The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-12-01

4ASATURDAY
@EM@ NIGHT
\ SERMONS
...l,,.een Anu9shRupuspp
THE TOUCH OF THE DEAD.

Early summer In Israel. Crops just
about ripe. Time for Moubitc raiding
parties. These fornging marnudcrs
had worked their dcprcdations until
the lsraclitCs were panic stricken. \
funeral party is winding its way I'm
solemn procession alongside hill
Suddenly some one calls "Thc Moab
ties come" The dead mans friends
look about where to quickly conceal
his body and escape. They choose
whether by accident or intention IL IL
not told-a cave which Is the tomb Of
the prophet Elisha. The Jews made
no use of collins. At the end of the
tomb the body OF Elisha lay in its
GravcClOthes. As the body OF the
young man was pushed into the scpul-
cher 1t touched the form of Elisha
| The mere contact with those hallowed
bones produced that from Elisha
which had in life cost prayer and cX-
crtion. The man revived, stood on his
feet and FASTENED home with his
friends Elijah had been honorcd in
| MS utulll, lsllSllu hlltl HIS NtHlus
The AHerelow.
Life does not begin Mt the cradle nor
end at the grave. The sun sets in the
golden west, but leaves glorious twi-
light that leads us home. The treo
falls In the forest, but in after DAYS Il
burns and CLOVIS and cheers in our
| CRATE. The tiny coral insect dies, but
the reef 1t raised breaks the surge on
the shores of n great continent. We
shall not only live in another. n spirit
world, but we shall live on here as in
fluences and forces I'm this world
THE evil that men do lives after
| them; the good is often inferred With
| their bones" said Mark Antony.
That's a miserable untruth, because 1t
IS half truth. Not only does evil
| live after us, but good too. David has
been dead 5000 years, but his Psalms
are following him. Moses and Paul
centuries cince were duSt-not even
their place of burial is knOwn-but
their words will sway the rod Of en-
pire for untold generations. They be
long to the roll call OF the past, those
VIM btluS Ntl SIltuh. MEN
die, but their work lives on. The
world Is young. For awhile we WELD
trowel or pen. Brain thinks eye
looks, tongue speaks. The pyramid il
building. The twentieth century will
not rock it down, nor the thirtieth, nor
the one hundredth. Lincoln, living,
was an American, nOrtherner, Repub-
lican. Today no section, no party
indeed. no nation-Can claim him he
belongs to humanity, to "the parlia-
ment OF man, the federation Of the
world" Death and flight OF years
have no power to destroy them.
Thoughts Expressed In Things.
The Olympic and the Titanic will
tell in few months that Watts and
Stevenson still live. Marconi and the
Wrights will still live when their names
are illegible on the tombstone. The in
ventOr is dead but his busy fingers are
still weaving warm textures for the
poor The road builder and the bridge
constructor will walk by the side of
the daily thousands The death of a
wolf means n meal for the other
wolves. The death Of thinker means
meal, mental instead Of physical, for
those left behind Wolves feed their
stOmachs; VIC feed our brains-on the
dead. You cannot overestimate the
touch of the dead. They are the glass
es through which we look at the past
The distant is brought near. a writer
in II garnet may shout message to
the world. Who writes a book? The
man with message. What are its
contents? The best in his soul. l
can touch the bones of Macaulay OF
Emerson, Tennyson or Longfellow, ana
the inspiration of their lives lifts me
when sinking, and, like the young man
OF the text, | revive and stand upon
my feet. In my room | have the
worlds great men talk to me-histO-
rianS, musicians, philosophers, preach
ers. And they talk their best-best
diction, best grammar, best style, best
thought. out from the Bible Moses
and Joshua and Daniel thrill me as
they thrilled the Jewish heart centuries
ago.
Tho Touch Of the Vanished Hand"
The influence of our dead is very
great. We think we have lost them
because we do not see them, and we
sigh
Oh, for the touch Of a vanished hand
And the sound Of voice that is still
when they are near to us. Death is
cleansing. 1t sweeps away the faults
and blemishes we saw In the flesh and
leaves only remembrance that is good
md beautiful. | have known cases
where mother accomplished things
after her death that she could not
while living. Many a prodigal has been
brought home and comes to HIMSELF
lnder the touch Of mother that has
zone from him. know parents who
ire being led by little baby fingers
ong since passed away. If | wanted
o appeal to their better nature | would
appeal to the memory of that little
10Y or girl. mother shows me the
'ook In which the baby scrubbed
Nondrous skill. Here's the little TOW
log all covered with dust" Here's
he high school diploma the pale faced
ober eyed grille brought home one
une day, "She led her class" An