The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-06

career of prosperity Iarraign this mon
ster of extravaganza in the sight of all
the people, and ask you to pelt it with
scorn and denounce it with your anathe.
ma.
This widespread extravaganza also ac-
counts for much of the pauperism in the
country. Who are the individuals and
the families who are thrown on your
charity? Who has sinned against them
so that they suffer? 1t is often the case
that their parents, or their grandparents,
had all luxuries, lived everything up,
and then died leaving their families in
want. The grandparents of these beg
gars supped on Burgundy and woodcock.
There are great many families who
have every luxury in life, yet expend
every dollar that comes in, and perhaps
a few dollars more, not even taking the
common christian prudence of having
their lives insured. While they live all
is we'll, but when they die their children
are pitched into the street. 1 tell you
man has no right to die under such cir
cumstances. 1t is grand larceny, even
his death. If man has been industrious
and economical, and has not a farthing
to leave his children as he goes away
from them, he has right to put them in
the hands of the Father of the Fatherless,
and know they will be cared for; but if
you with every comfort in life, are lavish
and improvident, and then depart this
life leaving your children to be hurled
into pauperism, you deserve to have your
bones sold to the medical museum for
anatomatical specimens, the proceeds to
furnish your children bread. 1 know
the subject cuts close. I expected that
some of you in high dudgeon would get
up and go out. You stand it pretty well.
Some of you are making a great swash
in life, and after while will die, leaving
your families beggars, and you will ex-
pect us ministers of the Gospel to come
and stand by your coffin, and lie about
your excellencies; but we will not do it.
IF you send for me, I will tell you what
my text will be: "He that provideth
not for his own, and especially for those
of his own household, is. worse than an
infdel."
This extravaganza is becoming more
and more widespread. A statistician
has estimated that there are in New York
and Brooklyn four thousand five hundred
women who expend annually two thou
sand dollars each in dress. 1t is no rare
thing when the wedding march sounds to
see dragging through the aisle bridal
dress that has cost its thousand or fifteen
hundred dollars. Things have come to
such pass that when we cry over sin we
wipe the tears away with a hundred-and-
fifty dollar pocket-handkerchief.
My friends, let us put ourselves in bat
tie array against this God defying extrav-
agance:: Buy not those things which
are frivolous, when you may after
while be in lack of the necessities. Buy
not books you will never read, nor pic
lures you never study. Put not whole
months wages into one trinket. ~!
Keep your credit good by seldom or
never asking for any. Pay. Starve not
whole year so as to be able to afford
one Belshazzar carnival. Do not 0uy a
coat of many colors, and then in six
months be out at the elbows. Do not
pay SO much for muffer for the neck,
and be almost barefooted. Flourish not,
as some know of, in an elegant hotel with
drawing apartments, and then van
ish in the night, not even leaving your
compliments for the landlord.
In the great day of fire, we will have
to give an account not only for how we
made our money, but how we spent it.
On this cold day, when so many are suf.
fering and there is want before us and
want behind us and want on either side
of US, let us quit our waste. Men and
women of God. 1 call upon yon to set
Christian example. Remember that
soon you will have to leave wardrobe
and eauipage. I do not want you to feel
on that day like the dying actress, who
ordered up her casket of jewels, and her
pale, dying hand rolled them over, and
said, "Alas that must give you up so
soon." In that day, better have one
treasure in heaven, just one, than to have
the bridal trosseau of Queen Maria
Louisa, or to have sat with Caligula at a
banquet which cost four hundred thou
sand dollars, or to have been carried out
in pageant with senators and princes
70. pall-bearers. They who consecrate
to God their time, their talents, and their
all shall be held in everlasting remem.
brance, while the name of the wicked
shall rot.