The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-06-06
Our Young People
By REV. R. H. RIVERS. D. D.
Dead Flies.
LESSON SIXTEENTH.

Ne SLIOnScSb pEeSeubdbiOBS y
truth are found in the Bible. 1
may be presented in homely phras
or be partially concealed under al
obscure figure, but when understood
it necessarily leaves its impress
deep and strong. Such is the man
ner of its presentation in the pas
sage in Ecclesiastes: dead file
cause the ointment OF the apothe
cary to send forth shrinking SAVIOR.
The rich and costly ointment Of tn,
apothecary kept in a magnificen
vase and sending forth the sweetes
odors is TO represent character. T,
any one understanding how highly
such perfumes were valued by thu
ancients and at what almost fabu
lous prices they were purchased, th'
figure is at once striking and beau
tiful. No human possession is 81
valuable as the character. A gooC
name is precious, but character
the real present condition of the
man himself-is infinitely more val
liable. 1t is beyond all price. i
is worth more than numbers car
calculate, or language express
Then as the character can and does
suffer from small vices or little fol
hes, it is like the ointment spoiled
by a dead fly. Now, my young
readers, understand me. The costly
ointment represents the priceless
character; the dead flies which ruin
the sweet perfume and cause it to
send forth sinking odors illustrate
those vices which mar the beauty
and destroy the sweetness of an
otherwise excellent character.
Here is boy that is truthful and
generous, but he is rude. He is
noisy and forward in company. He
is rough and unpleasant in his man
ners. Now his rudeness is a dead
fly IN the ointment. 1t mars the
beauty OF his character. 1t is hard
to love such boy; he lacks polite
ness. He seems not to know how
to behave himself. He talks louder
than any one else. He tries to show
off even his truthfulness in a blunt
way, so as to be offensive. He does
not hesitate to contradict his older
brothers or sisters, or even his pa
rents, if he thinks they are in the
wrong. He is sincere; he is honest;
he would be as far from telling a
falsehood as any boy you can find,
but he is SO disagreeable to COM
pany that he is like the ointment
with dead flies. He makes every one
feel unpleasant when in his com
pany. He sends out around him
an influence like the smell of the
dead flies in the ointment. Here is
another boy that has many good
traits of character, but he exagger-
ates everything; he tells nothing as
it exactly is; he tells you that he
almost dies laughing; that he was
frozen to death; that the weather is
the hottest; the coolest. Every
thing is in the superlatiye degree.
He is like the young preacher
whose presiding elder went to him
and said, "My dear brother, be more
prudent in your speech; govern
your tongue; do not speak SO ex-
travagantly; it is injuring your use
fulness. 1 beg you to speak with
more caution, or you will ruin your
self" The young preacher was much
affected, even to tears, and exclaim
ed with a sob, 81 knew it, ] am
sorry for it, and have already shed
a thousand bushels of tears over
it." The elder smelt a dead fly
then. He felt that his young
preacher would have to. work hard
and long before he could get that fly
out of the ointment. 1 ask you,
to look into your ointment
and see if you have any fly like this
10 it.
Girls have dead flies sometimes.
They will tattle and whisper and
gossip if they are not on their
guard. The habit of telling tales
to the injury of any one is one of
the worst that a little girl or a
young lady can have. There lived
in neighborhood through which l
passed many years ago old Sister
Longtongue. People said she was
tied-that her tongue was
tied in the middle and loose at both
ends. She was never satisfied if
she was not getting up fuss. She
was constantly making trouble
among the neighbors. Really every
body was glad when she died. She
had such a horrid dead fly in her
ointment she was never welcome,
md people were always glad when
'he yas gone. ]
Now, girls, take warning from
I'D Madame Longtongue. Never
'un about among your young friends |
md tell tales. Solomon says that
ale bearer separateth very friends,
md when the tale bearer is gone
trife ceaseth.
High temper is a dead fly that
will spoil the very best temper.
That is, child may have ever so
many noble qualities, and they are
IL spoiled by quick irritable tenn
yer. Bad tempered folks are ter
or to all that know them. If they
re peevish and constantly fretting
rom morning till night, they are
Ike a drilling rain. The rain
lrizzles, drizzles all day long and
makes you afraid to go down town,
r even to put your head outside
be door. So is one that is always
retting, scolding and finding fault.
aid a little boy to his papa: "Papa,
5 grandpa going to Heaven
Yes" said his papa, al hope So"
Well, 1 don't want to 60 there
hem" "Why, my sonT' because
randpa scolds so much; he is in a
ret from morning till night, and
ont want to go to Heaven with
randpa." 1t is bad in an old man
D fret and scold. but it is much
-orse in little boy. We do not
xpect children to have a frown or
scowl all the time nor any OF the
me. But there is another kind of
Ugh temper. 1t is terrible. 1t
forms and RACES. II the first is
Ike drizzly day, this is like a day
f storm. 1t thunders; it lightens.
! keeps all not only in doors but in
state of fright all the time. I'll
Ill 1