The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-02-03
NEW YEAR ADVICE.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Offers Hope
and Encouragement.
This IL the Time TO Take an Inven.
tory of Ones BIessings-Signs
of the Times Are
Encouraging.

Copyright. 1904. by Louis Klopschl
Los ANGELES, Cal, Jan. lin this
sermon the preacher brings to all, and
especially TO those who are striving for
the worlds betterment, a New Years
message Of hope and encouragement
The text is Ecclesiastes Xi, 4, He that
Obseryeth the wind shall not SOW"
What a change there is in our way
Of keeping the holidays from that OF
olden times. The old fashioned New
Years and the old fashioned Christmas
aud the old fashioned Thanksgiving
day were as different from their sue.
cessors as the poke bonnets and hoop.
skirts and powdered curls Of colonial
days were different from the master.
pieces of the milliners and dressmakers
and hairdressers Of modern times. We
talk Of the triumph Of the locomotive
and the telegraph In annihilating dis
tance, but am not sure that they have
not done more to separate the members
Of families. The greeting that now
comes by wire from son on the other
side Of the world in former times was
brought by the son himself. who sell
dom went more than a days coach ride
from the old homestead. Then fathers
and mothers, brothers and sisters, cOus-
ins and grandchildren could all gather
under the same roof. Then presents
did not have to be done up in packages
and sent days ahead across tie conti-
nents or seas in order to arrive nj their
destination in time for the annual holi-
days But each brother and sister. each
child and parent, could deliver the
Christmas gifts with smile and seal
the holiday good wishes with a loving
kiss.
Some Of us can remember the good
old times when New Years day was a
day Of hospitality, dedicated to the re
newal Of old acquaintanceships by
custom now almost fallen into Gesue-
tude. That was the ancient custom Of
the Dutch settlers Of New York and
the modern custom Of our own fathers
and mothers and older brothers and sis
ters Of making and receiving calls on
the first day Of the new year. The
good spirit Of the new year seemed to
say to all fathers and husbands and
brothers and sons: Go forth and find
out how many friends you have in the
world. Go forth and renew your old
acquaintance. Go forth and encour-
age each home for the coming struggle
Of the new year" Then wives and
mothers and daughters in the early
eighties kept open house. Then New
Years day in New York and Brooklyn
brought such scenes as were witnessed
200 years ago, when the daughters Of
the Netherlands welcomed their friends
to the ancient mansions on the Battery
Of New Amsterdam. Every dining
room was filed with tempting viands.
Everywhere on every street went the
men folks calling, "Happy New Year,
Thus in many a troubled home came |
courage and love and faith in God and |
man on account Of those friendly New |
Year salutations.
A New Years greeting is the sermon
of this morning. With the same kind
ly spirit in which friends used to come |
to my mothers home and wish her a /
Happy New Year" and with tender |
"reminiscences Of the past and cheerful |
wishes for the future make the day |
Joyous and hopeful one, come to you
this New Year Sabbath day. But in
stead of wishing you a Happy New
Year In the brusque, happy -gO-lucky
way In which friend used to salute
friend upon the street l am going, as
your pastor to have a heart to heart
talk with you. l am going to have
you first tell all your troubles and fears,
and then l shall say: Friend, for the
past twelve months you have been
looking on the dark side Of life. You
have been indulging too much in
gloomy anticipations and anxieties. You
do not seem to be willing to enter the
battle Of 1905 with brave heart and
cheerful countenance. What is the
matterT Then you will point out to
me all the dark clouds that are hang
ing upon the edge Of your horizon, and
you will tell me why this New Years
day is TO you a blue Sunday" Then
l shall try. by the help Of God, to scat
ter those dark clouds and change your
new year timidities Of doubt into new
year certainties Of gospel hope.
"Why art thou cast down, o my soul,
and why art thou disquieted within
meT First" you answer, because l
have been defeated so often in the {
struggle of life that my backbone is I
gone. | have been like a sea captain
who has been wrecked again and I
again until at last he feels that every (
storm means a foundered 9
ship. am like merchant who has I
been caught In three or four great pam :
ics and again and again, through no [
fault Of his own, has had his fortune I
swept away. He is timid about max
Ing a new venture. | am like a mother '
who has buried four or five Of her ba- s
bies and has only one left. Each time '
the baby coughs or catches cold or has 4
a fever the mother is almost beside d
herself with fear lest she might lose c
her only remaining child. 1t is well e
enough for some people with bright
eyes to anticipate the joys Of a coming 4
year. But as for me. / have had so '
many misfortunes that ! have only {
half a heart for my struggle which is s
ahead during the next twelve months" {
My brother. ! am not surprised Mt c
-FOUR timidity. II makes great deal Il
)f difference how a man fools around y
II he has lost an arm OF a b
eg or a finger, as some have done by |
being reckless. II makes a great deal b
If difference how one reads the signs {
lf the times" after he has had his {
fortune swept away by destroy C
Ing wind. Some weeks ago in one oil o
my pastoral calls l saw a beautifully 4
A -