CAPITAL CITY COURIER, SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1892
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
TWENTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY SER
MON PREACHED BY DR. TALMAQE.
Snhject of the DUrourse, "Thti Thraa
Tabernacle, a Story of TrUU mid Trl
amphs" Rerlew of the History of the
Doctor's Church.
Diiooklym, April 0. This Is a festival
day nt tho Tabernacle. Dr. TalmnKo Is
celebrating the twenty-third anniversary
rf his settlement In Hrooklyn. In white
flowers embedded In green nt tho bnck of
the pulpit stood the Inscription, "ttXK) and
1893." Dr. Tnlmago's subject was, "The
Three Tnlx'rnacles, a Story of Trials anJ
Triumphs," and his text, Luke Ix, S3,
"Let us tnaktt three tabernacles."
Our Arab ponies were almost dead with
fatigue, as, In December, 1881), we rude near
the foot of Mount Hennou In tho Holy
Land, tho mountain called by one "a
mountain of ice," by another "a glittering
breastplate of Ice," by another "the Mont
Blanc of Palestine." Its top has an al
most unearthly brilliance. Hut what
must It have been in the time to which my
txt refers? Peter and James and John
were on that mountain top with Jesus
when, suddenly, Christ's faco took on the
glow of the noonday sun, and Moses and
Elijah, who had lieen dead for centuries,
came out from the heavenly world ami
talked with our Saviour. What au over
whelming three Moses, representing the'
law; Elijah, representing the prophets, and
Christ, representing all worlds.
Impetuous Peter was so wrought upon
by the presence of this wondrous three,
that, without waiting for tlino to consider
bow preposterous was the proposition, ho
cried out, "Ix us make three talernacles
one for thee, one for Moses and ono for
Elijah." Where would they get the mate
rial for building ono tabernacle, much less
material enough to build two tabernacles,
and still less, how would they get the
material for building three? Where would
they get the 1' -lersf Where the gold?
Where tho sii ' Where the curtains?
Where the cor ulornmentsf Ilerroon is
barren peak, I to build one tabernacle
in such a place mid have been an under
taking beyond human achievement, and
Peter was propounding the Impossible
when he cried out in enthusiasm, "Let us
build three tabernacles."
And yet that is what this congregation
baa been called to do and has done. The
first Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated
to 1870, and destroyed by 'fire in 1872. The
aecond Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated
in 1874, and destroyed by Are in 1689. The
third Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated
in April, 1801, and in that wo uro worship
ing today. What sounded absurd for
Peter to propose, when he said on Mount
Hermon, In tho words of my text, "Let us
build three tabernacles," we have not only
done, but in the mysterious province of
God were compelled to da
UNJUST CIIITICISM.
We have been unjustly criticised by
people, who did not know the facts, some
times for putting so much money In church
buildings, and sometimes for not giving as
much as we ought to this or that denom
inational project, and no explanation has
yet been made. Before 1 get through with
the delivery of this Bermon and its publica
tion and distribution, I shall show that no
church on earth has ever done more mag
nificently aud that no church ever con
quered more trials and that no member
ship ever had in it more heroes and hero
ines than this Brooklyn Tabernacle, and I
mean to have it known that any Individual
or religious newspaper or secular news
paper that hereafter casts any reflection on
this church's fidelity and generosity Is
guilty of a wickedness for which God will
bold him or it responsible.
One year it was sent out through u syn
dicate of newspaera that this church was
doing nothing in the way of liberality,
when we had that year raised (94,000 in
bard cash for religious uses. There, has
been persistent and hemispheric lying
against this church. We have raised dur
my pastorate, for church building and
church purposes, (998,000, or practically
million dollars. Not an Irish famine,
or a Charleston earthquake, or an Ohio
freshet, or a Chicago conflagration, but
our church was among the first to
help. We have given free seats In the
morning nnd evening services to 240,000
strangers a year, and that in twenty years
would amount to 4,800,000 auditors. We
have received into our membership 5,357
members, and that is only a. small portion
of the number of those who have here been
converted to God from all parts of this
land nnd from other lands.
Under the blessing of God and through
(he kindness of the printing press my ser
mons now go every week into every neigh
borhood in Christendom, nnd aro regularly
translated Into nearly all the great lan
guages of Europe and Asia. The syndi
cates having charge of this scrmonio pub
lication informed me a few days ago that
my printed sermons every week, in this
and other lauds, go into the hands of 25,
00,000 people. During tho last year, I am
authoritatively informed, over 3,000 differ
ent periodicals were added to the list of
those who make this publication, and yet
there aro ministers of the Gospel and rell-
Sous newspapers that systematically and
dustrlously and continuously charge this
church with idleness and selfishness nnd
parsimony.
