Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-17
Calmase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase, D. ID.

mon the preacher brings TO all. and es-
pecially TO those who are striving for
the worlds betterment, New Years
message of hope and encouragement.
The text is Ecclesiastes xi, 4, HE that
observeth the wind shall not SOW"
What 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
and the old fashioned Thanksgiving
day were as different from their sue
cessors as the poke bonnets and hoop
skirts and powdered curis 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
lance, but Yam not sure that they have
not done more to separate the members
OF families. The greeting that now
comes by wire from a 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-
ms 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 the CONT
nents OF seas In order to arrive at their
destination In time for the annual hoii-
days. But each brother and sister, each
child and parent, could deliver the
NhVfo I'D 10 n
the holiday good wishes with q 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 a
custom now almost fallen into desue-
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
ont how many friends you have in the
wor',. Go forth and renew your old
acquaintance. Go forth and encour-
uge 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
or New Amsterdam. Every dining
room was filled with tempting viands.
Everywhere on every street went the
men folks calling. Happy New Year,
Thus In many 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 n
joyous and hopeful one. come TO you
this New Year Sabbath day. But in
stead OF wishing you n Happy New
Year in the brusque. happy go-iucky
way In which friend used to salute
friend upon the street am going. as
your pastor. 10 have n heart to heart
talk with you. l am going 10 have
you first tell all your troubles and fears.
and then / shall say: Friend. for the
past twelve months You have been
looking on the dark side CT life. You
have been INDUCING too much in
gloomy anticipntions and anxieties. You
do not seem To be willing to enter the
battle OF 1905 with n brave heart and a
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 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.
Hope For the Discouraged.
why art thou cast down, o my soul.
and why art thou disquieted within
mer' First" you answer, because L
have been defeated so often In the
struggle Of life that my backbone Is
gone. / have been like a sea captain
who has been wrecked again and
again until Mt last he feels that every
threatening storm means foundered
ship. 1 am Ike merchant who has
been caught in three or four great pam
les and again and again. through no
fault OF his own, has had his fortune
swept away. He is timid about max
Ing a new venture. 1 am like mother
who has buried four or five OF her ba-
bies and has only one left. Each time
the baby coughs or catches cold or has
n fever the mother is almost beside
herself with fear lest She might lose
her only remaining child. 1t Is well
enough for some people with bright
eyes TO anticipate the joys of n coming
year. But as for me, / ham had so
many misfortunes that / h6ve only
half heart for my struggle which is
ahead during the next twelve months"
Ny brother, / am not surprised at
your timidity. 1t makes a great deal
OF difference how a man fools around
machinery IL he has lost an arm or a
leg or finger, ss some have done by
being reckless. 1t makes great deal
or difference how one reads the .'signs
or the tines after he has had his
fortune swept away by a destroy
Ing wind. Some weeks ago in one of
my pastoral calls 1 saw a beautifully
pathetic picture entitled After the
Tornado" The scene was evidently
placed in one of the wildernesses of the
west A young man In the overalls
ana the wooden shoes of a poor farm
er stood upon the edge Of field, with
Ills poor young wife and q couple of
children clinging to her poor dress
Ihey We're looking, yes, out OF the sad.
dest or eyes. Why2 They were look
Ing at a magnificent field of wheat
mat few days ago was almost ready
TO be harvested. But that wheat by the
Storm was battered down and crushed
into all sorts of shapes, like the waves
OF the sea tumbling upon the beach.
They were looking ct the wreck of n