The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27

Especially is temptation strong when business
is dull L have noticed that men spend more
money when they have little to spend. The
tremendous question to be settled by our great
pepulace, day by day, is how to get livelihood.
Many of our young men just starting out for
themselves are very much discouraged. They
had hoped before this to have set up a house
hold of their own. But their gains have been
slow, their discouragemeuts many. The young
man can hardly take care of himself How can
he take of another2 And, to the curse of
modern society," before young man is able to
set up home of his own, he is expected to have
enough to support in idleness somebody else,
when God intended they should begin together
and jointly ear, livelihood. So, many Of our
young men are utterly discouraged and utterly
unfit to resist temptation.
The time when the pirate bore down upon the
ship was when its sails were down and it was
making no Roadway. People wish they had
more time to think. The trouble is. in dull
times, that people have too much time to think.
Give to many of our commercial men the four
hours OF these winter nights, with nothing to
divert Them and before spring they will have
lodgings III an Insane asylum
remark, further, that the winter is especially
trying to the moral character of our young men.
because some of their homes in winter are espe-
eially unattractive. In summer they can sit on
the steps or have bouquet in the vase on the
nantel, and the evenings are so short that soon
after gasilght they feel like retiring. Parents
do not take enough pains to make these long
winter nights attractive. It is strange that old
people know so little about young people. One
would think that they had never been young
themselves, but had been born with their spec
tacles 1t is dolorous for young people to
spend the three or four hours Of winters
evening with parents who sit talking over their
own ailments and misfortunes and the nothing
ness of this world. How dare you talk such
blasphemy? God was busy six days in max
ing the world, and has allowed it to hang
5000 years on His holy heart; and that
world hath fed you, and clothed you, and
talk about the nothingness Of this world?
Do you expect the young people in your
family to sit a whole evening and hear you groan
about this magnificent, ar-lighted. sun warmed,
shower baptized hower-strewn. angel watched,
God-inhabited planet From such homes young
men make wild plunge into dissipation. Many
of you have the means-why do you not buy
them violin or a picture or have your daughter
cultured In music until she can help to make
home attractive! There are ten Thousand ways of
lighting up the domestic circle. 1t requires no
large income, big house. nor rich wardrobe,
no chased silver. no gorgeous upholstery--but
parental heart awake to its duty. Have dofeful
home and your children will stay in it. though
you block up the door with Bibles and tie fast to
them million Catechlsms. 1 said to man:
''EhiS is beautiful tree in front of your house"
He answered with whine: Eyes, but it will
fade" said to him: you have beautiful gar
den.' He replied: Eyes, but 1t will perish" [
found out afterward that his son was vagabond
and was not surprised at it. You cannot groan
msn into deeency, but you can groan them out
of it.
Pray ye that your fiightbe not in the winter.
Arm yourself against the especial temptations OF
this season. Poets and painters have represented
Satan horned and hoofed. If / were a poet /
should describe him with maners polished to the
last perfection hair flowing in graceful ringlets:
eyes little bloodshot but floating in bewitching
languor: hands soft and diamonded; step light
and artistic; voice mellow flute; boot ele
eantly shaped; conversation facile, carefully
toned and Frenchy; breath perfumed until it
would seem that nothing had ever touched his
lips save balm and myrrh. But his heart would
incase with the scales of monster; then fl!
with pride. with beastliness, with desire, with
recklessness, with hypocrisy, with death. Then
l would have him touched with some rod of en-
chantment until his two eyes would become the
cold orbs of the adder and on his lips would
come the foam of raging intoxicatien, and to his
feet the spring of the panther and his soft hand
would become the clammy hand of wasted
skeleton, while suddenly from his heart would
burst IL cracking and alldevouring fury. the
unquenchable flame; and in the affected lisp of
mis- tongue would come the hiss of the worm that
never dies But, until Disseminated, nothing
but myrrh and BALM and ringlets, and Gia-
mcnd aud fute-hke voice and conversation;
aromatic, facile and Frenchy.
Oh, it is beautiful to young man living a
life of purity, standing upright where thousands
of other young men fall! You will move in hon
orable circles all your days, and some old friend
of your fathers will meet you and say: my
son, how glad am to SEE you look SO well. Just
like your father, for all the world. [ thought
you would turn out we'll when used to hold you
on my knee
But here is a young man who takes the other
route. The voices of sin charm him away. He
reads bad books, lives in vicious circles, loses
the glow from his cheeks, the sparkle from his
eye and the purity from his soul. The good
shun him. Down he goes, little by little. They
who knew him when he came to town, while yet
lingering on his head was pure mothers bless
ing. and on his lips the dew Of a pure sisters
kiss, now pass him and say: What an awful
wreck His eyes bteared with frequent
carousals, his cheek bruised in the grogs shop
fight his lips swollen with evil ndulgences.
Look out what you say to him. for trite he
will take your life. Lower down and lower
down until, outcast of God aad man, he lies in
the aims house biotch q loathsomeness and
pain. Sometimes he calls out for God, and then
for more drink. Now he prayS, now curses. now
laughs as fends laugh. Then bites his nails to
the quick. Then runs both hands through the
shock of hair that hangs about his head like the
name Of a wild beast. Then shivers, until the
cot shakes. with unutterable terror. Then, with
up)ifted fist. fights back the devils or clutches
the serpents that seem winding him in their
COIL Then asks for water, which is instantly
consumed by his cracked lips. Going his round
some morning the surgeon finds him dead.
Straighten the limbs. You need not try to
comb out shove back the matted locks Wrap
him IN a sheet Put him in a box. Two men
will carry it down to the wagon at the door,
With chalk write on the top of the box the name
of the destroyed.
Do you know who it is!
That is you. o man, if, yielding to the temp
tations to dissipated life, you go out andperish
There is a way that seemeth bright and fair
and beautiful, but the end thereof is death
Devote these December, January and Febru-
airy evenings to high pursuits, innocent amuse
ments, intelligent socialities and Christian at
tainments. Do not waste this winter. We shall
soon have seen the last snow shower and have
passed up into the companionship of Him whose
raiment is exceeding white as snow-as no fuller
on earth can whiten it. To the right hearted
the winter nights OF earth will soon end in the
June morning of heaven.
The river Of God from under the throne never
freezes over The foliage of lifes fair tree is
never frostbitten. The festivals and hilarites
and family gatherings of Christmas times on