I call the attention of the whole earth to
tbia outrage that has been heaped upon
the Brooklyn Tabernacle, though a more
eonrecruted, benevolent nnd splendid con
vocation of men and women were never
gathered together outside of heaven. I
have never before responded to these In
justices, and probably will never refer to
them again, but I wish tho cople of this
country aud other countries to know that
what they read concerning tho selfishness
and indolence and lack of bcnevolenco and
lack of missionary spirit on the part of this
church, is from top to bottom and from
tem to stern, falsehood dastardly false
hood diabolical falsehood. What is said
against myself has no effect except, like
that of a coarse Turkish towel, tho rul
bing down by which Improves circulation
and produces good health.
But this continuous misrepresentation
of my beloved church, in the name of Al
mighty God, I denounce, while I nppe&H to
the fair minded men and women to see
that justice is done this people, who with
in a few years have gone through a strug
gle that no other church in any laud or
any age has been called to endure, and I
pray God that no other church may over be
called to endure, viz., the building of three
tnbernuclcs. I ask the friends of the
Brooklyn Tabcruuclc to cut out tills ser
mon from the newspapers aud put it in
their poukctbooks, so that they can intelli
gently answer our falsifiers, whether cler
leal or laj
And with these you may put that other
tatmeut, which recently weut through
the country, aud which I saw In Detroit,
which said that the Brooklyn Tabernacle
bad a hard financial struggle, because It
had all along been (wring such enomoaa
salaries to Its pastor, Dr. Talmage, whet)
the fact Is that after our last disaster and
for two years I gavo all my salary to the
church building fund, and I received (0,000
less than nothing: In other words, In addi
tion to serving tills church gratuitously for
two years, I let it have ftt,000 for building
purpostm. Why Is It that people could not
do us justice nnd say that all our financial
struggle an a church cainu f rum doing what
Peter, In my text, absurdly proposed to do,
but which, in tho inscrutable providence oi
God, wu were compelled to do build three
tabernacles.
IN SMOOTH WATKltS AT LAflT.
Now 1 feel better that this Is olT my
mind. Tho rest of my sermon will bo spun
out of hosanuahs. I announce to you this
day that wo aro at last, as a church, hi
smooth waters. Arrangements have la-en
mado by which our financial dllllcultlea
are now fully and satisfactorily adjusted.
Our Income will exceed our outgo, and
Brooklyn Taberuaclu will bo yours aud bo
long to you and your children after you,
and anything you see contrary to this you
may put down to tho confirmed habit
which some people have got of misrepre
senting this church, and they cannot stop.
When I came to Brooklyn I came to a
small church nnd a big indebtedness. We
have now this, the largest Protestant
church In America, and financially as a
congregation we aro worth, over and be
yond all Indebtedness, considerably more
than 1150,000.
I havo preauhed hero twenty-three yearn,
and I expect, If my life nnd health aro con-
(tuuedHto i preach hero twenty-three years
longer, aunoiigii wo win an uo well to re
member that our breath Is in our nostrils,
and any hour we may bo called to give an
account of our stewardship. All wo ask
for the future is that you do your best,
contributing nil you can to tho support of
our institutions. Our best days aro yet to
come; our greatest revivals of religion, and
our mightiest outpou rings of tho Il6ly
Ghost. Wo have got through the Red sea
and stand today on tho other bank clapping
the cymbals of victor).
Do you wonder that last Sabbath I asked
you lu the midst of tho servlco to rise and
sing with jubilant voice tho long meter
Doxologyt
Praise Uod from whom all blessings flow.
Praise him, all creatures bore below,
Praise him above, yo heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Yes, twenty-three years have passed since
I came to live in Brooklyn, and they have
been to me eventful years. It was a pros
trated church to which I came, a church so
flat down it could drop uo farther. Through
controversies which It would bo useless to
rehearse it was well nigh extinct, nnd font
long while it had been without a pastor.
But nineteen members could bo mustered
to sign a call for my coming.
As a committee . was putting thnt call
before mo in nn upper room in my house
in Philadelphia, there were two other com
mittees on similar errands from other
churches in other rooms, whom my wife
was entertaining and keeping apart from
unhappy collision. Tho auditorium of the
Brooklyn church to which I camo defied
all tho laws of acoustics; tho church had a
steeple that was tho derision of the town,
nnd n high box pulpit which shut In the
preacher as though lie were dangerous to
be let loose, or it acted as a barricade that
was unnecessary to keep back the people,
for they were so few that a minister of
ordinary musclo could havo kept back all
who were there.
