Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-05-22

this. What chance has young man I'M
der the present arrangement, to partlcipae
in the pleasures and society of brothers and
sisters at home, or to join in their dcvo-
ti9ns If a married man, how can he be
said TO live with his family who leaves be-
fore they are up in the morning and does
not RETURN. except to gulp down hasty
meal, till after they are all in bed and fast
asleep again? VIVA! chance has he to in
dulge in the endearmcnts of home and wife
and children? He has no time to attend
to the crowings Of his prattiing babe or the
music Of its 4aattcring feet Any plore than if
they dwell poses apart.
1t is true they have the Sabbath day to
themselves, but even this has been over
drawn upon by the excessive demands OF
the week He has hardly had time to real
izc that he has soul to save or to lose.
md what spirit, or devotion, can be infus-
ed into soul on the Sabbath, who has
been for six such days SO pressed and crush
ed under the wheels of toll? 1t is a won
der if he can crawl out of bed much before
the dinner hour, and the rest of the day he
thinks more of how to get n little pure
oxygen to renew his falling system and
prepare him TO meet the unequal strife of
another week, than he does OF entering 9.
church or chapel. In fact, this practice al
most necessarily leads to Sabbath breaking.
Gentlemen, merchants of FIostburg, suf
fer a word of appeal, meant in utmost
christian kindness, both to employer and
employee. l believe that thoughtlessness
has much to do with this whole business,
for cannot think 50 hard of you as that
YOU would deliberately and wfffuily com
nit the havoc which upon reflection you
must see you are doing to the health, the
intellect, the morality and spirituality of
those in your employ. Look at their pale
faces and emaciatcd forms as they stand
before you from day to day, without the
privilege of sitting down for five minutes,
to lest their overstraincd muscles. Hcark-
en- to their conversation there. See it in
their lives. Many of you are protesting
christians and, as such, profess to realize
the value of thc compound nature THAT
God has given to us, stamped with his own
image. Will you mar and destroy it for n
few paltry pennies? Will it pay you for
so dong? Unto you who profess to be the
followers of Him who chad compassion on
the multitude" 1 wol Ill, appeal in special
manner Wash your hands, | pray you,
from the blood of these men and seek not
to purchase it for silver and gold. DO you
tell me that if you step others Will keep
on? If such were the case, is it a good eX-
cusc for shining that some will do it -?
Does not the good book say--"Thou shalt
not go with The multitude to do evil?'
But cannot help thinking that there is
humanity enough in the inhabitants OF
Frostburg to stick to an individual or firm
who are willing to give a chance for life
and salvation to those in their employ, I
for one, would most readily join Il society
whose principle should be not to buy a
cents worth from store that kept open
dllcT cloHl q tlOth Ill lllt evening. -Ai'i l
think such Il society could be gotten up;
perhaps, if there is 10 othc: hope, will be
gotten up.
Nor is it, The employed alone who arc in
jured by this system. Thin.k. Of yourselves
and your own families think of She sacri
fee of hcaltl., home, conscience, and reli.
gion; think of wife and children pinine
away at home from early dawn till the mid
night hour, longing to see you. VIII YOU
not, for their sakcs, ms well as your own
abate this vice that is cranlping and ours
ing your salesmcn's soule and bodies at
that tender, inlpreesiblc time Of life when
both are i'll their plastic state? Who will
lead? Let the citizens of Frostburg rally
round such and he that refuses let him sit
in his store and counting house, like the
pelican of the wilderness, alone.
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