The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-12-28

the rooms OF the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation. The first object Of interest that greets
your eye on entering that room in such printed
notices as these; mo talking aloud" No
laughing here" Which room Is the better cal
culated to interest people Surely "the chill
dren OF this world are wiser than the children
OF light"
1t is an exceedingly difficult matter to draw
the line and cay where lawful amusement ends
and the unlawful begins. But can give you
few rules that you can apply for yourselves:
l. DO no violence to your own conscience.
III you believe it is wrong to black your boots
don't black them; II you believe IL rs wrong to
play croquet, don't play. Believing as You do
it wonld be sinful for you to engage IN these
things.
2. Avoid those amusements whose reaction
Is pernlcious. II you come from an amuse-
ment to awake In the morning with blood shot
eye, with PROSTATE nervous system, with no
taste for your everyday calling, Cross to your
wife and children, then know that the amuse-
ment did You no good. But il the boy can hoe
corn better for weeks afterward, II the student
in the school studies better. II you feel rested
and strengthened then know that 80 far "a
this rule is concerned the amusement is good
one.
8. Then avoid those amusements that lead
you to expenditure Of money beyond your
means. There are young men working on
farms who are earning from sixteen to seven
teen dollars a month. They work hard. On
next Fourth OF July they will spend the hard
earnings Of two months work. They will do
all this to please some girl who the next day
would not give snap Of the finger for them!
4. Avoid allowing amusements to become the /
sole aim in life. Life is not all play. DR.. Llv-
ingstone leaves his home and seeks in Africas
interior the source OF the four rivers. This
becomes the daily project OF his life. For
thirty years the search is prosecuted. Sixteen
times the Doctor is stricken down with fever
in its most malignant form. The last sickness
comes. He can no longer ride on his horse
His attendants carry him on litter. He can
bear this no longer. They build rude hut.
He inquiries how far it is to the height OF land
toward which they were travelling. and where
ne expected to find the source Of the rivers
They reply :" Several days journey" lie says
"Oh dear, dear Those were his last words.
He buries his face in his hands and dies. Dur
ing those many years as DR.. Livingstone trav-
eled he could pause to look At the rare tropical
flowers that grew along the line Of his march.
He could inhale their fragrance and admire
their beauty. But ne could not so forget him
self amid these flowers as to lose sight OF the
great object Of his expedition to Africa. He
went there not to admire flowers but to find
the source OF tie four rivers. AS we go through
life we may behold every flower that is not
sinful, we may admire It's beauty and inhsle Its
fragrance only so that we are not 30 lost amid .
these pleasures as 10 forget the grand purpose
OF Life. Life is not to look at flowers; life is
to save the soul. In this way we can "use the
world without abusing it," i
By request OF several subscribers, this ser Z
mon is reprinted from the TRUE NoRrHERNEB :
Of June 10, 1877.