Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-16
Caln,aCe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank DE Witt Talmaee, d. d.

midst of summer heat this sermon
comes with its vivid pictures Of IN.
imal life and their spiritual applira.
ton. The text Is Psalms xli. I. "As the
hart pantcth after the water brooks"
What is the spring fever! What is
that tired feeling which crceps over
one rs the months of May and June
draw near? What IN that exhaust.
ing sensation which makes the hand
sluggish ut its work aud the brain
dull as IL tries TO originate II thought
aud the legs heavy as lead when we
get up in the mornings just pre-.
ceding the summer? We vehement
~ deny the accusation that we are
lazy We never have been lazy IN our
lives. We daily 20 TO our office and
begin work even a little earlier than
usual. We stay there longer than AT
any other time of the year. But in
spite of ourselves the results of our
work are mol only less IN quantity. but
far poorer in quality than ~ any other
time of the year We wonder what
ails us. ana we 20 Ia the doctor Ia get
n tonic. The doctor tells us You are
bilious. Your liver Is torpid" or he
says. "You are ovcrwortcd and must
let up." But deep down IN our hearts
we know what Is the matter. We have
just the old longing for the woods. In
the springtinc ii comes Ia us as nat
urally as the buds come To the flower
but the mountain air, with the tree
branch for covering and the soft
grass and the leaves for n bed Thus
The on'y cure for a man know
Is q Kit right out o IN town an go
where III viii ducks swim an tn geese
20 by
An IN trout nm bass are a-iumpin high.
TIL on'y thing thatll cure i'm then
IL & git away from his TELLER mon
An loaf all day by some lann' stream
An fish an whistle an sing an dream
An listen L birds an bugs an hear
TIL voice o. IN woods IN his eager ear
But with most of us the longings
must be- represScd. We may, however.
give our thoughts rest by dwelling
on such Il theme as | have chosen for
this mornings treatment said to
myself. Probably there are many with
the same longing. so will choose text
that will carry our thoughts away 10
the woods and the waters and rs !
thought this beautiful text of the
psalmst sprang to my mind. As the
H.,
pantrth my soul after thee. . Cod"
Like Pnnting Harris.
All. yes, | said to myself. we are all
like painting harts We are like the
hunted and the thirsty deer seeking the
water brooks. And. STRANGE To say. as
soon rs | uttered the text in my study
n wonderful peace came 10 my soul.
seemed 10 see the great. gentle eyed
stag and deer and fawn watching me
from the thckcts seemed 70 hear
the birds singing their love dittlcs.
seemed TO see the trout leaping out of
the brooks seemed 10 see the great
cliffs rising above the valleys and the
baldhcadcd mountains. like grim AMI
grizzly patriarchs, standing sentinel
over all. Yes. said To myself, for a
little while NJ least can go
An forgit that there's cities an houses
an men.
Forgt that IS got { go back agln.
Forgt everythin' else IN III whole wide
world
But tcs' God an tn birds an IN bugs
an things
That live right thar whore III wild stream
sings.
Goodhy. old city, We are about to
leave you now. We are going to climb
way up the mountains for little
while. and as we lie down upon the bank
OF creek or river by one Of the beau
tiful deer ticks we learn. In the first
place. that the hart Is dependent upon
the water brook for his physical exist
ence. lie is not like the camel. that
can store up his drinking water and
carry IL about with him for days: he
Is not like the lizard or the rattlcsnake
ster, that live In the desert week In and
week ont. month In and month out
seemingly without water. or. II they do
get water. they must absorb Il from
the bristling cactus. which grows ev-
erywhere around. But deer Is like
human being Take water away from
him. and lie will die. Thus You can
never find the deer far away from the
water brooks. He has two reasons for
his dependence on the stream. First.
he Is not carnivOrouS animal lie
soes not live on flesh. but on herbs. and
nc must live where the water makes
the grass spring up into life. In the
next place, he must himself he able NJ
least once or twice day Ia dalntlly
step out Of the woods. lit high his head
10 sniff FOR dangers and then gently
move down and put his delicate lips
into the cool waters OF the hahhling
brooks. And SO certain Is the deer 20
go to the waters 10 drink IN the evening
or the early morning that II man Is II
lazy hunter and knows where the ami
mails are accustomed 10 drink MI he
has 10 do Is 60 20 there and hide.
The Hon ana the Deer.
II Is by recognizing the daily depend
tnce Of the deer upon water that In
equatorial America the huge and slow
hoa constructor II often able to