My first Sabbath in Brooklyn wns a sad
day, for I did not realize how far the
church was down until then, and on tho
evening of that day my own brother,
through whose pocket I entered tho minis
try, died, and tho tidings of his decease
reached mo at 0 o'clock in tho evening,
and I was to preach at half post 7. But from
that day the blessing of God was on us, and
in three months we began the enlarge
ment of tho building. Before tho close of
that year wo resolved to construct the
first Tabernacle. It was to bo a temporary
structure, aud therefore wo called it a
Tabernacle instead of n Temple. What
should be tho stylo of architecture was tho
Immediate question. I had always thought
that tho amphitlieatrical shapu would be
appropriate for a church.
Two distinguished architects were em
ployed, and nfter much hovering over de
signs they announced to us that such a
building was impossible for religious pur
poses, us it would not bo churchly, nnd
would subject themselves and us to ruin
ous criticism; in other words, they were
not ready for a revolution in church archi
tecture. Utterly disheartened ns to my
favorite style of architecture, I said to the
trustees, "Build anything you please, and
I must bo satisfied," But one morning a
young architect appeared at my house und
asked if wo had yet selected a plan for our
church. I said, "No, und what we want
we cannot get." "What style of building
do you want?" ho asked. Aud taking out
a lead pencil nnd a letter envelope from
my pocket, in less than a minute by a few
curved Hues I indicated in the rough
what we wanted. "But," I said, "old
architects tell us it can't be done, nnd
theru is no use in your trying." He said:
"I can do it. How long can I havo to make
out the plans?" I said, "This evening at
8 o'clock everything is to bo decided."
TWO Cllt'llCIlES AND NO MONET.
At 8 o'clock of that evening the
architect presented his plans, and the bids
of builder nnd mason were presented, and
in five minutes nfter the plans were pre
sented they were unanimously adopted.
So that I would not be in the way of the
trustees during tho work I went to Europe,
and when I got buck tho church was well
nigh done. But hero camo in a staggering
hindrance. Wo expected to pay for the
now church by the sale of tho old building.
The old ono had been sold, but just at the
time wo must havo the money tho pur-'
dinners uacKcu out ana wo had two
churches and no money.
By the help of God and tho indomitable
and unparalleled energy of our trustees
(hero und there one of them present today,
but the most lu a better world), we got the
building ready for consecration, and on
Sept. 23, 1870, morning and evening dedi
catory services were held, nnd In the after
noon the children, wit li sweet nnd multi
tudinous voices, consecrated the place to
God. Twenty thousand dollars were raised
that day to pay a floating debt. In the
morning old Dr. Stephen II. Tyug, the
glory of the Episcopal church and the
Chrysostom of the American pulpit,
preached a sermon which lingered in its
gracious effects as long as the building
stood. Ho read enough out of the Episco
pal prayer book to keep himself from being
reprimanded by his bishop for preaching nt
a non-Episcopal service; and we, although
belonging to another denomination, re
sponded with heartiness, ns though we
were used to the liturgy, "Good Lord, de
liver usl"
During the short time we occupied that
building we had a constant down'iour of
religious awakening. Hosaunat Ten mil
lion years in heaveu will have no power to
dim my memory of the glorious times we
had la that first Tabernacle, which, because
of Its Invasion of the usual style of church
architecture, waa called by some "Tal
natte'a Hippodrome," by others, "Church
of tho Holy Circus," and by other mirth
ful nomenclature. But It was a building
perfect for acoustics, and stood long enough
to havo its Imitation In all the largo cities
of America and to completely revolution
ize church architecture. People saw that
It was tho common sense way of seating
ail audience.
Instead of putting them In an angular
church, where each ono chiefly saw the
back part of somelxxly else's head, the
audience wero arranged lu semicircle, so
thnt they could sciMMiaanothor' faces, him I
the auditorium was a great family circle
seated around a fireplace, which was the
pulpit. It was an iron structure, aud we
supposed fireproof, but tho Insurance com
panies looked at It, and nfter wo had gone
too far to stop lu Its construction they de
clined to Insure It except fur a mere nothing,
declaring that, being of iron, If tho Inflam
mable material between the sheets of Iron
took llro no englno hoso could play upon
It, And they wero right. During those
days wo educated and sent out from a lay
college under our charge some twelve hun
dred young men nnd women, many of
them becoming evangelists nnd many uf
them becoming regularly ordained preach
ers, nnd I meet them lu all parts of the
laud toiling mightily for God.
