and swell and thunder and
whisper and pray and chant and die.
From out Of every grotto stretches
some hand or lifts some snowbanii or
flaps some wing or. like n cats eye.
blinks some emerald or. tiger-like,
glares the blooishot eyeball Of some
ruby or flashes some emerald. And
while all the chimes of all the towers
are beginning to ring suddenly sta
lactte many tons in weight breaks
loose and crashes upon the floor 1t
shivers, rolls over once or twice and
then lies still. to be decomposed by the
coming ages. 4 marvellous and Ell
chanting place Ia I.uray cave of old
Virginia.
! All its walls are strangely sculptured.
Column high and chasm wide.
| IT'S the place where all the shadows
OF the past years silent hide.
But when I stood within the walls
Of that fascinating place ] said TO my
self: How like selfish man is this cave
His heart is Il heart Of stone Amid
the snfferings and troubles OF a sinful
world. with all his vast resources fol
doing good he buries himself in wall
ed citadel, which is called his home OF
his store. He lives. hc hrcathcs. he
eats. he sleeps. lie works for himself
and himself alone. Oh. brother. may
your gospel peace he not like the gilt
tcring grandeur hidden in the darkness
Of a Luray cave in Virginia az of Il 81
lent river Styx flowing through tn,
dark halls of Mammoth cave of ole
Kentucky. May it he II river Of life
bringing peace and joy and hope to al
who are willing to bend down the
parchcd and sinful lips 10 lap of tn,
spiritual waters.
A River OF Triumph.
But cannot close this sermon upoI
this beautiful text without finding ON
more symbol. The pleading river i
not only river Of conservation to God
but river OF triumph. 1t is not onl.
the crystal gates through which, az tn
Jordan of death. we shall enter tn
tomb. but it ia the crystal gates b.
which we shall leave the wilderness q
trouble and earthly wand"rings and ~
ter into the promised land Of hcavp
and eternal joy. Shall our peace, whc
| is like river. stop al the brink Of In
grave?
We have read how George Frederick
/ Handel on the river Thames won hi
great musical victory over the irat
George l. of England. When Kin
, George was elNtor of Hanover he he
friended the young unknown musician
, Handel and made him court musician
But after Handel had won musica
fame he tired of the Hanover cour
, and hied himself 10 London. This great
, " enraged the clector. When hc became
!, king Of England as George !. he wOult
kave nothing to do with his old favor
ite. but one day the king gave a grea
!, fctc upon the river Thames. A tn
royal barge moved along another barg
;. followed. playing twenty Ave concerto
, Of music. These concertos, gathered ia
gether under one musical head, ar
known as the celebrated water INV
Aicr NJ Handel Evarv uuaiCal inatr,,