The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-03-17
A MODERN SERMON.

| "A Modern Sermon" from an Eng
lish paper, illustrating the method
upon which some parsons construct
their discourses."
Old Mother Hubbard. she went to the
cupboard
To get her poor dog bone;
But when she got there the cupboard
was bare.
And so the poor dog had none.
These beautiful words. dear friends,
carry with them solemn lesson. /
propose this evening to analyze their
meaning and to attempt to apply it,
lofty as it may be, to our EVERYDAY
life
Old Mother Hubbard, she went to the
cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone.
Mother Hubbard, you see, was old;
there being no mention of others, we
may presume she was alone; a widow
"a friendless, cid. solitary widow.
Yet did she despair? Did she sit down
and weep, or read novel, or wiring
her hands? No! She went to the cup
board. And here observe that she
went to the cupboard. She did not
hop, or skip. or run, or jump, or use
any other peripatetic artihce; she sole
ly and merely went to the cupboard.
We have seen that she was old and
lonely, and we now further see tina.
she was poor. For mark, the words
are the cupboard" not zone of the
cupboards" or the "right-hand cup
board" or the left-hand cupboard" OF
the one above, or the one below. or
the one under the stair, but Just the
cupboard-the one little humble cup
board the poor widow possessed. And
why did she go to the cupboard? Was
it to bring forth golden goblets, or
precious stones, or costly
apparel, or feasts. or any other at
tributes of wealth? 1t was to get her
poor dog a bone. Not only was the
widow poor. but the dog-the sole
prop OF her age-was poor too. We
can imagine the scene. The poor dog
crouching in the corner, looking visit
fully at the solitary cupboard, and the
widow going to that cupboard-in
hope, in expectation maybe-to open
It. although we are not distinctly told |
that it was not half open or ajar-
to open it for the dog.
But when she got there thecupboard |
was bare.
And so the poor dog had none.
When she got there!" You see.
dear brethren, what perseverance is.
You see the beauty of presisting in
doing right. She got there. There
were no turnings and twistings, no
slippings and slidings, no leaning to
the right or gatherings to the left. With
glorious simplicity we are told she got
here.
And how was her noble effort re-
warded?
The cupboard was bare! 1t was bare.
There were to be found neither or
'nges nor cheesecakes. nor penny
'uns.. nor lucifer matches. The cup.
BOARD was bare! There was but one.
'nly one solitary cupboard in the
whole OF that cottage. and that one,
he sole hope of the widow and the
glorious loadstar of the poor dog, was
are! Had there been leg of mutton.
loin OF lamb. fillet of veal, even an
&c from Gunter's the case would have
'een otherwise. But it was bare. NV
'rethern. bare as bald head, bare as
N infant born without a caul!
Many of you will probably say, with
II the pride of worldly sophistry.
The widow. no doubt, went out and
ought dog-biscuit." All, no! Far
emoved from these earthly ideas,
hese mundane desires, poor Mother
hubbard, the widow, whom MANY
houghtless worldlings would despise.
that she only owned one cupboard.
erceived-or might say saw-at
nee the relentless logic of the situa-
on. and yielded to it with all the
eroism of that nature which had en-
bled her without deviation to reach
lie barren cupboard. She did not at
,mpt. like the stiff-necked scoffers Of .
lis generation, to war against the in
Vitable; she did not try, like the So
allied men of science, to explain what
lie did not understand. She did moth
g. The poor dog had none! And
len at this point our information
Eases. But do we not know suffici-
1t! Are we not cognizant of
rough?
Would we dare to pierce the veil
at shrouds the Interior fate of Old h
Other Hubbard. the poor dog the /
lpboard or the bone that was not II
lere! Must we imagine her still
anding at the open cupboard door.
depict to ourselves the dog still i
'opping his disappointed tail upon /
e floor, the sought-for borne still
somewhere else7 All. mol II
dear brethren. we are not permit III
d to attempt to read the future. III
f'ce it for MS to CLEAN from this