Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-01-31

day of the worlds existence, ana al
witbout avail. This dramatic element
God implanted in ninety-nine out oil
hundred of US, will drag out, and climb
over. and trample under foot all enort
AZ suppression. II you cannot guide It
into right directions, it will plunge into
" urono directions. 1t will be either
angel or satyr. We want for TINS e,e-
ment OF our nature an institution lnde,
pendent OF church and Independent OF
theatre. The church tries to compro-
mise the matter by giving entertain,
ments of various sorts, sometimes called
cbarades or magic lantern exhibitions,
or something which for so cents you can
90 in and see, the proceeds to be de-
voted TO some charitable object. SO on
an extern porixed stage in the church or
lecture room you have the opportunity
OF seeing David and Goliath" or "Jo-
seph sold into Egypt" or Little Sam
uel Woke" The chief difference be-
tween such exhibitions and the theatre
is that they are not so skillful. In the
church your participants are amateurs,
while in the theatre there are men and
women who are giving their whole lives
TO the study OF their particular parts.
Because the fifty cent exhibition In
the church is not so we'll done as the
exhibition in the theatre you think 1t IS
nearer to being pious. The old elders
do not object to the Performance because
they do not want to make
Trouble in Church,
and the minister atones the next Sab
bath ior the dramatic exhibition, In
church by anathematizing in a manner
vitriolic and brimstoney the playhouse,
and SO all are cheated except Coz. Now
let,us have an institution which without
any sophi.try or so uncompromislngiv
good that We can attend 1t without any
shock to our religious senslbilltles
though the day before We sat at the holy
sacrament. Il will not be dull enter
tainment because it is good. There IS
more fun in virtue than in sin. The
only way to scatter darkness is by clear
light, and to wash out filth is by clean
water, and to drown discord is by the
drum beat and flute warble and trumpet
blast of grand harmony, and the way to
overcome the depraving and besotting
and soul-destroylng entertainments oil
our great cities is by the establishment
OF a model Spectacular" under the
control OF Reform Amusement Asso.
ciatlon, composed OF the purest and
best men and women OF world and
church. The philanthropist who has
The money and the brain and
the heart to inaugurate this
movement will be the man OF the Nine
teenth century, the church OF God and
the whole human race his everlasting
auditors. But until this new institution
shall be built and opened, | counsel you
to beware OF allowing the dramatic ele-
ment in your nature to lead you into
condemnation. For the ratification OF
that one taste do not sacrifice your puri-
ty, your usefulness, your influence, your
soul, as ten thousand have. Remember
that the recreations OF life are only Tor
the interstices, the parenthesis, the in
terregnums OF hard work, and to rest US
from other hard work. He who does
nothing buthunt for amusement, how
ever pure the amusement, is like man
who loses diamond among the rocks
and looks for il regardless OF the preci-
pice near by till in JOY Of finding it he
tumbles backward 500 feet off, the cor
norants and the ea.gulls only knowing
where he perished.
Amusement Is Valuable Thing
to have, but look ont that you do not
get it at the cost OF your eternal life. |
could not tell your character or your
prospects for this world or the next by
the particular church that you attend,
but can by your style OF recreation.
Tell me where you spent last night and
the night before and all the nights OF the
last month and think i can tell you
where you will spend eternity.
AS look into the eyes OF these thous-
ands OF young cannot help but think
what immense parental anXieties hover
over them. Did you say, "My father
and mother are dead?" That is no
reason why YOU should think they are
not watching you. Do you suppose
that y hen your mother, with her white
and dying lips, kissed you goodbye and
went up to God, she left behind her all
interest in her boy? No. no! | do
not believe that you have offered
prayer since then but she hovered some
where near You and said that is right,
or have gone into pace where you
ought not to 20 but she Whispered" Do not
90 there, my dear boy, that is wrong"
You thought it was the whistling OF the
wind or the slamming of a door. No,
it was your mother. But many OF you
have parents living and they are think
ing of you, planning for you, wanting to
trnn
of you. They do not say much about
it, but all the good or bad that they hear
OF you thrills them from the
White Hair on the wiinkled Brow
10 the foot that is almost through with
the journey. As no one else may tell
you how much vOur Christian parents
think Of you, | will tell you. They have
wrapped their hearts all about you. No
need OF going way back to find how
David loved Absolom, or Hannah work
ed for Samuel or Rizpah watched by
night on the rock the dead bodies OF her
children. am talking OF your parents
love for you. Oh, do not disappoint
their expectation! Do not forget their
advice that last morning! Go to no
place that would displease them! And
II they are real good, do you not think
you had better try their religion. They
would rather hear that you are Chris
tisn than any other good news about
you. How your parents feel about you
| know from experience. had boy
on whom had set many expecta,io ms.
He had just started life. l thought
nothing was impossible for him. The
world opened before him as never saw
it open before any one. Not yet 2l
wears OF age. But always told him
Dewitt, | want you TO be great as q
lawyer, but above all want you to be
good and Christian" And he promised
me he would be and / think he was
and the last time he was at the teatable
with us among all the young people
with an earnestness none OF US will
ever forget he declared he would star
out anew in the Christian life. With
out a moment OF warning he sped away
from us. With
Both Arms Around Him
| tried to hold him back, but l could
not. l went down and broke up hi:
office and took the contents home, and
we put out OF our sight many things be
longing TO him. But his bright face and
-. okcnx,, l.u,,b md hia nraciona a1am