Year: 1868

to do anything else than stump. All
the noise of business, of storms, of bird
songs or anything of which the air is
full fails to disturb it. 1t sends up no
bough on which the bird can build its
nest or where it can sit to sing. 1t af-
fords no shade for the oxen. 1t yields
no fruit for man or beast 1t reaches
out no arms to the winds, no cares for
the blowing clover, and falling rain.
When the horses and plough come
along, they must go around it. When
the reaper comes by it must make a
detour to get out of the way. All the
business of the farm must give up to
the stump. Men want it out of the
way-it is a nuisance. Let the axe,
the fire, the lever, be employed to ex-
terminate it. There it sticks until IT
rots away and is gone.


"Thus do many men. They are
fastened down to the soil of their farms.
There they expect to live and die,
What good will locomotive whistle
do theml 1t cannot make them cal
or sleep any more, and that is all they
want to do. They care not for society
or business or the world-it is all them.
selves. They say let US alone, and lei
the world take care of itself. They
say let us have our sleep and the world
may have its railroads. The whole
prosperity of the country must stop fol
them. The business of the neighbor-
hood must go around for them. They
will help nothing but themselves.
Wrapped up in intense selfshness they
are willing to see society deteriorate,
business languish, the resources of the
country remain undeveloped, and al
its interest left far in the rear of rapid.
ly moving enterprise around them,
After awhile they rot away as the
stump did, and that's all that's left o.
them. say the gospel of Christ alb
hors such Christianity. Be not like
stumps. Rather be like the streams
that flow through your fields and mead
ows, Through the night they talk snt
sing cheerfully, pleasantly, encOurag
ingly in the listening ears and hearts
about them. They sparkle with con
tinual Joy. They fringe their borders
with grass and flowers, and on every
hand spread generous benefciaries.
Energetic, untiring, berefcent, thei
loss would be felt as a calamity. b
like that, aud you will be worth some
thing.


"But more than this, it is the duty
of every man to get richer by railroads
if he can. If Providence otfel you q
legacy take ii. If be cone to you and
say, 81 will add twenty dollars an acre
to your land provided you will give Me
five" you will insult His generosity
and invite His displeasure if you refnse
to accept it. He means it for you-iI
is for you to receive it. Suppose the
man to whom such an offer is made
does not want it himself. His children
may want it after him. If they do moi
there are hundreds of children needing
patron to send them to school OF
start them in business. There are
schools, semiUaries, colleges, on every
hand needing legacies and endowments,
There are asylums for the blind, idiotic,
insane, deaf and dumb, inebriate and
other unfortunates in great need Of
the contributions of the wealthy. Tie
population of the South, black and
white, are in want of bread, school
buildings, school books, teachers and
other help. The government wants
money to pay off its debt


The church of Christ is crippled all
the time for want of money. Its Mis-.
sionary Boards are always pleading
poverty. It's book repositories are
scarce of books. Its whole machinery is
constantly inefficient to certain extent
through lack of funds. Yet selfish
Christians, with all this before theil
eyes will push away the gifts of God
within their reach as much as to say,
If Providence will help the world let
Him do it; l want to be let alone
We believe the railroad now talked Of
will be built, and if it be, every scream
of its whistle will tell the praise Of
those who helped to construct it, and
proclaim the selfish uiggardness Ofthose
who refused.