The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-17

somehow, WnaL uno Iohu y
beautiful day for a ride Crack the
whip and over the turnpike Come,
bows, fill high your glasses. Drink long
life, health, plenty Of rides just IKE
this II Hard working men hear the
clatter of hoofs, and look up and FAY,
"Why, wonder whore those fellows get
their money from2 We have to toll
and drudge. They do nothing" To
these gay men life is thrill and an eX'
citement. They stare at other people
and in turn are stared at. The watch
chain iingles. The cup foams. Cheek
fushes. The eyes flash. The midnight
hears their guffaw. They swagger. They
iostle decent men off The sidewalk
They take the name of God in vain,
They parody the hymns they learned at
their mothers knee and to all pictures
of coming disaster they cry out, VINO
cares p And to the counsel OF some omne
Christian friend: "Who are you r.
Passing along the street, some night you
hear shrek in a grog.shop, the rattle
of the watchman's club, the rush OF the
police. What is the matter noWY Oh,
this reckless young man has been killed
in grog-shop fight. Carry him home
to his fathers house. Parents will come
down and wash his wounds ard close
his eyes in death. They forgive him all
he ever did, though he can not in his
silence ask it. The prodigal has got
home at last. Mother will go to her lit.
tie garden and get the sweetest flowers,
and twist them into q Chaplet for the
silent heart of the wayward boy, and
push back from the bloated brow the
long locks that were once her pride.
And the air will be rent with the fathers
cry "Oh, my son my poor son Would
to God I had died for thee, oh, my son
my son |"
l 90 further, and say those are unchris
tian amusements which become the
chief business of mans life. Life is
an earnest thing. Whether we are born
in a palace or hovel, whether we are
effluent or pinched, we have to work, II
you do not sweat with toll, you will
sweat with disease. You have soul
that is to be transfgured amidst the
pomp of JUDGMENT Day; and after the
sea has sung its last Chant, and the
mountains shall have come down in an
avalanche of rock, you will live and
think and act high on throne where
seraphs sing, or deep in a dungeon
where demons howl. In world where
there is so much to do for ourselves, and
80 much to do for others, God pity that
man who has nothing to do. Your
sports are merely means to an end. They
are alleViations and helps. The arm of
toll is the only arm strong enoH7h to
bring up the bucket out Of the deep we'll
of pleasure. Amusement is only the
bower where business and philanthropy
rest while on their way to stirring
achievements. Amusements are merely
the vines that grow about the anvil of
toll and the blossoning of the hammers
Alas for the man who spends his life in
laboriousy doing nothing; his day in
hunting up lounging PAGES and louDg-
ers; his nights in seeking out some cas'
lighted foolery! The man who always
has on his sporting jacket ready to hunt
for game in the mountains or fish in the
brook, with no time to pray or work or
read, is not 80 we'll off as the greyhound
that runs by his side, or the hy-bait
with which he whips the stream. A
man who does not work does not know
how to play. God has given US shoul.
ders with which to lift, and hands with
which to work, and brains with which to
think. The amusements OF life are
merely the orchestra playing while the
great tragedy Of life plunges through it's
FIVE acts-infancy, childhood, manhood,
old age and death. Then exit the last
chance for mercy. Enter the over
whelming realities of an eternal world
l go further, and say that all those
amusements are wrong which lead into
bad Comppny. If you belong to an or
ganization where you have to associate |
with the intemperste, with the unCean,
with the abandoned, however well you |
may be dressed, in the name of God quit |
it. They will despoil your nature. They |
will undermine your moral character.
They will drop you when you are de-
They will give not one cent to
support your children when you are
dead. They will weep not one tear at
your burial. They will chuCkle over
your damnation. l had friend at the |
west-a rare friend-he was one of the |
first to welcome me to my new home. |
To fine personal appearance he added a
generosity, frsnkness and ardor Of ma
ture that made me love him like a
brother. But taw evil people gather
ing around him. They came up from
the saloons, from the gamblir g.hells.
They piled him with a thousand arts.
They seized upon his social nature and
he could not stand the charm. They
drove him on the rocks like ship full.
winged shivering on the breakers. l
used to admonish him. / would say
How l wish you would quit those bad |
habits and become Christian" "0h,"
be would reply, II would like to; l |
would like to but I have gone 80 far 1 |
don't think there is any way back" In
his moments of repentance he would go
home and take his little girl, of eight |
years, and embrace her Convulsively and
cover her with adornments, and streW
around her pictures and toys, and every
hing that could make her happy; and |
then, as though bounded by an evil
spirit he would 60 out to the il flaming
cup and the house of shame, like fool |
10 the correction of stocks.
/ was summoned to his death-bed. / |
FASTENED. | entered the room. I found |
MIN, to my surprise, lying in full every
lay dress on the top Of couch. l put |
)ut my hand. He grasped it excitedly,
and said, "sit down, Mr.. Talmage, right |
here" / sat down. He said Last
night saw my mother, who has been
dead twenty years ago, and she sat just
where you sit now. 1t was no dream. l |
was wide awake. There was no delu.
,ion in the matter. l saw her just as
plainly as see you. Wife, / wish you |
would take these strings off Of me.
There are strings spun all around my |
body. / wish you would take them off |
If me-" l saw it was delirium. "0h,"
replied his wife, my dear, there is
nothing there there is nothing there"
de went on and said; Just where you
,iG, Mr.. Talmsge, my mother sst. She |
Jaid to me, Roswell, v ish you would |
In hektaFj + cot ont of had mt NV |