TIIK Flit t : ok 1872.
Ono Sunday morning hi December, 1872,
tho thermometer nearly down to isoro, 1
was on my way to church. There was an
excitement lu the street aud much smoke
in tho air. Eire engines dashed post. But
my mind wm out tho sermon I wns about
to preach, until some ono rushed up and
told mo thnt our church was going up In
thu sunto kind of n chariot that Elijah took
from the banks of the Jordan, That Sun
day morning tragedy, with its wringing of
hands and frozen tears on tho cheeks of
many thousands standing lu tho street,
and tho crash that shook tho earth, Is ns
vivid as though it were yesterday. But it
was not a perfect loss.
All wero anxious to do something, and
as on such occasions sensible people nre
apt to do unusual things, oue of thu mem
bers, nt the risk of his life, rushed in
among tho fallen walls, mounted tho pulpit
and took a glass of water from the table
and brought it hi safety to tho street. So
you see it was not a total loss. Within an
hour from many churches camo kind in
vitations to occupy their buildings, and
banging against a lamppost near tho de
stroyed building, before 13 o'clock that
morning, was a board with tho inscription,
"The congregation of Brooklyn Taber
nacle will worship tonight lu Plymouth
church."
Mr. Beecher mado tho opening prayer,
which was full of commiseration for me
and my homeless flock, and I preached
that night the sermon that I Intended to
preach that morning In my own church,
the text coiicertithK the- precious alabaster
box broken at thu feet of Christ, aud sure
enough we had oue very precious broken
that day. We were, us a church, obliter
ated. "But arise aud build," said many
voices. Another architect took tho amphi
tlieatrical plan of u church, which hi the
first instance was necessarily somewhat
rude, and developed It Into an elaborate
plan thnt was immediately adopted.
But how to mine the money for such nil
expensive undertaking was the (juestlon
cxpenslvo not liecnuso of any senseless
adornment proposed, but expensive be
cause of tho immense size of tho building
needed to hold our congregation. It was
at that time when for years our entire
country was suffering, not from u financial
panic, but from that long continued finan
cial depression which all business men re
member, as the cloud hung heavy year
after year and commercial establishments
without number went down. Through
what struggles we passed tho eternal God
and some bravo souls today remember.
Many a time would I havo gladly accepted
culls to some other field, but I could not
leave tho flock in thu wilderness.
At lost, after, lu tho interregnum, hav
ing worshiped In our beautiful Academy
of Music, on the morning of Feb. 22, 1874,
tho anniversary of tho Washington who
conquered Impossibilities nnd on tho Sab
bath that always celebrates tho resurrec
tion, Dr. Byron Sunderland, chaplain of
tho United States senate, thrilled us
through ami through with a dedicatory
sermon from Haggai ii, 9, "The glory of
tlds house shall be greater than that of
tho former, salth tho Lord of Hosts." Tho
corner stone of that building had been laid
by tho illustrious aud now enthroned Dr.
Iremcus Prime. On tho platform on dedi
cation day sat, among others, Dr. Dowling
of tho Baptist church, Dr. Crook of the
Methodist church, Mr. Beecher of tho Con
gregational church aud Dr. French of the
Presbyterian church. Ilo.-uiunalil Another
(35,000 was raised on that day.
Tho following Sunday !)28 souls were re
ceived Into our communion, mostly on con
fession of faith. At two other commun
ions over 500 souls Joined at each one.
At another Ingathering &28 souls entered
this communion, and so many of those
gathered throngs have already entered
heaveu that we expect to feel at home
when wo get there. My J my! Won't wi
be glad to see them tho men and women
who stood by us in days that were dnrl.
and days that wero jubllantl llosaunali'
Tho work done in that church on Schermer
horn street can never be undone.
What self sacrifices on the part of many.
who gave almost till the blood came'
What hallelujahs! What victories! What
wedding marches played with full organ!
What baptisms! What sacraments! What
obsequies! One of them on a snowy Sab
bath afternoon, when all Brooklyn seemed
to sympathize, aud my eldest son, hearing
my own name, lay beneath tho pulpit in
the lust sleep, nnd Florence Itlco Kuo;:
sang, and a score,, of ministers on and
around tho platfornvtrled to interpret how
it was best that one who had just come to
manhood, and with brightest worldly
prospects, should bo taken and wu kit
with a heart that will not cease to ache
until we meet where teurs never fall.
