The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-17
DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
EVILS OF BOARDING-HOUSES
AND HOTELS.

series on the Marriage Ring" related to the
evils of boarding houses and hotels, and was
preached from the following text: "And
brought him to an i'm and took care of him.
And on the morrow, when he departed, be
took out two pence and gave them to the host
and said unto him, Take care Of him, and
whatsoever thou expendeth more when l
come again will repay thee. st Luke, K,
"a. IS. The following is the sermon in full:
This is the good Samaritan paying. the
hotel bill Of man who had been robbed and
elmost killed by bandits. The good Samari-
tan had found the unfortunate on lonely,
rocky road, where to this very day depreda-
tionS are sometimes committed upon travellers,
and had put the injured man into the saddle,
while this merciful and wel-to-do man had
walked, till they got to the hotel and the
wounded man was put to bed and cared for.
It must have been very superior hotel Id its
accommodations for, though in the country,
the landlord was paid at the rate Of
what in our country would be four
or five dollars day a penny being then a
DAVIS wages and the two pennies paid in this
case about two days wages. Moreover it
was one Of those kind-hearted landlords who
are wrapped up in the happiness of their
guests, because the good Samaritan leaves
the Door wounded fellow to his entire care,
promising that when he came that way again
be would pay all the bills until the invalid
got well
! Hotels and boarding houses are necessities.
In very ancient times they were unknown,
because the world had comparatively few in
habitants and were not much given to travel,
and private hospitality met all the wants Of
soiourners, as when Abraham rushed out at
Mamre to invite the three men to sit down
to dinner of veal; as when Lydia urged the
apostles to accept of her home as when the
people we're positively commanded to be
given to hospitality; as in many OF the places
In the East these ancient customs are prac-
ticed to-day. But we have now hotels pre-
sided over by good landlords and boarding
houses presided over by excellent host or
hostess in all neighborhoods, villages and
cities, and it is our congratulation that those
of our own land surpass all other lands. They
rightly become the permanent residents of
many people such as those who are without
families, such as those whose business keeps
them migratory, such as those who oughtnot,
for various reasons Of health or popularity of
circumstances, take upon themselves the cares
Of housekeeping.
Many a man falling sick in one of these
boarding houses or hotels has been kindly
watched and nursed, and by the memory Of
her own sufferings and losses the lady at the
head Of such q house has done all that
mother could do for sick child, and the
slumberless eye of God sees and appreciates
her sacrifices in behalf Of the stranger.
Among the most marvellous cases Of patience
and Christian fidelity are many of those who
keep boarding houses, enduring without re-
sentiment the unreasonable demands Of their
guests for expensive food and attentions for
which they are not willing to pay an equiya-
lent; lot of cranky men and women who
are not worthy to tie the shoe of their queen
ly caterer. Ths outrageous way in which
boarders sometimes act to their landlords and
landladies show that these critical guests had
bad early rearing, and that in the making up
Of their natures all that constitute the gentle
man and lady were left out Some of the
most princely men and some Of the most ele-
CANT women that / know Of to-day keep
hotels and boarding houses; have given
up their homes and taken apart
ments, that they may have more freedom
from domestic duties and more time for So
cial life, and because they like the whirl Of
publicity better than the quiet and privacy
lawful use of these hotels and boarding houses
is for most people while they are in trans III,
but as a terminus they are in many cases de-
moralization, utter and complete. That is
the point at which families innumerable
have begun to disintegrate. There never has
been time when so many families, healthy
and abundantly able to support and direct
homes Of their own, have struck tent and
taken permanent abode in these public estab-
lishments. 1t is an evil wide as christendom,
and by voice and through the newspaper
and ask Almighty God to bless the work,
whether in the hearing or reading.
In these public caravanseries the demon OF
gossip is apt to get full sway. All the board
ers run daily the gauntlet Of general inspec-
tion-how they look when they come down
in the morning, and when they get in at
night. and what they do for living, and
who they receive as guests in their rooms,
and what they wear, and what they do not
wear, and how they eat, and what they eat,
and how much they eat, and how little they
eat. If man proposes in such place to be
isolated, and reticent and alone, they will be-
gin to guess about, bim-who is he? where did
he come from? how long is he going to stay!
has he paid his boardl how much does he
pay? perhaps he has committed some crime
and does not want to be known. there must
be something wrong about him or he would
speak. The whole house goes into the detective
business. They must find out about him:
They must find out about him right away. If
he leaves his door unlocked by accident he
will find that his rooms have been inspected,
his trunk explored, his letters folded differ.
entity from the way they were folded when
he put them away. Who is he? is
the question asked with intenser interest
until the subject has become a mono
mania. The simple fact is that he is no
body in particular, but minds his own bust
ness. The best landlords and landladies can
not sometimes hinder their places from be:
coming q pandemonium OF whisperers and
regulations are torn to tatters and evil sus-
-, aI1Io c%o~,% ,%ol n
the parliament of the family is blown to
atoms by some Guy Fawkes who was not
caught in time, as was his English predeces'
sor Of gunpowder reputation.
The reason is that, while in private
homes families have 80 much to
keep them busy, in these promiscuous and
multitudinouS residences there are so many
who have nothing to do, and that always
makes mischief. They gather in each others
rooms and spend hours in consultation about
others If they had to walk half mile be-
fore they get to the willing ear of some
listener to detraction, they would get out of
breath before reaching there and not feel in
full glow of animosity or SANDER, or might,
because Of the distance not go at all. But
rooms 20, 81, %, %, 81 and 11are on the same
corridor, and when one carrion crow goes
''caw! cawl" all the other crows hear it ard
flock together over the same carcass. "Oh,
1 nave heard something rich; Sit down and
let me tell you all about it." And the first
gutfaw increases the gathering and it has
to be told all over again, and
as they separate each carries a
spark from the altar of Cab to some other
circle, until from the coal HEAVIER in the cellar
to the maid in the top room Of the garret, all
are aware of the defamation, and that even
ing all who leave the house will bear it to
other houses until auturnnal fires sweeping
across Illinois prarie are less raging and
swift than that fame Of consuming reputa-
tion blazing a:ross the village or city. Those
of us who we're brought I'D in the country