The Cairo bulletin., 1907-10-28
TRIBUTE TO MARTIN LUTHER
What Might Have Been Had the
Reformation He Started Failed
Chorus Finale.

Chorus Finale.
AT the Lutheran church yesterday
morning Rev. Chas H. Armstrong
smoke from the text What Might
Have Been" as presented in 2 Samuel
1874 "But the King covered his face
and the King cried with a loud voice
10 NV sen Absolom, 0 Absolum, My
Son My Son"
A few hours before the utterance OF
our text decisive battle had Deen
fought in the dark wood Of Ephraim
between two parties of Jews, result
ing In the death of the rebel leader.
Absaom; David. the aged father ana
king Of the nation, mourned the I'M
timely departure CT the son.
Although the man he wept FOR mad
nndeavored to usurp the throne, David
remembered him only as loving and
qantIe boy-his son-from whom ne
had expected much. The young prince
to all appearances. bad a brilliant III
tllre before him, but he had listened
t. the seductive tones OF ambition 7
his banners were trailed in the dust
aud the gloom of defeat oyershadowed
bis army. Cold in death, in the
ia pths of a ehostIy forest the hand
some and talented leader heard not
the fathers monody, 20 Absalom, my
son. my son" With Willis we can
almost hear David say:
And now farewell. 'Tis hard to give
thee up,
With death, so like genie
slumber. on thee:
Ard thy dark sin, Oh. | could drink
the cup
ii from this woe. its bitterness had
won Thee,
May God have called thee, like a
wanderer home
My erring Absalom,
The sad words CT Whittier, in
MAUD Muller, when she and the
orudite judge parted forever, OF all
sad words OF tongue or pen, the sad
dest are these, it might have been, :
.recur to my mind as | contemplate
the ignominious exit of the soul OF
Absalom from time into eternity 1t
might have been" Yes. it might
have been so different with the Jew
ish prince; long and useful life, with
power and many honors; henefactor
to his people; the solace of David in
his decline-when the years rested
heavily on his brow.
Retrospection Beneficial.
AS the days OF your pilgrimage and
of mine lengthen, and we gaze out
across the years that shall return no
more. we may think Of what we are
and of what we might have been.
Many emotions are in the soul during
these retrospects; glad that we did
not fall when certain temptations
us. sorry that we did these
wrongs to our fellows, for
they have passed through the gates
Of the future life, and we cannot reach
them TO say, Forgive; | am sorry.
HI ppy over the glad memory OF good
deeds done, sad because OF these
harsh words severing friendships
golden chain.
Ay. often we stand on that bridge
spanning the past and the present
dipping into the unknown future. and
living over again the events Of those
. yesterdays" that are gone forever,
in that beautiful poem
"The Bridge" emphasizes two ex.
periences of man; here they are:
How often. oh how often,
had wished that the ebbing tide
Would bear me away on its bosom.
DER the ocean Wild and wide.
For my heart was hot and restless
And my life was full Of care,
And the burden laid upon me
Seemed greater than | could bear.
Rut now it has fallen from me,
II lies buried in the sea.
And only the sorrow Of Others
Throws its shadows over me-
ftkNlthiU tue ftdiH vi Aftf NAA1h
n aking note of successes and failures
lis time spent to good advantage;
If one will profit by his
mistakes /" Mistakes. wrongs, sins.
deviations from the way Of saliva
ton" ought to become guide boards
for our future routes. thereby en-
ahling us to avoid the errors of the
Iast Our successes. victories, moral
and Christian deeds should carse US
TO endeavor 70 excel in the future.
Ones Present Relationship Important.
The all-important question that
each soul should ask Of itself is
What is my Christo-morsl status
row. do my aspirations for the
good aud true soar as high as in the
wears of the past? Am daily walk
ing with THE meek and lowly Jesus.
doing the best that is possible under
the circumstances? Not all of Qua
time should be spent in looking
backwards however. congratulatins
ourselves over victories. OF sadly say
ing 1T might have been" Let Us
look within. profit by introspection
the examination Of self by the soul
Histoy-What Might Have Been.
For short time let US examine
history and see What might have
been" The deep gloom OF a thou
sand years. overshadowing the begin
! 1ing Ct the sixteenth century. was