St. Landry democrat., 1885-05-16
how they trust you with a bill of goods?

y
Have the men whose names were down in
the commercial agency AT before they en-
tered the club been going down since in
commercial standing? Then look out.
You and every day know of commercial
establishments going to ruin through the
social excuses of one or two members.
Their fortunes beaten to death with ball
players bat, or cut amid ships by the front
prov of the regatta, or going down under
the swift hoofs of the fast horses, or
drowned in large rotations of cognac or
Monongahela. Their Clubhouse was the
s'Loch Earn" Their business house was
the ''Ville du Havre." They struck and
the 'Vil1e du Havre" went under.
A third test by which you may know
whether the club to which you belong, or
the club to whose membership you are in
vited, is legitimate club or an illegiti-
mate club, is this: What is its effect on
your sense of moral and religious obliga-
ton? Now, if should take the names of
all the people in this audience this morn
ing and put them on roll, and then I
should lay that roll back of the organ, and
hundred years from now some one should
take that roll and call it from A to there
would not be one of you answer. / say
that any association that makes me forget
that fact is bad association. When go
to Chicago am sometimes perpiexed at
Buffalo, as I suppose many travellers are,
as to whether it is better to take the Lake
Shore route or the Michigan Central,
equally expeditions and equally safe, get
ting at the destination at the same time.
But suppose that hear that on one route
the track is torn up, and the bridges are
torn down, and the switches are unlocked?
1t will not take me great while to decide
which road to take. Now here are two
roads into the future, the Christian and
the unchristian, the safe and the unsafe.
Any institution or any association that
confuses my idea in regard to that fact is
a bad Institution and a bad association.
had prayers before | joined the club.
Did I have them after? I attended the
house Of God before ] connected myself
with the club. Since that union with the
club do / absent myself from religious in
f1uences? Which would you rather have
in your hand when you come IT, die,
pack of cards or Bible? Which would
you rather have pressed to your lips in
the closing moment, the cup of Belshaz-
zarean wassail or the chaliee of Christian
communion? Who would you rather have
for your pail bearers, the elders of
Christian church, or the companions
whose conversation was full of slang and
inuendos? Who would you rather have
for your eternal companions, those men
who spend their evenings betting, gam
bling, swearing, carousing and telling vile
stories, or your little child, that bright
girl whom the Lord took? Oh, you would
not have been away so much nights, would
you, if you had known she was going
away so soon? Dear me, your house has
never been the same since. Your wife
has never frightened up. She has not got
over it; she never will get over it.
GOOD MEN WRECKED.
deplore this ruin the more because this
style of dissipation is taking down our
finest men. The admission fee Sits out
the penurious and takes only those who
are called the best fellows. Oh, how
changed you are! Not SO kind to your
wife as you used to be, not so patient with
your children, your conscience is not so
much at rest You laugh more now and
sing louder than once, but you are not half
SO happy. 1t is not the public drinking
saloon that is taking you down, but it is
simply and undeniably your Club-room.
You do not make yourself as agreeable in
your family as once. You go home at
twelve o'clock with an unnatural flush
upon your cheek and strange color in
your eyes that you got at the club. You
merely acknowledge that you feel queer.
You say that champagne never intoxi-
Gates; that it only exhilarates, makes
the conversation fluent, shakes up
the humor, and has no bad eff
feet except a headache next day. Be
not deceived. Champagne may not, like
whisky, throw man under the table; but
if, through any thing you drink you gain
an unnatural duency of speech and glow
of feeling, you are simply drunk. If those
imperiled were heartless young men
stingy young men-I would not be so sorry
as am; but there are many of them gem
erous to a fault, frank, honest, cheerful,
talented. begrudge the devil such a
prize. After awhile these persons will lose
all the frankness and honor for which they
are now distinguished. Their counte-
nances will get haggard, and, instead of
4OoAlLAS oAo Ii JUG oy . /" doh ohoy ostths Uney
will look down. After awhile, when the
mother kindly asks: "What kept you so
late?" they will make no answer, or will
say: ''That is my businessl" They will
come cross and befogged to the
store and bank, and ever and anon
neglect some duty, and after awhile
will be dismissed; and then, with
nothing to do, win rise in the morning
at ten o'clock, cursing the servant because
the breakfast is cold, and then go down
town and stand on the steps of fashion
able hotel and criticize the passers- by.
While the young man who was clerk in