Till: 8KCONU TAIIKISNACI.K.
That second tabernacle! What n Mil
pendous reminiscence! But, If thu Petet
of my text had known what an uudertak
lug it is to build two tabernacles lie would
not have proposed two, to say nothing of
three. As nu anniversary sermon must
needs be somewhat autobiographical, let
me say I have not been idle. During the
standing of Uiomj two tabernacles fifty-two
books, under as many titles, made up
from my writings, wero published. During
that time also I was permitted to discus.
all tho great questions of thu day in nil the
great cities of this continent, and in man-,
of them many times, Is-sides preaching and
lecturing ninety-six times in England
Scotland and Ireland In ninety-four days.
During all that time, as well as since, I
was engaged lu Milling a religious news
paper, believing that Mich u periodical was
capable of great usefulness, nnd I have
been a constant contributor to uewspaper
and periodicals. .Meanwhile all things hue
become easy in the Ilrooklyn TuberuacU
On a Sabbath lu October, IN', I announce
to my congregation that I would in u ft'
weeks visit the Holy l-und, und that t
afllccr ef lliechiinuhadcouetitaltamy
going, and t he wish of a lifetime waa about
to be fulllllcd. Tho next Hnhbath morn
lug, about il o'clock or Just after midnight,
a member of my household awakened me
by saying that there was a st range light In
tho sky. A thunderstorm had left the nlr
full of electricity, and from horizon to hor
izon everything seemed to blnzo. But that
did not disturb me, until an observation
taken from tho cuK)laof my house declared
that thu second Tabernacle was putting on
red wings.
I scouted tho idea and turned over on the
pillow for another sleep, but a number of
excited voices railed me to tho roof, and 1
wont up aud saw clearly defined lu the
ulght tho fiery catafalque uf our second
Taberuaclu. When I saw that I said to
my famllyi "I think thnt ends my work In
Brooklyn. Surely tho lrd will not call a
minister to build three churches In oue
city. The building of one church gener
ally ends thu usefulness uf a pastor. How
can anyone preside at thu building of time
churches?" But before twunty-four hours
had passed w were compelled to cry out,
with Peter of my text, "IajI us build three
tnliernoeles." Wo must have i home
somewhere. The old site had censed to be
tho center of our congregation, and the
center of thu congregation, ns near as we
could find It, Is where wo now stand,
Having selected tho spot, should we
build on It a barn or a tabernacle, bcautl
ful and commodious? Our common sense,
as well as our religion, commanded the
latter, But what push, what Industry,
what skill, what self sacrifice, what faith
In God wero necessary! Impediments and
hindrances without uuiuIht wero thrown
In thu way, and had It not been for thu per
suvuraneu of our church officials, and the
practical help of many people, and the
prayers of millions of good souls hi nil
parts of tho earth, and tho blessing of
Almighty God thu work would not have
been done. But It Is done, and all good
people who behold thu strticturu feel hi
their hearts, If they do not utter It with
their lips, "How nmlnblu aro thy taber
nacles, O Iord or llostsl" On tho third
Sabbath of last April this church waa ded
icated, Dr. Hamlin, of Washington,
preaching nn Inspiring sermon, Dr. Wen
dell Prime, of New York, offering the
dedicatory prayer and some fifteen clergy
men during tho day taking part In the
services. Hosannahl
18091803.
How suggestive to many of us aro the
words spelled out lu flowers above tho pill
pit "1800" and "18M"-for thoso dates
bound what raptures, what griefs, what
struggles, what triumphs. I mention It as
a matter of gratitude to God that in these
twenty-three years I havo missed but ono
Sabbath through physical indisposition,
and but three in tho thirty-six years
of my ministry. Aud now, having reach
ed this twenty-third milestone, I start
nnow. I havo lu my memorandum
books analyses of more sermons than I
have over yet preached, aud I havo
preached, as near as I can tell, about 3,380.
During these past years I have learned
two or three things. Among others I
hnvo learned thnt "all things work to
gether fur good." My positive mode of
preaching has sometimes seemed to stir
tho hostilities of all earth and hell. Feel
ing called upon fifteen years ago to explore
underground New York city lifo, that I
might report thu evils to las combated, I took
with iim two elders of my church and a Now
York police commlsslonernnd a policeman,
and I explored and reported tho horrors
that needed removul aud tho allurements
that endangered our young men. Theru
came upon mo an outburst of assumed In
dignation thnt frightened almost every
body but myself. That exploration put
Into my church thirty or forty newspaper
correspondents from north, south, east und
west; which opened for mu new avenues lu
which to preach the Gosjh.-! that otherwise
would never have been opened.
