The Dawson journal., 1883-09-13

GGNEa.l ~ ' 'oAU WIS,
MARX ye, well, her bulwarks and
consider her place." and. his faca
grew bright with rapture as be
told what the Christian RELIGION
had done for the world and hn-
manlty. | love to look at the faith
that IS visible on the faces of these
Old men. Ii [ was an infde} or
an atheist, or Jew and solemnlv
believed my faith was RIGHT, I
would not seek to disturb these
old people in their religion, for in
the first place it is a religion that
corrqpts no one, endangers no one,
ard If it be an illusion it is on the
safe side and makes them happy,
ihat IS reason enough for me. It
is pitiful spectacle to see an old
man Wavering, tossed about with
every wind and tide of doctrine
Rev. Samuel Jones followed in
an hours talk. 1t did notseem so
long for he knows how to enter
tam an audience. His happiest
faculty Is in interposing anecdotes
and allegories to make his declara-
tons more pointed and better un-
derstood. He draws his illustra-
tons from nature from the field
and the farm, and the domestic
animals, and the wild game in the
woods and from the workshop,
and the humblest occupations Of
life. When he tells them that
the heart is like a field with fence
around it; and though it may be
very good fence, yet if there is one
broken rail some long-nosed hog
will find it and get in and destroy
the crop-and so the heart may be
a very good heart and the man a
very good moral man, but il there
is one littl sin that he loves. one
broken rail, the devil will root
around and find it and get in and
ruin him. They unerstand that and
the humble farmer will never see
a broken rail without thinking
about it.
He said that if a man didn't
want to get religion it is his own
and all the advice he had
to give him was not to be in such
a hurry about going to hell. If he
really intended to turn his back
upon heaven there was no sense
in going the other way in a gallon
that he had known young men
who drank and dissipated and
ruined their health by Indulgence
in all sorts Of vices, and sometimes
they committed suicide inst as
though they wouldn't get 10 hell IN
due time without it, that it Became
4 sensible man to 60 there slowly
and be on the road as long a. posi-
BILE, stop on the way occasionally
and rest under the shade.
While talking about the way a
good many folks put off and post
pone getting religion, he said that
one time the old devil called a con-
of his board Of directors,
and told them that the Almighty
was getting ahead Of him and they
must do something to catch more
souls, and one of the board said
the best plan was to make men be-
lieve there was no God. But the
old devil shook his head and said
that wont do-all nature tells
them that there is a God. You
may catch few fools that way,
but not many. Another one of
the board said: Better make
them believe there is no he'll
THAT is better" said the old devil,
'and that will catch a good many,
but we must do better than that"
And after a long pow-wow the old
devil gave his opinion and said
The best way is to whisper to
every man and woman that there
was enough time. The next year
would do just as well, and SO get
them to put it of, and if we can
ever get 'em in a way of putting it
off we'll bag 'em sure"
Sam Jones may be called rough
and unpublished, but he is a dia-
mond nevertheless, and his good
work for the orphan home will
live as a bright record OF his good
deeds long after he is gone.
After the benediction there was
a recess of an hour, and long
table spread, and everybody put
their lunch upon the boards and a
blessing was asked 'and then all
was good cheer and good humor.
z here was mutton and kid and
roast pig and chickenand breadand
cake and pies in abundance, and
the feast was closed with peaches
and melons and grapes; and every
body was happy. A good ser
mon is good thing and so IS
good singing, but a poor, frau
mortal can enjoy it more when he
knows a good dinner is to follow.
There is no virtue that ] know OF
that thrives oman empty stomach.
Bull ARP.
D,vsov CA July q, 1888