The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-08-11
FINISH THE WALLS.
Rev. Dr.. Talmage Speaks OF
Need For Perseverance.
Many Failures In Lite Are Due 10
Leaving the walls Incomplete.
build Wen on Good
Foundations.

This man began 10 build and was not
able 20 finish"
what is the matter with yondef
block Of houscsT 4 asked one Of NY
church officers some time ago when
waking along the Chicago streets. 4
came 20 this city NJ least four years
ago Then the walls were up. The
Goors IL many Of The houses were laid.
The buildings then seemed almost
ready for the p.astercrs. Why this
vast amount OF money lying Idle: II
must be worth N least $1,000 year
MS interest il would have been far
cttcr 20 have laid no foundation and
erected no walls and allowed The land
20 bo turned into q vegetable garden
than 20 leave those buildings in that
state" u know lt." answered my
friend. "but thc owner of those build
lngs ovcIrcachcd himself When the
buildings were half completed his mon
ey ran out Then. on account Of his
debts. an bis properties were thrown
by litigation into the city courts Now
I DO not know what is 10 be the out
come. Anyway. Dc cannot go Oh unless
be gets out Of bis present difficulties.
His property must st.ll ue idle in this
ncomplcted form.
What is the purpose Of those two
mammoth shodsT I asked d naval
friend some years 0go while we were
walking through tho Brooklyn navy
vard why" said he. those are the
sheds erected over two immense hulls
Of half completed warships During
the civil war the navy department was
building as many and as large ships
as Il could but as soon as the Apo
mattox peace agreement was signed
the work was stopped upon these two
vessels. The government bad az that
time no use for them. Now they are
lying there. rottinG away The wood
Will be used fog nothing but klndnng
as the plans upon which those keeis
we're laid sre already obsolete
Incomplete beginnings were both
the Chicago houses and the navy yard
ships We DO not have 20 60 clear
back 70 Bible times 10 hud Illustrations
FOR ny text We can see them every
where around US in our present day
and generation.
We have O right 10 draw new illus
trptons aud up 10 date applications
for this sermonic theme Indeed. the
fresher and more modern the applica-
tons the better. The reason why this
simile of my text made an overvhclm-
Ing impression upon ChTists hearers
was that i was an object lesson near
az hand. When Christ was seated IN
the nshinc smack upon the waters Of
Lake Galnee ond said Behold there
went out a sower 70 SOW" be looked
of upon the hillsides overhanging The
lake and pointed 70 q farmer scatter
ing MS seed upon the rich soil Of the
east. In the same way legend tells
that whom Christ spake these words Of
NY text he pointed 20 tho half con-
structed walls Of a tower which PLATE
the governor. had begun 70 build, over
I looking one Of the Jerusalem aQue-
ducts. and had left IL an iucompleted
state. There il stood a powerful OBJ
fect lesson. showing that what one
commences in life one should carry on
20 lts full completion So today /
would draw NY illustrations from
every whittier ! would ind them IN
the home. the store the factory. ia the
church and on the street ! would hnd
them In Your life as well as in mine
The haf built towers Of life have a
modem application 10 the average
schooiroom education They can be
found In the preparations with which
many Of US were sent forth 10 the
struggle Of life They can especially
be found in the smattering Of French
lessons and painting and music and
aesthetic culture in which some sisters
and daughters are being dipped FOR a
few months year on the principle
that the mere outward color Of the dye
decides whether or no the garment is
closely woven and u good wearing
quality They are the 'incompleted be-
rnn.ucs" q the schools and colleges
which often send q Young man or
Young woman forth into the world
knowing q little Of everything aud not
any one study perfectly They make
their students know q little Of astrono-
mv. a little o. chemistry. little OF
Greek. g little OF mathematics. q little
OF mythology. n little Of architecture. a
little Of mechanics. a little OF electric
ifv. O little Of this. that aud the other
thing and yct not well versed In any
one subject or along any one line Of
work. What true education should DO
is 20 teach q man % 40 az least one
ghina IS well AZ any one else could 90
II and not 20 know many things poorly.
Jack ~ on trades Is master Of none
I would Illustrate my thought with q
reference % q remarkable speech which
Charles Francis Adams delivered some
years AGO before the Phi Beta Kappa
socioty of me Harvard university. The
title ~ this address was Il College
Fetioh" IN 10 Mr. Adams denounced
the absurd course Of study which many
colleges demand ~ students IN years Of
work over Greek and Latin and the
classics utterly IgDor.ng practical stud
les goG everyday life How ala Har-
ward college prepare me and my nine
ty-two classmates Of the year 1886 for
our work Of ufeY' be asked. IN aD-
Iwerlng Che question 70 Is not nitogcih-
sr easy % preserve ones gravity. The
solege fitted us for this active. bus
iiug hard biting many tonCucd world,
,ar.ng nothing for authority and little
'or the past. but full Of lis living
thoughts and living issues. in dealing
with which there was no man who d'd
not stand 10 pressing aud constant need
n every possible preparation as TO
spccts knowledge and exactltudc and
fN..nrnrrrrInH fIn r.aa~ ia H. r.r..