Years passed on and I preached a series
of sermons on Amusements, and a false
rcort of what I did say nnd one of the
sermons said to have been preached by
mo was not mine in a single word roused
a violence that threatened mo with poison
and dirk aud pistol nnd other forms of
extinguishment, until thu chief of Brook
lyn ollce, without any suggestion from
me, took possession of thu church with
twenty-four policemen to seo that no harm
was done. That excitement opened many
doors, which I eutered for preaching tho
Gospel.
After awhile came an ecclesiastical trial,
in which I wns arraigned by peoplu who
did not like the way I did things, and al
though I was acquitted of all tho charges,
tho contest shook tho American church.
That battlu made mo inoro friends than
anything that ever happened and gnvu mu
Christendom and more than Chrlstemdom
for my weekly audience. On the demoli
tion of each church we got a better and a
larger church, and not a disaster, not a
caricature, not a persecution, not an aa
sault, during all thesu twenty-threo years,
but turned out for our advantage, and
ought I not to believe thnt "all things work
together for good?" Hosannahl
NOT NKCK&SAUr TO 1'ICK FLAWS.
Another lesson I havo learned during
these twenty-threo years is that it Is not
necessary to preach error or pick flaws in
the old Biblu In order to get nu nudleuce;
the old Book without any fixing up Is good
enough for me, and higher criticism, as it
is called, means lower religion. Higher
criticism is another form of Infidelity, aud
its disciples will belluvu less and less, un
til many of them will land in Nowhere
and become tho worshipers of an eternal
"What is it." Tho most of these higher
critics seem to be seeking notoriety by
pitching into tho Bible. It is such a bravo
thing to strike your grandmother. The
old Gospel put in modern phrase, and with
out any of. tho conventionalities, and
adapted to all tho wants and woe of hu
manity, I havo found thu mightiest mag
net, and wo havo never lacked an audience.
Next to thu blessing of my own family I
account thu blessing thnt I havo always
had a great multitude of peoplu to preach
to. That old Gospel I havo preached to
you these twenty-threo years of my Brook
lyn pastorate, aud that old Gosjh'1 I will
preach till I die, and charge my son, who
Is on thu way to thu ministry, to preach It
after me, for I remember Paul's thunder
bolt, "If any man preach any other Gospel,
let him !mi accursed," And now, as I stand
hero on my twenty-third anniversary, 1
seu two audiences. Thu ono Is made up of
all tho-o who havo worshiped with us in
thu past, but have been translated to high
er realms.
What gnmpsof children too fair nnd
too sweet and too lovely for earth, and the
Lord took them, but they seem present
today. The croup has gone out of thu
swollen throat, and tho pallor from the
cheek, and they), ve on them the health
and rudhtucu of heaven. Hall groups of
glorified children! How glad I am to have
you come back to us today! And here sit
those aged ones, who departed tills life
leaving nu awful vacancy In homo and
church. Where are your staffs, and where
are your gray locks, aud where yimr stoop
ing shoulders, yo hlesned old folks? "Oh!"
they say, "we are all young again, and
the bath In the river from under the
Throne hnn -undo us ngUu and bounding.
In the placu from which wo tome they
use no staffs, but seeptersl" Hall, fathers
and mothers in Israeli how glad wo are
to havo you come buck to greet us. Hilt
the other audience I seo In Imagination Is
undo up of nil tluwo to whom wo have had
opportunity us a church, directly or Indb
redly, of pi-cent lug the Gospel. Yea, nil
my parishes seem to come back ttslny, The
peoplu of my first charge hi llellevlllo, New
Jersey. The ienplo of my second charge
In Syracuse, New York. The people of
lily third charge In Philadelphia. Anil
thu people of all these three Brooklyn Tab
ernacles, Look at them, and all thoe
whom, thioiigli the printing press, we
have Invited to God aud heaven, now
seeming to sit hi galleries ahovo galleiliM,
fifty galleries, u hundred galleries, a thou
sand galleries high.
I greet them nil lu your iiamo and lu
Christ's name, all whom I hnvo confronted
from my first sermon hi my first village
charge, where my lips trembled and my
knees knocked together from alTrlghi,
speaking from thu text, Jeremiah I, ft,
"Ah, Lord God, behold 1 cannot speak,
for I am a child!" until thu sermon I preach
today from Luke Ix, Uil, "l,et us make
three tulicrnnclus," those of thu past und
the present, all gather III Imagination, If
not hi reality, all of us grateful to God for
past mercies, all of us sorry for inlsltii
proved opportunities, nil hopeful for eter
nal raptures, and while tho visible and the
invlslblu audiences of tho present aud the
post commingle, I glvu out to Ira sung by
thoso who nru hero today, and to Ira sung
by thoso who shall read of this scene of
reiulnlsceucu nnd congratulation, that
hymn which has boon rolling on since
Isaac Watts stnrted It ono hundred aud
fifty years ago:
Our Mod, our help In sues pMt,
Our Iio'ki for years to come;
Our shelter from tho stormy blast.
And our eternal homo.
A Woman at Camp Creed.
With her nut brown hair all unkempt
and falling around her wan whlto faco In
tangled masses, her bluu eyes red from
weeping aud her cheeks .pitiably sunken
where the roses used to bo, with her thin
calico dress bedraggled and frazzled and
her shawl, that oncu wim of some color,
now twisted Into a cord around her ioor,
aparo neck; with the faded remnant of a
lisle thread glovo clinging to the lean,
bony fingers of thu left hand, and with her
right hand bare and red aud numb with
cold; with her toes peeping through the
holes In her shoes like affrighted children
lu a deadhouse, aud her stock lugs bespat
tered with mud aud Incrusted In Iclclen;
with thu remains of a once Jaunty lint held
upon her poor, fuvercd head by a little
strip of blue ribbon this forsaken creu
turu stalks around Creedo like tho ghost
of a princess In a haunted Spanish castle.
"I am looking for Will," she will tell
you, If you ask her about herself. "Will
came here from Gainesville, nnd waa to
send for mo hi two weeks. Ho sent mo the
money to comu on, and told me in tho let
ter that hu would meet mu nt tho depot
here. Ho didn't meet mo, but I know hu
must bo here, for ho has never deceived
me, nnd we liavu been married five years.
Somebody has stolen him from mo I know
they have and nro keeping him locked up
In ono of thoso houses hi tho mountains."
Aud thus tho poor forsaken creature
rambles on. Great rough men listen to
her and their eyes fill with tears. They
offer her assistance, but she refuses all aid.
"Will will come to mo soon," she persists
when declining tho kindly offers. God
pity her! Will's blenched bones lie
down tho gulch toward Wagon Wheel
Gap. Will was accused of Jumping a
claim aud he paid thu penalty. Nobody
knows who shot him. But everybody
knows that tbi buzzards plucked out his
eyes and picked tho tremulous flesh from
his poor tired bones. Tbu littlu woman's
mind is blank now; disapiolutmeiit mado
her insane. It Is letter so. A kindly old
negro woman looks after her and will seu
that uo further harm comes to her.
Creedu Cor. St. Louis Globe-Democrat,
The "gchaleiuteliies" of Hwltserland.
Ill many parts of Switzerland smooth
flat stones, evidently hand llshcd, nru
often picked up. They aru covered with
lines, dots, circles nnd half circles, and nru
known to thu Swltzursns"schaleusielues."
Thu origin aud use of thesu stones has lung
been a mooted point among thu learned.
Some have thought that thuy were charms,
others that they weru meant to comment
orutu thu dead. Tho characters upon
them have lung slncu been declared to bu
undecipherable hieroglyphics, but it has
been reserved for Herr Uodlger.of Dcllach,
to suggest a theory that comes anyways
near explaining their true origin and use.
Thu schalensteiues, he says, are topo
graphical charts, us a comparison of them
with any modem map of thu district in
which they may tie found will show. Thu
engraved dots correspond with existing
towns and villages, the lines with the
roads. Even thu forks and tho mountain
pnsses aro Indicated with precision that Is
truly surprising. Herr Bodiger has ex
amined many of thesu stones from various
parts of Switzerland, Italy aud Austria,
aud Is suru that thoyarerudo outline maps
of tho country lu which thuy are found.
Ho has a largu collection of them in his
possession which, tnhen collectively, form
a most accurate map of Solnthiiru, the
canton in which tho majority of them were
picked up. Another significant and curious
fact concerning the schalensteiues is that
thuy aru found most plentiful at interval.
of nbout six miles, and usually at places
where crossroads cross or fork. St. Louis
Republic.
A Member of the Lobby.
She was au innocent woman, and when
her husband went to Washington on some
business or other connected with tho legis
lative branch of thu government she ac
cepted his explanations without suspicion.
Not long ago a lady frieud met her.
"I understand your husband has Imhju In
Washington somu time," snld thu lady,
"Oh, yes," replied Mrs. X , "and ho
will not return until congress adjourns."
"What Is hu doing there?"
"I don't know exactly tho uaturu of tho
work," was the Innocent reply, "but hu
writes mu that hu is a parliamentary solid
tor."
"Oh," said thu other, equally ns unso
phisticated, "that must puy very well,"
"Indeed It does," exclaimed thu wlfu,
"for hu sends mu a big check every week
besides a sealskin coat, a set of diamonds
aud any amount of other uicu tilings be
tween time)'."
"My, my, ' sighed thu other woman en
viously, "I Alsh my husband could get a
government Hsltlon too." Detroit Free
Press.
Keeping IMoiiiilW Clean.
Iron potsshould always Ik- lioiled out first
with wood ashes aud cold water. Then
thoroughly wash and they are ready for
list. Skillets, griddle, Iron gem pans and
wattle irons should be well greased and al
lowed to burn olf once or twice liefore uslug.
New York Journal.
m
MORAND'S
DANCING SCHOOL.
MtMflic Temple,
Mr, Mornnd ol Omaha Dancing Acad
my lifld opened climes In all the
latent dancci,
Children 4 p. m. Adult 7:30 a. m.
Every Monday.
Circular and particulars maybe hndat the
Courier ofilec, 1134 N street,
FIRST ADDITION TO
NORMAL
The most beautiful suburban prop
erty now nn the market. Only
thrcoh'onk from thn handsome Lin
coln Normal University and but
tlireo blocks rrom tho proposed
eleoti la railway. Thou lots aru now
being placed on tho market at
Exceedingly Low Prices d Easy Tern
For plat, tortus aud Information, call on
M. W. F0LS0M, TRUSTEE,
Insurance, Heal Kutalo aud Loan ilrok'er
Itoom 30, Newman Illook. lOMOBlroet
M E RASKA COXSEHYAORT of MUSIC
and
Academic School for Girls,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
Alt llranchciof
Muilc, Art, Elocution,
Literature, and Languages,
1 Might by it Faculty of Sixteen Initruotora.
Kach Teacher an
ARTIST AND SPECIALIST.
Tho only Conservatory west of llotton own
Ing it own building and furnishing. A re
fined horns for laity students. Tuition front
MOO to iau.ro per term of 10 weeks.
Wrlto for Catalogue and general Information.
O. II. HOWBLIi, Director.
Leadlig
PH0T0GRIPHB1
Flue Hast Cabinets f.1 iter down. Spool
ates to students. Call and seo our work.
Open from 10 a. m. to 4 p. in. Sundays.
Studio M14 O Street.
UBK HOWARD'S
CREAM OF ROSES.
The moat exquisite preparation rortheatika.
Cure Chapped UauJs, Chafed or BeaMei
kin. ' '-"
Removes Tan and Freckles,
Positive cure fo-Balt Rheum. Ladlee M
ounce It nerleotlon. Excellent to use aflat
having. Perfectly liariuimi. l'rloe Twestif
i-e oent. Bold bv all flnt-ctasa druggie.
he gutt
Has secured during 1892:
W. D. Hnwelli,
Ocorgo Meredith,
II. Rider Haggard,
Norman Loci
okyer,
Andrew Iang,
Conan DovIh
nt. Oconee Mlvart, Mark Twain
mioyaru mpiing, j. uimmllor Harris,
It. Louis Htevenson, William lllsck,
W. Clark Russell, Mary K. Wllklns
Frances Hodgson llurnett,
And many other distinguished Writers.
the greatest Sunday Newspaper la the
world.
Price sc a copy. By mail 9a a year.
Address The Sun, New York.
WOMAN
is the pivot
upon which
Trade Turns.
A number of years ago I suggeeted
to one of my clients that ho place an
advertisement for goods used exclu
sively by men lu a paper supposed to
be read exclusively by women. The
advertisement appeared ; It continued
in (that paper several consecutive
years. The actual mail cash sales,
coming directly from that advertise
nnnt, were two or three times as
great, reckoning proportionate cost,
than came from the same advertise
ment in any of the hundred papers
my client was advertising In. Binco
then I have made these experiments
many timer, until I believe I have a
right to claim that the experiment
has passed into fact. XaWl C. Fouler,
Jr., Ailiertisiin) Kxjttrt.
Tho L'oukikh is 'the favorite journ
among the ladles of Lincoln and adjacent
country. Plant your announcement in its
columns and real) Int nwults.
C. L. RICHARDS,
RICHARDS l)LOOr
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.
tfey
I